Lovat vow to go for glory
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LOVAT captain Stuart MacDonald is urging his teammates to go flat out for victory over Kingussie tomorrow as the Kiltarlity side bid for their first Orion Premiership title.
Lovat trail Newtonmore by two points and by an inferior goal difference of five with both clubs having just one game of the 2014 schedule left to play.
MacDonald acknowledged the odds are stacked against the Balgate side but vowed not to give up the chase.
"Newtonmore are favourites no doubt and all we can do is make sure we take both points tomorrow," he said.
"That will not be easy as Kingussie knocked us out of the Camanachd Cup, so we know what they can do. Knocking in a few goals would be nice but we need to defend well and first and foremost make sure we take the points."
A Lovat win would mean that Newtonmore would need to win or draw against Inveraray to clinch their fifth successive Premiership title.
Earlier in the day Lovat’s reserves face old rivals Beauly in the final of the Strathdearn Cup plate competition. That goes ahead at Caberfeidh’s Castle Leod pitch and has a noon throw-up time.
While Lovat look to maintain their challenge for the Premiership, title rivals Newtonmore face Kyles Athletic in the final of the MacAulay Cup at Oban’s Mossfield Park.
Considered to be one of the sport’s four grand-slam trophies, Kyles are the holders, with Newtonmore bidding to win the trophy for the first time since 1980.
In the Marine Harvest National Division, high-flying Fort William, fresh from their 8-0 drubbing of Glasgow Mid Argyll, entertain league-leaders Oban Camanachd in a match where the outcome will have a huge bearing on the destination of the title, which carries automatic promotion to next season’s Premiership.
Meanwhile, Strathglass bring the curtain down on their season at home to league leaders Skye. The Strath will be looking to finish a disappointing season on a high and will hope to catch Skye on a downer after the islanders’ defeat in the last Saturday’s Camanachd Cup semi-final against Glenurquhart.
In a clash to decide the minor placings, Caberfeidh entertain Mid Argyll in their penultimate game of the season.
Elsewhere, its crunch time at the top and bottom in a number of area leagues.
Fort William can wrap up the North Division Two title if they beat Lochcarron, but the New Battery Park side are not entirely out of the title race themselves.
Victory in their final three games would see them pip the Fort to the title and promotion to next season’s North Division One. At the bottom it is a straight fight between Aberdeen University and Skye, and a win for either side would consign the other to almost certain relegation.
In the South, Division One league leaders Ballachulish can put the champagne on ice if they beat Aberdour, while Inveraray Colts can clinch promotion to South Division One if they take both points from their derby encounter against Glenorchy.
