SHINTY: Beauly slide closer to relegation after Newtonmore loss
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BEAULY were left teetering on the brink of relegation from the Premiership after a comprehensive 4-0 home defeat to title-chasing Newtonmore.
Lovat’s failure to defeat lower table rivals Oban Camanachd in a 3-3 draw at Balgate exacerbated neighbouring Beauly’s predicament, stretching the gap between the second and third bottom sides to four points.
Oban – buoyed by their Macaulay Cup final triumph – also retain two games in hand, with just three left to play for the Braeview Park men.
Beauly still have to host title favourites Kingussie and Lovat in late September before a final match away to Oban.
Newtonmore made light work of Beauly in the first half with Steven Macdonald’s double inside four minutes setting the tone.
Iain Robinson added the third after only 10 minutes, before Arron Macbean’s 36th minute finish proved the last score of the day.
Oban claimed a valuable point in a 3-3 draw at Lovat, who saw Lewis Tawse net twice in 29 and 70 minutes either side of Greg Matheson’s 66th minute strike.
Oban led twice through Lewis Cameron and Craig MacMillian in the first half, with Scott MacMillan grabbing the all-important equaliser with 12 minutes remaining.
Ruaridh Anderson scored the only goal against Skye in Portree as Kingussie stayed top – bouncing back from the previous week’s Macaulay Cup final defeat – with the goal difference leaders still holding a crucial four games in hand on Newtonmore.
In the National Division, Strathglass remained two points adrift at the foot of the table after a 6-3 beating by leaders Lochaber.
Penri Jones grabbed all three goals for the Cannich hosts, but Ben Delaney’s treble, Max Campbell’s double and another from Finlay MacDonald gave Lochaber victory.
In North Division One, Beauly’s hopes of closing in on the leaders suffered a blow in a 4-3 loss to Glengarry.
Scott Cameron had Beauly 1-0 up, but replies from Raymond Robertson and Shaun Nicolson flipped the lead before half-time. Nicolson struck twice more in 47 and 63 minutes and later Beauly goals from Leon MacLennan in 73 minutes and Louie MacLellan in 79 minutes were not quite enough.
Caberfeidh moved third in North Division Two after a late Cameron Grant double was decisive in a 4-2 home win over Lochcarron. Fort William toasted Strathdearn Cup Final success after a 2-1 triumph over Kinlochshiel after extra-time at Boleskine.
Kyles Athletic edged the Oban Bullough Cup Final with a 3-2 win over Glasgow Mid Argyll.
