'More prevail following late drama
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FIVE minutes from the end of the second period of extra-time, Danny MacRae struck the decisive goal that brought the Camanachd Cup back to Newtonmore for the first time in 25 years.
The goal edged his side into a 4-3 lead over Kingussie and as the seconds ticked away fans of the blue and white hoops endured what must have have felt like torture as their great rivals threw all their efforts into forcing the game into a penalty shootout.
But at approximately 4.55pm, a loud blast of referee Deek Cameron’s whistle finally brought the suffering to an and it was joy unconstrained as fans, players and coaching staff hugged each other in scenes of delirious happiness.
The match had lived up to its billing and will go down in shinty folklore as a classic.It had the crowd, estimated to be in the region of 4000, buzzing with the neutrals left to savour a match that pulsated with non-stop action from start to finish.
Newtonmore’s Cameron Binnie summed up the mood in the ‘More camp at the end of the game.
“It feels great.." he said. "However, hopefully this is only the start and I think we have to remember how good this feels when it comes the first round next year."
Binnie was also quick to respond to pre-match concerns about his side’s stamina.
“I think we put that one to bed," he said. "That was a heavy pitch out there and even with extra-time we finished the stronger. We have been training really hard and it has paid off”.
The match proved something of a personal triumph for the 28-year-old wind farm worker.
After three years away from the sport, he returned in June and broke back into the first-team squad and on Saturday he repaid his managers confidence in his ability with a non-stop performance in the Newtonmore midfield.
But Kingussie were bereft. They had given their all and had battled back with a second half performance that at times bordered on the heroic, but at the end they were left to come to come to terms with their third Camanachd Cup final defeat in a row.
Despite the dire warnings of heavy rain, the weather was almost perfect, although a downpour on Friday evening had left the pitch quite heavy.
There were few surprises in the starting line-up, although Kingussie’s Iain Borthwick failed to recover from injury.
In an electric start, David Cheyne picked up a loose ball from the throw-up , fed Danny MacRae and from 20 yards he blasted home, beating Kingussie goalkeeper Andrew Borthwick at his left-hand post.
Timed at 12 seconds, the goal was the second quickest in Camanachd Cup history, beaten only by referee for the day Cameron’s seven second strike for Fort William in the 1992 final, also against Kingussie.
The Kingussie defence were in disarray and after surviving two narrow misses from MacRae, they were punished in the sixth minute when Steven MacDonald drove home from 25 yards.
Minutes later, matters went further downhill for the Kings when fullback Ally MacLeod not long returned to the side from a long injury lay-off was forced out with what looked like a broken nose.
Kingussie manager Steve Borthwick did not hesitate to throw 47-year-old Rory Fraser into the fray in his place and Fraser immediately used his experience to restore calm to the Kingussie rear guard.
Newtonmore remained in the ascendancy, but Kingussie were starting to flex their attacking prowess. Ronald Ross looked dangerous, but was well policed by eventual man of the match Norman Campbell.
The match had settled into an absorbing contes,t but in the 33rd minute it exploded into life when Fraser Munro picked up a long hit from his keeper, took a touch before sending a searing 35-yard drive high into the Newtonmore net.
Kingussie suddenly had a vigour about them that had Newtonmore on the backfoot. Ross saw a close range strike well saved by Michael Ritchie and then uncharacteristically missed from close range minutes later.
With half-time approaching, it was Newtonmore who struck when MacRae fired home from 20 yards after a pass from Glen MacKintosh.
Kingussie rang the changes after the interval with Ross dropping deeper and Rory Borthwick playing in the strikers role.
As the half wore on it was Kingussie who were on top as ‘More struggled to find their rhythm. The Newtonmore goal survived a few scares, but in the 62 nd minute it was game on when Martin Dallas stroked home after a scramble in the ‘More goalmouth.
Kingussie continued to have the edge and in the 78th minute Ross fired home the equaliser through a ruck of players.
Into extra-time and the perceived wisdom was that ‘More would struggle with their stamina, but in a performance of heroic proportions it was the blue and white hoops who took hold of the game and after the Kingussie goal survived a couple of scares, MacRae completed his hat trick with a trademark low strike.
