THE second round of the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup was the main feature of Saturday’s shinty card, with the 5-3 victory at Spean Bridge for home side Lochaber over neighbours Kilmallie headlining. Though both sides have had mixed form in the Mowi Premiership, Kilmallie have usually come out ahead in recent derby battles. Indeed, in this tie they were twice ahead before allowing Lochaber to stage a second-half revival. The result was a personal triumph for Lochaber striker Ben Delaney, who hit the first four of his side’s five-goal total.
Though for his father, Lochaber manager Michael Delaney, more important was the fact that the win shows his side is gradually getting back on track. “It’s down to our own hard work. We have a tendency to start slowly but this bunch of lads doesn’t give up. Our forwards can link up quickly and when they get back to basics and confidence grows we are a difficult side to beat.”
Lochaber certainly didn’t start slowly this time, but though they dominated the opening quarter it was Kilmallie, playing an unorthodox 2-2 southern formation, who went ahead in the 19th minute. Lochaber defender Barry MacDonald failed to cut out a cross ball, allowing half-forward Innes Blackhall to knock the ball home from close range.
Lochaber fought back strongly and at the half-hour mark really should have got back on level terms when referee Des McNulty awarded them a penalty after full-forward Delaney was brought down. Keeper Shane Gillies was sharp with his feet to save Finlay MacDonald’s strike but Lochaber, who had dominated this phase of the play, then pressed home their advantage. In the 36th minute, a rebound from a Stuart Callison shot was turned in from close range by Delaney to bring the sides level.
If there was no more scoring before the break, the action certainly picked up in the second half. Once again Kilmallie went ahead, this time in the 52nd minute, courtesy of Liam MacDonald. He outpaced defender Duncan MacKinnon and struck the ball past Calum MacDonald to make it 2-1. At this stage Kilmallie were in the ascendency and might have pushed on to victory. But Lochaber kept their focus and a neat bit of skill in 61 minutes from Delaney saw him get past Kilmallie full-back Stephen MacAllister and bring up the equaliser with a strike from an acute angle.
The match then swung decisively in favour of the home side, with Delaney on the target twice more – the first in 72 minutes was a tap in after a Callison strike had come back off the post, and the second in 85 minutes followed a long free hit which caught out the Kilmallie defence, allowing him another close-range finish.
Youngster Max Campbell finished the Lochaber scoring with a well-worked individual effort from distance in 89 minutes, and though Blackhall nicked a third goal for Kilmallie just before the final whistle, the tie was lost to them long before.
Also in the Camanachd Cup, Newtonmore and Lovat will go to a replay after the sides drew 1-1 at the Eilean, with Calum MacAulay’s strike for Lovat being cancelled out by Iain Robinson’s in the 80th minute. Elsewhere, Oban Camanachd beat Glenurquhart 2-1, while Kyles Athletic saw off Inveraray 3-1. Joining them in the next round are Skye, Kingussie and Caberfeidh who beat Oban Celtic, Beauly and Fort William respectively.
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