LEAGUE business was back on the shinty agenda this weekend, with the tightest clash of the day in the Marine Harvest Premiership taking place at Kingussie, where the home side snatched victory over visitors Oban Camanachd thanks to an 89th-minute strike from Roddy Young.
The result gives a boost to Kings manager Dallas Young coming as it does after two recent disappointing results, in particular last week’s 2-0 home defeat in the MacAulay Cup to Premiership strugglers Lochaber.
“After last week’s result, it was good to get this win which we just about deserved on the balance of play. It moves us forward on a positive note to the rest of the season,” Young said.
Playing with the stiff breeze, Kingussie started the match strongly putting Oban under pressure in the opening 20 minutes but though chances fell to both Ruaraidh Anderson and Roddy Young neither player could convert them.
Midway through the half, Kingussie were awarded a penalty for a kick by Oban keeper Gavin Stobbart but Savio Genini failed to score from the spot.
Just before the break, Kingussie were again unlucky not to open the scoring when a powerful shot by Borthwick – returning to the side for his first full game after a recent injury – struck the bar and rebounded to safety.
The second half in some measure saw the pattern of play reversed with Oban, now with the wind in their favour, the more dominant side. They too struggled to convert chances with luck favouring the home side when strikes from Matt Rippon and Andrew MacCuish hit the bar and post respectively.
Oban had an even clearer opportunity to go ahead when they too were awarded a penalty but Aiden Macintyre pulled his strike past the post.
With the game heading to stalemate, the tireless Ryan Borthwick harassed the Oban defence into a poor clearance which was picked up wide by Roddy Young. The youngster took one touch then, from all of 20 yards, drilled the ball low into the net to earn Kings both points.
The result puts Kingussie in third spot in the table and keeps them in touch with the two sides who are making the Premiership running this season, Kinlochshiel and league leaders Kyles Athletic, both of whom recorded victories this weekend.
Of these probably the most notable was at Balmacara where home side Kinlochshiel defeated Newtonmore 4-1. Six times champions Newtonmore, who recently lost keeper Owen Fraser to a long-term injury, have not been firing on all cylinders this season but it is the margin of ‘Shiel’s win which is surprising.
Jordan Fraser put ‘Shiel into an early lead after he netted a rebound off More’s stand-in keeper Norman Campbell which was evened up just before the interval by a goal from wing centre Paul MacArthur.
After the break two goals in three minutes from John MacRae underlined Shiel’s dominance with Keith MacRae putting the final polish on the result with his 87th minute goal.
This result takes Shiel up to second place in the table two points behind Kyles Athletic who also had an emphatic win defeating Lovat 5-0 at Tighnabruaich Kyles. All of the Kyles goals came in the second half and included a Sandy Mackenzie hat-trick plus strikes from Roddy Macdonald and Grant Irvine.
Elsewhere Kilmallie got their first win of the season with a 2-0 home victory over bottom club Lochaber thanks to strikes from Duncan Rodger and Bryan Mackay.
In the final match of the day Glasgow Mid Argyll and Glenurquhart shared the points after a 2-2 draw at Yoker. Craig Anderson and Brian Slattery scored for the Glasgow side while Fraser Heath and James Macpherson were the Glen marksmen.
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