Player says Lovat confident they can win silverware as Camanachd Cup draw revealed
GRAEME Macmillan says Lovat are confident they can win silverware this season after finding out his team will face Oban Camanachd in the semi final of the Camanachd Cup.
The Kiltarlity club will face Oban in the first semi final which will take place on Saturday, August 3 at a neutral venue to be confirmed.
The winner will face either Fort William or Kingussie in the final, with those two teams set to face each other on Saturday, August 10.
Lovat met Oban Camanachd at the Camanachd Cup semi final stage last season when they went down to a 2-0 defeat.
Macmillan (30) says he is confident Lovat can turn the tables on Oban this season and reach their seventh Camanachd Cup final since they last won it in 2015.
He said: “It is the same semi final as last year, hopefully we do better this year.
“They won the match late on in what was a close game and we will look to reverse our fortunes this season.
“In major finals in 2013, 2014 and 2015 we managed to win them all, so we set ourselves a precedent that we wanted to keep winning them at the time.”
He added: “We are still in the Macaulay Cup and the Camanachd Cup. We got beat on penalties by Kingussie in the MacTavish Cup. We have not had any draw in any cup competition where we haven’t faced a Premiership team. So to still be in two cup competitions is still good going, especially with the injuries and suspensions we have had.
“It is always the goal to try and win some silverware every season. We want to go on a good cup run, for all four teams left in the draw, it is the aim for us all.”
Macmillan missed the last time Lovat won the Camanachd Cup in 2015 due to a broken leg.
But he says watching Lovat win the most historic prize in the sport was still the best day of his career.
He is determined to experience that for himself on the pitch.
“In 2015, I had a broken leg and had to watch the final from the sidelines. But it was still the best day that I have had in shinty.
“Even not being in the final squad, for the team and the area, it was the best day any of us have had in shinty.
“To win it as a player would make it even sweeter. It was still great being part of the team, but being on the field would make it even better.”
Lovat return to Premiership action tomorrow as they face league leaders Kingussie at Balgate.
Macmillan says while the cup competitions is their most likely chance of success this season, they will be looking for a morale boosting victory against Kingussie.
“It would be great to take some points off them. League games are not as important to us as they are to Kingussie who look like they are going to win the league. But it will still be important to go and put on a good show and try to win the game.
