'More the merrier after fifth title in a row
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LOVAT’S hopes of winning the Orion Premiership title ended on Saturday when reigning champions Newtonmore won their final match of the season.
After finishing as the bridesmaid for the second year in succession, Lovat captain Stuart MacDonald urged his team-mates to regroup over the winter break as he is convinced Lovat have the talent to halt Newtonmore’s ambition for a sixth successive title success.
"It is very disappointing, but credit to Newtonmore — they ground out the results when they needed to," he said. "The lads knew we had only a slim chance of taking it to the last game but that is gone now and we have to learn the lessons from the last two campaigns.
"When Kingussie beat Newtonmore recently there was a real opportunity for us as it meant with three games to go, we knew that three wins would give us the title but I think in the end we lacked the clinical edge that is required.
"On the plus side, we took three points from Newtonmore which shows what we can do. Coming so close two years running has given us a taster and we are determined to go one better next season.
"Winning the league shows your ambition as a squad and we have to set our sights on mounting a serious challenge next season."
’More clinched their fifth successive title with a 3-0 away to Inveraray but this was no stroll in the park for the Badenoch side as Inveraray pinned them back in the opening 30 minutes.
But on the stroke of half-time midfielder Paul MacArthur stole forward to drive home from the edge of the penalty area to settle the nerves in the ’More camp.
Ten minutes after the restart, under pressure Inveraray defender Nicholas Crawford deflected a Danny MacRae strike into his own net.
Fifteen minutes from time, a Glen MacKintosh goal settled the match and sparked the beginning of a long night of celebration in one Badenoch village.
Camanachd Association club and volunteer director Charles Young presented the 2014 Orion Premiership trophy to Newtonmore captain Scott Chisholm as The Eilan side finished their season with two of the sport’s four Grand Slam trophies.
At the other end of the table, Lochaber failed in their bid to take the season through to the bitter end as they crashed to a 5-1 defeat in their crucial relegation match away to Kyles Athletic.
A win for the Spean Bridge side would have pulled them level with Kinlochshiel, leaving the Wester Ross side to face Kyles in what would have been a nervy 90 minutes.
In the event, Lochaber failed to build on a promising opening spell against the Argyll-shire side after Stuart Callison netted early.
A Roberto Zavaroni strike four minutes from the break proved the turning point, providing the platform for a second-half onslaught as the Royal Blues pulled away with Zavaroni netting his second and goals from David Zavaroni, Colin MacDonald and Calum Miller completing the rout.
Lochaber will drop down into the Marine Harvest National Division next season but the question of who will replace them will not be answered until the end of the month when Fort William and Oban Camanachd meet in a winner takes all clash at Mossfield.
On Saturday the Fort boosted their goal difference with a 7-0 thrashing of relegated Bute, with Daniel Stewart top scoring with four goals.
Beauly’s reserve side won the Strathdearn Cup plate competition with a 3-0 triumph over Lovat in an entertaining game at Castle Leod.
Ross Forbes open the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard strike, before Sandy Elrick was on hand to double the Greens’ advantage. Player-manager Stephen MacLean settled the tie when he converted from 20 yards with three minutes remaining.
