Three Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cups on the trot for Kingussie

Kingussie defeated Lovat 3-2 in the 2024 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at An Aird, Fort William.

An Aird played host to the 2024 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final and once again, it proved to be a hit, with shinty enthusiasts, locals and tourists all descending upon Fort William to be part of shinty’s grandest occasion and bask in the glorious sunshine. Coming into the game Kingussie had won the MacTavish and the Macaulay and sat thirteen points above their opponents, however, despite Lovat’s indifferent league form, they had shown true form in this competition, eliminating Caberfeidh, Skye and Oban Camanachd – three teams sitting higher than them in the division.

Match referee Willie MacDonald threw the ball high into the air to get the 2024 final underway and it wasn’t long before the first shot on target, Dylan Borthwick picking the ball up on the left flank and knocking it into Savio Genini with his back to goal, the forward making a yard of space and cracking a low shot towards the front post, Stuart MacDonald was equal to it though and saved the ball well with his feet.  It would, however, be Lovat that opened the scoring through the man who won them the semi-final, Danny Kelly. The centre picking the ball up from a loose knockdown, pushing it beyond his man and hitting a speculative long-range strike – the bounce deceiving Rory ‘Bob’ McGregor between the sticks and skipping through his legs, 1-0 to Lovat.

Thankfully for keeper and team, the disappointment of going 1-0 down would last less than 40 seconds Thomas Borthwick playing a ball down the left wing, which was cut back Genini, Dylan Borthwick taking a delightful touch to lift it away from his marker before firing high into the roof of the net for his 39th goal of the campaign. Soon after, Greg Matheson was cynically pulled down while through on goal, Lovat almost scoring from the resulting free-hit, but McGregor pulled off a fine save with his right foot from Matheson’s drilled shot.

In the 34th minute, Lovat would re-take the lead, a deep free-hit from Callum Cruden was be taken down on the chest by Fraser Heath 20 yards out, the forward needing no second invitation to rifle a shot and repeat history from 2022 by beating McGregor in a Camanachd Final.  Seven minutes later and the holders were level again. The first was scored by their top scorer, the second, a much less likely source – wing-centre Cameron Bremner squeezing the ball in at MacDonald’s near post after a delightfully weighted reverse pass found the 21-year-old on the right wing with the freedom of An Aird. The last major action of the first half saw Kingussie ramp up the pressure as they looked to take the lead for the first time, James Falconer bringing the best out of MacDonald with a sweet strike from 30 yards out.

Just four minutes into the second half and Kingussie would get their noses in front for the first time. Kingussie 10 picking the ball up in the half-forward position and running wide, he had it taken off his feet though by Genini who played a pass into Dylan Borthwick, his first touch took him into the box and his second was cracked at goal – MacDonald getting his body in the way – Borthwick was then denied again by the Lovat stopper on the rebound, this time a great save with his hand – however, there was little the 2015 Albert Smith Medal winner could do about the third strike as Borthwick notched number 40.  Kingussie had the chance to double their lead soon after as a penalty was awarded for a foul on Falconer just inside the box however, MacDonald denied Borthwick his hat-trick and then saved the rebound from Genini in another fantastic double save.

Kingussie would be reduced to 11 men after Bremner was dismissed for retaliating to being stepped on by swinging at a Lovat leg. That advantage would last 13 minutes before Lovat’s second goal scorer would also walk, this time for swinging through a player after the whistle had gone. An unsavoury period in what was, up until then a match played with intensity of the right kind. The last chance of the game saw Ruaridh Anderson burst down the right-hand side with the ball, carrying it 40 yards before setting up Falconer, his shot though would not trouble MacDonald – Anderson’s run a timely reminder for both sides that it is technique rather than temper that wins shinty games.

With that, Willie MacDonald would bring the game to a close, a close-run match that saw two of the strongest teams in the country go toe to toe. All that was left was for Ruaridh Anderson to be named the Albert Smith Man of the Match and Calum Grant to be presented with the Camanachd Cup by Kieran Graham of sponsors Tulloch Homes.

Following the game Anderson said: “Absolutely ecstatic, this is what you play for, these big occasions and to win them, even better.” Captain Grant continued “I think the game was fast paced, there was some good hitting and it was a perfect day for it – we defended well and kept Lovat at bay so I’m delighted.”