New Year derby battle for Lovat Cup

BEAULY captain Barrie MacDonald aims to end a five year losing streak when he leads his side out to face Lovat in the annual joust for the Lovat Cup when the sides meet at Braeview on Wednesday.

In contrast, Lovat’s 22-year-old captain Calum Cruden is yet to experience defeat going into the 109th anniversary of the New Year derby, which throws up at 1pm.

Lovat go into the match as clear favourites with the rules favouring the holders, who need just a draw to retain the trophy.

Last year’s event was spoiled as a spectacle by horrendous weather conditions which brought the cancellation of just about every other sporting event in the area, but Lovat won 3-1, while under the management of current boss Allan MacRae for the first time.

The match proved a prelude for Lovat’s most successful season in decades, with a third place finish in the Orion Premier Division and home and away wins over eventual champions Newtonmore. Beauly’s progress, post the Lovat Cup, was less than stellar, finishing a distant fourth in North Division One, although disappointment in the league was partially offset by an appearance in the final of the Balliemore Cup.

Beauly will also cling to the memory of their 4-3 defeat of their greatest rivals in the first round of last season’s MacTavish Cup after battling back from 3-1 behind.

Both teams have been training hard for the event with the winners grabbing local bragging rights, although the perennial gripe about a lack of suitable indoor training facilities is still to the fore.

A key battle ground is likely to be the midfield where Beauly will be led by under-21 star David MacLean, who showed some of his best form in the second half of the season, while his fellow under-21 colleague Conor Cormack was a consistent performer from the half back position.

Beauly’s joint managers Iain Morrison and Steve MacLean have yet to settle on their attacking quartet with doubts about the fitness of the powerful Marc MacLachlan. They may be tempted to draft in Conor Ross and Sean Stewart, goal scoring heroes, from the club’s Strathdearn Cup winning side to play alongside Jack and Barrie MacDonald.

Defensively, Beauly were a work in progress throughout 2012 with 17-year-old Scott MacLeod handed the unenviable task of filling the boots of the venerable Roger Cormack.

Lovat’s international senior trio of Drew Howie, Calum Cruden and keeper Stuart MacDonald were at the heart of the club’s push for the title, but their biggest asset is teenage striker Greg Matheson who struck 21 goals to finish just three behind the top flight’s leading scorer Ronald Ross. The Ferguson brothers, Owen and Ryan, also provide a scoring threat but Lovat will be without full back Martin Bell, with Daniel Grieve likely to replace him.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.