Lovat plan to take chase to the wire
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LOVAT can make sure Orion Group Premiership champions-in-waiting Newtonmore keep the champagne on ice for another week – by seeing off visitors Kingussie at Balgate this Saturday.
To really apply the pressure on Newtonmore, who top the table by two points, Allan MacRae’s Lovat need not only to win to go level on points but also by a few clear goals to close the gap on ’More’s superior goal difference of +17.
Lovat’s goal difference stands at +12. Should Lovat win by four goals, ’More could be left having to take at least a point from their final fixture at Inveraray to clinch the championship.
With Kingussie having a Camanachd Cup final against Glenurquhart to think about in just over two weeks, the boys from The Dell are unlikely to take it easy in their final league match with places in Russell Jones and Dave Anderson’s cup final squad very much there to play for.
Lovat will want to bring the curtain down on their season in style by registering a league double over the Camanachd Cup finalists, who ended their hopes of a first Camanachd Cup triumph in over 60 years by winning 2-1 in a first round at Balgate in June.
There is a full fixture card in the Marine Harvest National Division with both title contenders needing to win to maintain their challenge.
At An Aird in a noon start, Fort William are odds-on to defeat second bottom Glenorchy, who sign off for their season against a Fort side desperate to make a quick return to the top-flight.
While dropping points at this stage for Fort will be disastrous, bosses Victor Smith and Adam Robertson will not underestimate their opponents.
They surrendered a two-goal lead in the final eight minutes at Mart Park in May, which levelled the score at 2-2 and earned Glenorchy an unexpected share of the points.
Table-toppers Oban Camanachd have a slightly trickier obstacle to overcome when Beauly, on their last outing of the season, are visitors to Mossfield Park.
The teams have met twice this season, with Oban winning 1-0 at Braeview Park in March. But when the teams met again at the same venue less than two months later, Beauly romped to a sensational 5-1 Camanachd Cup first round win.
Bute are still seeking their first league victory of the season and Caberfeidh will want to avoid becoming the islanders’ first victims when the teams meet at The Meadows, which will be Cabers’ last match of the campaign.
Glasgow Mid Argyll and Kilmallie are two other teams also rounding off their programme.
Kilmallie, barring an unlikely chain of events, are virtually out of the title race, but they are already assured of a third place finish and should return from Yoker with both points.
Skye will clinch the Marine Harvest North Division One title if they maintain their perfect league record by defeating Glenurquhart reserves in Portree.
At the other end of the table, Inverness need to take something from their clash with Beauly reserves at Braeview Park if they are to give themselves a decent chance of avoiding relegation.
The city side will be finishing off for the season with this fixture and they sit just one point above basement side Lovat reserves, who have three games in hand over them.
Lovat will be anxious to enhance their chances of avoiding the drop by returning from Kingussie with at least a point.
The Eilean at Newtonmore is the venue for the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup final, the reserve championship of Scotland.
Competing for the honour are Fort William and Kyles Athletic. Fort lifted this trophy in 2009, whilst Kyles last triumphed in 1998.
