13th September saw the Highland Industrial Supplies Sutherland Cup Final return to Blairbeg Park for an encounter between Strathdearn Cup winners and Mowi North Division 1 leaders Fort William and a Kinlochshiel side who, although lower in the table, boasted an array of young talent. The west coast side got the better of Glenurquhart 3-2 in the semi-final while ‘the town’ eliminated Newtonmore 5-1. A minute silence was observed in respect of young people who have lost their lives before Ewen MacLean threw the ball high into the air to start the final.
It took Fort just 3 minutes to take the lead, Struan Stephen’s deep corner was stopped by a defender, but he wasn’t given the opportunity to clear the ball as Dan Nixon used his strength to give himself a shooting opportunity and rifled the ball high into the net from close range with little goalkeeper Calum MacMillan could’ve done about it.
Three minutes later, another corner and another goal for the league leaders, once again it was Nixon on the receiving end of a delivery, this time from 15, however his shot was blocked smartly, but the follow up from Graham Campbell flew in at MacMillan’s left-hand post from 25 yards.
With the pre-match favourites two goals ahead after six minutes, there was probably a feeling of trepidancy among neutrals that this game might be over very quickly, what was clear was that the next goal would be of vital importance. Four minutes later it came, and it came the way of Kinlochshiel, Rory Barclay’s free hit into an area was scooped out to the left flank by Jay MacRae who used his great balance to ride a couple of challenges and rifle the ball across goal and high into the net.
Just after the twenty-minute mark and the Rearig outfit had their equaliser, MacRae’s free hit flick to the back post was hammered home by Seamus Martin at the back post. Three minutes later Fort William restored their lead, and it was through another corner, this time the delivery from Padraig McNeil. was controlled by Lewis Morrison in the centre of the park who pushed the ball to his right and drilled a strike into the left-hand bottom corner, 25 minutes on the clock and five goals!
Two minutes later it was 4-2 and the editor will give you one guess how it started… McNeil’s corner delivery saw the ball break in the centre of the box where Graham Campbell was on hand to hammer home his second of the game from close range. With the half-time whistle going shortly after, Fort William had again forged themselves a two-goal lead, but Kinlochshiel had shown that they carried a serious threat when they managed to get the ball into the forwards.
The opening fifteen minutes of the second half saw the sides growing into the game, wary not to concede the goal that could lose the game or let the opposition back into it. It was the latter that transpired on the 61st minute though as a fantastic cross field ball by Sean Campbell was fired home by Kieran Martin. Soon after it was yet another equaliser this time MacRae picking the ball up, turning and twisting to find a clean strike before unleashing a powerful shot which found the bottom corner and brought the game level once more.
Both teams went in hunt of an equaliser over the final quarter of the game and in truth either one of them could have got it, but whether by skilled defending, great shot stopping or dumb luck, the ball stayed out of the net, and we went to extra-time.
After an incredible 90 minutes tied at 4-4, no one in the crowd expected a goalless extra-time period and they were right as Fort William went ahead for the third time in the game in the hundredth minute of the game. This time a long ball was taken from the feet of Campbell by Stephen, he in turn had it taken from him by Jack Kearney who cracked a shot in from the edge of the D.
The town would make sure that there was no chance of a Kinlochshiel comeback by adding another in the 119th minute, the ball coming out wide to Morrison on the right flank, he was given space to tee it up and cracked the shot into the net to ensure the Sutherland Cup would return to An Aird for the first time since 2009.
After the full-time whistle both teams were presented with medals by Highland Industrial Supplies Director Garry Mackintosh while Jay MacRae was awarded the official Man of the Match award for an inspirational performance at full-forward for Kinlochshiel. All that was then left was for Fort William Captain Mark Grant to be presented with the silver mounted caman and Sutherland Cup trophy.
