Lovat and Kingussie face off in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final this Saturday at The Dell, Kingussie.
Read the below stats to get warmed up for the big fixture!
Made possible by Tulloch Homes
Lovat are scoring an average of 2.5 goals per game and conceding an average of 1.6 goals per game. Their best scoring games came against MOWI Premiership outfit Kilmallie who they put four past on two occasions.
Kingussie are scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game and conceding an average of 0.96 goals per game. Kingussie’s biggest margin of victory came at Canal Parks where they defeated Kilmallie 12-0.
Deadly finishers
The stats show that Lovat are at their most potent in the final third of the game with 44% of their goals coming in the final 30 minutes. This is something we witnessed in the Semi-Finals as Marc MacLachlan scored a dramatic winner in the 90th minute to put Lovat into the final.
Open in the attack?
The stats would seem to show that while Lovat score a lot in the final 15 minutes of games, they can also leave themselves open to being countered in this period with 31% of their goals conceded in the last segment of the match.
Strong starters
In previous seasons we have seen Kingussie maximise their opportunities in the final 15 minutes which is why it is especially curious that they seem to be more potent in the first half this year with just under 60% (57.14) of their goals coming in the first half.
Second half hangover?
Kingusie concede 50% more goals in the second half than they do in the first. This will be music to Lovat's ears given their goalscoring exploits in the last 15 minutes of matches. That being said, Kingussie are conceding less than a goal a game overall so could easily shut up shop.
Rowdy Roddy Young
22 year old Roddy Young is far and away Kingussie's top scorer this season with 30 goals so far this campaign including 5 consecutive hat-tricks (6 if you count the double hat-trick against Kilmallie!). Captain Genini and Anderson make up a deadly trifecta.
SAS, MSN, MHM√
Once described in the P&J as Lovat's "Holy Trinity", MacLachlan, Heath & Matheson provide shinty's very own acronymic strikeforce. Heath is Lovat's top scorer in this competition but MacLachlan more than proved his worth in the semi-final and Matheson has an eye for goal on the big occasion.
Kingussie Road to the Final
2-2(p) v Beauly (H)
0-7 v Skye (A)
Average Age: 25.7
4-1 v Oban Camanachd (N)
Lovat Road to the Final
3-2 v Newtonmore (A)
3-0 v Inveraray (H)
Average Age: 28.6
3-2 v Kyles Athletic (N)
The Gaffer
Lovat - Jamie Matheson
This is Jamie’s second season in charge of Lovat’s senior team. He stepped up from a successful term running the Junior team narrowly losing the Sutherland Cup Final in 2019. He brings a great deal of knowledge of the game and his man management skills are second to none. He missed out on the 2015 final as he was attending the birth of his son, Murray and was unfortunate to lose out to Kinlochshiel last year. Jamie will be hopeful that his Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final experience will prove to be the difference on the day.
The Gaffer
Kingussie - John Gibson
2019 MOWI Manager of the Year, John Gibson has already led Kingussie to cottages.com MacTavish Cup and Artemis Macaulay Cup glory. Now, he has his biggest game in charge of Kings a Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final to look forward to. All eyes will righly be on the Camanachd this weekend however, if Kingussie do win the trophy they will be just 4 games away from winning a Grand Slam, the first time anyone has done so since 2003. That, would represent the culmination of John’s hard work at a club that was in a relegation playoff just 5 MOWI Premiership campaigns ago.
There is a real danger of this event selling out before matchday - book your ticket now to avoid disappointment.
To buy tickets for this event please visit our events page: 2022 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final tickets from Skiddle.
Want more?
Click below to check out the Half-Swing Podcast – Aarron will be speaking with Captain’s Savio Genini and Craig Mainland later this week…
