THE main shinty action at the weekend took place in the Marine Harvest Premier League, with Kingussie’s 4-3 win over visitors Lochaber the pick of the games.
Both sides have struggled to look convincing this season and both needed to take something from this match in order to distance themselves from the relegation battle.
In the end it was Kingussie who picked two valuable points taking them up to mid-table position. They just about deserved their 4-3 win, but Lochaber, who held a 3-1 advantage at one stage, will look back on the afternoon as an opportunity missed.
Kingussie were first on the score sheet after six minutes. Youngster Roddy Young’s persistence saw him profit from a defensive error by wing back Donald MacRae to touch the ball past keeper Lochaber keeper Alistair MacDonald from a tight angle.
Lochaber then lost full-back Brennan MacDonald to injury. Player-manager Neil MacDonald came on to fill the defensive gap and the change, if anything, lifted the Spean Bridge side, who scored twice in quick succession through Finlay MacDonald and Conor Sweeney to take the lead.
An excellent goal from Danny Delaney after 20 minutes put Lochaber in the driving seat and they seemed comfortable until just before the break when Kings winger Fraser Munro improvised an aerial strike after the ball had popped up high following Lochaber keeper MacDonald’s save from a Roddy Young shot.
Kingussie lifted their performance in the second half and levelled after 52 minutes when Young worked his way in from the left and finished with a smart backhand drive. Kings then introduced veteran international James Hutchison at full-back and his experience, plus some good stops from goalkeeper Craig Dawson, kept the Lochaber forwards at bay long enough for the irrepressible Young to get away from his marker, and cut the ball back for teenager Ruaraidh Anderson to fire home the winner.
The loss did not in the end prove as costly for Lochaber as it might have done, however, because Glenurquhart, the team bidding to make up ground on them, lost 3-2 away to Skye.
Glenurquhart opened well enough but Skye keeper Iain MacLeod kept out at least four early attempts including a snapshot by Mike Fraser and a drive by James MacPherson which he palmed aside.
Skye kept their focus and the game came to the boil just before half-time when two goals within a minute from Jordan Murchison gave Skye the edge. Glenurquhart pulled a goal back via a James MacPherson penalty, but Murchison completed his hat-trick soon after the restart.
MacPherson converted another Glen penalty late in the game but the islanders held on to pick up their first points of the season, although they had to endure a few nervy minutes.
At the other end of the table, Lovat’s 3-0 home win against Caberfeidh took them up to second place.
They have the same number of points as leaders Kinlochshiel, who lost 2-1 at home to third-placed Newtonmore. Iain Robinson and Evan Menzies were first-half scorers for More, while John MacRae was on target for Shiel.
In the final Premier match of the weekend, Oban Camanachd and Kyles Athletic shared the points in a1-1 draw at Mossfield.
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