Newtonmore extend Camanachd record in front of bumper crowd

Newtonmore beat old rivals Kingussie in Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at Bught Park, Inverness.

Bught Park was the venue for the 2025 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final, a match that saw shinty’s greatest rivalry played out on the sport’s grandest stage as holders Kingussie took on record winners, Newtonmore. Kings had comfortably beaten Fort William 3-0 in the semi-final while the Eilan outfit beat Oban Camanchd 4-1 at the same stage. In the weeks leading up to the final, the two had met twice, once in the Macaulay and once in the league with both of those games ending 3-0 to Kingussie, meaning they had the tag of favourites going into the match.

Bught Park was awash with fans ahead of throw up with the weather forecast of torrential rain not bearing true save for a few showers before and after the match and the atmosphere was fervent as the Inverness Royal Legion Pipe Band led the players out onto the pitch. Referee Iain Kennedy was taking charge of his first Camanachd Cup Final and got the game started by throwing the ball high in the air. Newtonmore settled into the game more readily than their opponents, but it was the team from The Dell who had the first chance of the game, Ruaridh Anderson playing a corner in to Dylan Borthwick who had his first attempt blocked by his marker but his second required the keeper – Kenny Ross making a confident stick save to his left.

It would be Newtonmore who opened the scoring though, a long ball down the line from Declan Brannan was scooped up by Joe Coyle who beat his marker for pace and drilled a ball across goal, Matthew Sloss using his body well and allowing it to run into the path of Iain Robinson who checked inside and fired a strike across Bob McGregor and into the bottom corner to put ‘More ahead. Undeterred, Kingussie continued to fight and were nearly rewarded when McGregor’s long clearance found Savio Genini on the right wing, his snapshot skipped up off the turf and required a smart save from Ross, the stopper using his hand and letting Rory Kennedy mop up. A few minutes later and Ross had his palm stung again, this time after Roddy Young moved the ball well to create a bit of space and fired on the target from distance.

Newtonmore would continue to stretch Kingussie on the break, though they were unable to create anything to trouble McGregor as the game approached half-time. Just before the break though, Ross would show that he was just as good with his feet as he was with his hand, saving a long shot from Dylan Borthwick first then Young’s drive from a tight angle.

The second half started with the same vigour and determination that the first had and it wasn’t long before Newtonmore doubled their lead. Struan Ross rose the highest to win the ball from a Kingussie shy, Matthew Sloss collecting his hit and flicking it over his head into Coyle whose shot was well saved by McGregor but with the Kingussie keeper off his line in an attempt to usher the ball away, Robinson picked his spot in the bottom right hand corner with the defender on the line unable to keep the ball from finding the net.

Thirteen minutes later and it was unlucky for Kingussie as Newtonmore piled on the misery, Struan Ross with a long ball into the right-hand channel, Coyle’s first-time shot was well blocked by Calum Grant but Coyle picked up the ball, dribbled into the area, beat another Kingussie defender and cracked a shot hard and low through the keeper’s legs – 3-0 and Newtonmore were in dreamland!

Kingussie continued to fight to try and get back into the game and it looked as though they were going to get that elusive goal when Thomas Borthwick dropped one in from distance, the ball pushed to Savio Genini, his powerful shot saved by Ross in goal. On the 71^st minute they wouldn’t be denied – Genini slipping the ball to Ryan Borthwick from a free hit, the Kings man pushing it beyond Ross from close in. A glimmer of hope.

Eight minutes from the end, Robinson nearly completed his hat-trick, beating his marker for pace down the right flank after a ball from Coyle and opting for the scooped finish that dragged agonisingly wide of the near post. A Kingussie free hit one minute from time gave them the opportunity to get within touching distance of taking the game to extra-time when Ryan Borthwick’s shot was almost deflected by a Newtonmore club on route to goal, that action enough to deceive the excellent Kenny Ross and bring Kings to within one.

Within one, was exactly how it stayed though as Iain Kennedy brough the game to a close and Newtonmore were crowned Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup champions for a record 35^th time. The Albert Smith Man of the Match was awarded to Iain Robinson for an exceptional performance in the forward line, the Newtonmore man bagging a brace on shinty’s biggest occasion. But it was captain Craig Ritchie who received the Camanachd Cup from Kieran Graham of Tulloch Homes and lifted it high into the air in front of a packed out Bught Park. Peter Ross’ men had ensured that the Camanachd Cup was Newtonmore’s trophy once more.