Ahead of this weekend’s cottages.com MacTavish Cup 1st Round clash between Caberfeidh and Kingussie we caught up with returning star Alexander Michie. Caberfeidh inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Kingussie in the league at the weekend, this Saturday’s game is a repeat of the 2022 cottages.com MacTavish Cup Final which saw Kings win 5-2 at Bught Park. We also caught up with Caberfeidh’s Connor Golabek which you can read here…
Zander, before getting into the game, just how good does it feel to be back playing shinty after missing the majority of last year through injury?
It’s great to be back playing again as last year was a really tough year personally as I couldn’t feature on the pitch for what was an unbelievable season. This has definitely given me extra motivation to get my spot back in the team and do all I can in helping Kingussie retain all 4 trophies.
How has the team been preparing for the cottages.com MacTavish Cup game against Caberfeidh?
The boys have been training well in preparation for Cabers this weekend. Everyone has been putting in a wee bit extra to ensure we perform as best as we can on Saturday.
What kind of physical and mental preparation do you need to perform well in a game like this?
I always like to go for a hit about the night before a game and get some stretching in, my pre match meal on a Friday is fish and has been for as long as I can remember. My main focus before a game is on making my first tackle or pass to settle myself into the game.
What do you think went wrong in the last game against Caberfeidh and how can you avoid that this time out?
I was with the 2nds last Saturday but from watching it back on YouTube, we had a very slow start which put us on the back foot straight away. Credit to Caberfeigh they defended brilliantly and scored 3 great goals. We have spoken about what went wrong and are going to do everything possible to bounce back this weekend.
Is Saturday’s defeat in the league fuel to the fire ahead of this game or is it business as usual?
Obviously Saturday’s result was not what we were hoping for but it is in the past and now all focus is on this weekend to try and bounce back with a good result. It will be another tough test but we have put in a good shift this week to make sure we are prepared for it.
What new ideas has the Manager brought in?
Obviously it was going to be a tough task to replace John Gibson, however, Corky has been brilliant since coming in. He had a really successful shinty career and has already started to pass on his knowledge and experience of the game. All the boys are fully committed and excited for the season ahead with Corky as our manager.