Must-win time for title-chasers Lovat
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LOVAT can close the gap on Orion Group Premiership champions Newtonmore to a single point if they can return from Kirkton with both points.
Their hosts Kinlochshiel are sure to make things far from easy for the MacTavish Cup winners, who were 4-2 winners when the teams met earlier in the season at Balgate.
’Shiel have plenty to play for as they sit in second bottom spot, just two points ahead of basement side Lochaber.
Lovat manager Allan MacRae will have no illusions about the difficulty of picking up both points from their visit to Wester Ross, which looks like a must-win fixture to keep their title aspirations on track.
Glenurquhart, with the exception of their MacTavish Cup final disappointment against Lovat, have been stringing together a fine sequence of results and co-managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies will be keen to continue this when Kingussie visit Blairbeg Park.
The teams sit level on points in third place, with Glen looking to reverse the 1-0 defeat inflicted on them by Russell Jones’ team in March.
Lochaber are still seeking their first win of the league campaign and have a job on their hands when Kyles Athletic travel to Spean Bridge.
With this being Lochaber’s third last league fixture, opportunities to pick up points are fast running out if they are to avoid playing their shinty in the Marine Harvest National Division next year.
The race for the National Division title is hotting up, but all four leading teams should remain in the same position after Saturday’s round of fixtures.
Oban Camanachd should still be perched at the top after the visit of Glasgow Mid Argyll to Mossfield Park, while Beauly should remain second, one point adrift, by taking care of Bute.
Fort William, with only one point dropped to date, look to keep up the pressure on the leaders by registering a league double over Caberfeidh at An Aird and Kilmallie shouldn’t slip up at home to Glenorchy.
North Division One leaders Skye, boosted by their Balliemore Cup triumph, will be expected to keep their 100 per cent record intact by defeating Lovat’s second string in Portree.
Joint second-placed Newton-more reserves play host to an Inverness team going through troubled times. With no first-team fixture to get in the way, ’More look set to take a further two points off the city side.
Sharing second place with Newtonmore are Strathglass, who after Saturday’s thrashing at Beauly will be hoping that they can turn things around at Cannich when they face Glenurquhart reserves for the first time this season.
