Blairbeg Park, Drumnadrochit was once again the venue for the Highland Industrial Supplies Sutherland Cup Final, with Lochside Rovers meeting Kinlochshiel in the final for the first time. Lochside had comfortably defeated holders Fort William 5-1 in the semi-final while Kinlochshiel had eliminated Kyles Athletic 1-0. Sandy Tulloch took charge of his first senior final and started proceedings by throwing the ball high into the air.

The crowd did not have to wait long to be treated to the first goal of the game, a shy from Martin MacRae floated out to the right flank where it was driven back in by Liam Matheson, the Lochside keeper stopped the ball but 2025 player of the match in the Sutherland Final, Jay MacRae was on hand to nick the ball and push it into an empty net from a very tight angle. The game’s second goal would also come as the result of a set piece, this time one that was flashed across goal by Daniel Cameron, the ball reaching Daniel Duffy at the back post, he took a second to compose himself before firing beyond the Callum MacMillan. Parity did not last though, directly from throw up Duncan MacMillan received the ball on the right flank and played a pass inside that was deftly flicked by Jay MacRae into the path of Seumas Martin on the left, he whipped a hit inside the near post to give the west coast side the lead again.

Midway through the half, Lochside levelled things up again, Scott MacMillan’s shot from distance was well blocked by Kinlochshiel, the ball breaking out wide to Duffy whose ball to the back post allowed Duncan Hunt to nip in ahead of the goalkeeper and finish to even the scoring. That brought the scoring in the first half to a close with the teams tied at 2-2.

Much like the first half, there was an early goal to get the crowd going, and much like the first half it came from a set piece. A corner from Scott MacMillan was dropped beautifully into Matt Rippon, the full-forward using his body well to turn his man and rocket home from the edge of the box to put Lochside ahead for the first time in the game. With Kinlochshiel chasing an equalising goal they found themselves up against it on the counterattack a few times, two of those occasions leading to Colin MacDiarmid picking up bookings meaning the Rearig outfit were reduced to eleven and hunting a goal in the final few minutes of the half. Despite the odds being against them, they found one. You guessed it, from a set piece, Kinlochshiel found the equaliser, Seumas Martin picking up the ball from the corner and mazing through a few challenges, the ball stopping in front of Duncan MacMillan who cracked home an equaliser to force extra-time.

Extra-time was a slow burner compared to normal time with it taking a whole six minutes before we got the first goal! Jay MacRae took the ball on a slaloming run down the left flank and into the box before being fouled by the goalkeeper Ross MacKay – Duncan MacMillan stepped up and made no mistake from the penalty spot. Three minutes later and it was 4-4, a long ball from full centre was touched wonderfully inside by Duffy for Rippon who had the freedom of Blairbeg Park to wind up a full swing from 16 yards. Lochside’s Fraser MacMillan was sent off five minutes from the end meaning we were 11 vs 11 and tied at 4-4. With penalties looming though, Lochside stepped up, Scott MacMillan with a great shy, Rippon’s first swing to take it on the volley was unsuccessful but it had enough power to disrupt his marker, leaving him the chance to run through onto the ball in the box and push it into the back of the net to spark pandemonium amongst the Lochside players and fans.

With that the scoring finished and Lochside Rovers were crowned Highland Industrial Supplies Sutherland Cup champions, hat-trick hero Matt Rippon was presented with the Man of the Match award while it was Charlie Spreadbury and Cammy MacMillan who would lift the trophy as joint captains. Well done to Lochside Rovers from everyone at the Camanachd Association, commiserations to Kinlochshiel who fought hard on the day and helped create an entertaining spectacle and a thanks to Highland Industrial Supplies for their support in making the Sutherland Cup Final such an occasion.