Promise of exciting day as Glen and Lovat clash
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A THRILLING day of shinty looks to be in store tomorrow with first round action in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup and a derby day in the Orion Premiership, including the Glenurquhart versus Lovat clash in Drumnadrochit.
In the Camanachd Cup, there are eight ties with the winners going forward to the draw for round two where they will be joined by the eight teams from the Premiership.
One of the most intriguing ties features a derby with Strathglass and Inverness clashing at Cannich. League form and home advantage points to a win for Strathglass, but manager Calum Duff is taking nothing for granted.
"It is going to be close," he said. "We reserve our best form for our home games, but Inverness have given us problems in the past and we are ready for a hard game."
Duff is wary of city club’s firepower, but is confident his side can deal with the threat posed by the likes of Dougie Rankin, Martin Davidson and John MacLennan.
"The secret will be to stop the supply of the ball forward and I am confident our midfield can do that and that we can build our own momentum," he added.
Duff will be without his highly promising young striker Josh Fraser, who sustained a broken hand against Strathspey in the recent Sutherland Cup clash, but hopes to welcome back Scott Douglas after he missed last Saturday’s draw with Beauly.
Inverness will travel buoyed by recent cup successes that has seen them make the latter stages of the Balliemore Cup and the RBS MacTavish Cup Plate competition.
Manager Allan MacLeod will hope to field his strongest line-up, although Mark Sproule sits out the second of his two-match suspension.
Beauly have a tough assignment with the visit of Oban Camanachd. Recent matches between the pair have been close with Beauly prevailing in the second round of the Camanachd Cup last season, but Oban avenging that defeat with a triumph in the league this season.
In other ties, Caberfeidh will be fancied to progress at the expense of Kilmory, while Skye, unbeaten in the league this season, could spring a surprise on higher league side Glenorchy.
One of the most eagerly awaited Aird District derby matches of recent times sees Glenurquhart face Lovat in the Orion Premiership and there is more than a whiff of revenge in the air in Drumnadrochit.
Last season Lovat produced a four-match whitewash, wining both league encounters and knocking the Glen out of the Macaulay Cup, while their most satisfying triumph over their bitter rivals came in the final of the MacTavish Cup with a penalty shootout victory.
This time round, Lovat’s international midfielder Callum Cruden expects to face a highly motivated Glen side.
"They will be up for this one," he said. "They will have a point to prove, but we are looking forward to it.
"We are unbeaten so far this season and we are determined to keep that record going."
Lovat will be without centreline player Craig Mainland, who suffered a hand injury against ‘Shiel, but coach Alan MacRae will welcome back defender Michael MacKenzie.
Glenurquhart, for their part, will be relieved that their long injury list looks to be clearing up with Andy Corrigan making his first appearance since the opening day of the season last Saturday and James MacPherson could also face Lovat after recovering from a ham string injury. Neale Reid and Ewan Brady, who missed the Fort William defeat, should also be available.
Another close encounter is expected at the Eilan where Kingussie are the visitors. At the beginning of the season most pundits would have written Kingussie’s chances off, but they have confounded the critics, while Newtonmore, with a ever-lengthening injury list, have not hit top form.
Kingussie add Lee Bain, back from a two-match suspension, to the squad that beat Lochaber in the Macaulay Cup.
Elsewhere, Inveraray and Kyles face each other for the second week in succession, while basement clubs Kinlochshiel and Lochaber slug it out at Kirkton.
GLENURQUHART defender Stuart Reid has been appointed as coach of the Scotland women’s side for a second year.
Reid, who coached the Scots to victory in Inverness last year, is delighted to be back in charge.
"I am very proud and excited to be coaching the Scotland women’s squad again this year," he said. "Along with my coaching team of Scott Campbell, Eoghan Stewart and Yvonne Connaughton, I will be able to watch every single team play at least once this year."
