Lovat will take on Kingussie this weekend with the victor meeting Kinlochshiel in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final.
Read the below stats to get yourself warmed up for the big fixture!
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Lovat are scoring an average of 2.25 goals per game and coneding an average of 1.75 goals per game. These close numbers are reflected in the fact that they have had 4 games which have gone either way by a 1 goal margin.
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The Mowi Premiership Champions are scoring an average of 5.2 goals per game and conceding an average of 0.4 goals per game. These impressive stats have been helped by big wins against Kilmallie (11-0) & Caberfeidh (13-0), and despite that resolute defence, Lovat have been one of the few teams to score against Kings this season.
2nd Half Success
The stats show that Lovat are particularly dangerous in the final 30 minutes of the match as this period accounts for 50% of their goals scored so far this season. Interestingly, including 45-60 mins, this stat jumps considerably - with almost 3/4 of their goals coming in the 2nd half.
End to end?
Surprisingly, given the figures above, Lovat also concede far more second half goals than first half, with around 2/3 of their conceded goals coming in the second period. Kingussie have been responsible for 6 of those goals.
Great finishers
The stats continue to show that Kingussie's most dangerous period of the game is in the last 15 minutes where they score just under 1/3 of their goals.The Lovat stats above show that we could be in for a very exciting final period of the game on Saturday.
Caught napping?
Kingussie have only conceded 4 goals this season so the analysis we can confidently draw from the numbers is limited. However, what we can see is that the final 15 minutes and the 15 minutes after half-time are the only areas affected. If Lovat can capitalise on these periods then they could find the key to victory.
Falconer the man to catch...
As you can see from the goalscorer stats James Falconer is far and away the most dangerous man in either of these two sides. That being said, Scotland internationals Greg Matheson & Fraser Heath are more than capable of finding the net as they have proved time and again.
Road to the Semi-Final
Lovat
Thanks to Skye Camanachd for providing report.
Skye Camanachd 0 Lovat 2 (after extra-time)
It took extra-time to separate Skye Camanachd and Lovat in their 3pm throw up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Skye were missing Will Cowie and Martin Pringle but Ross Gordon and John Gillies returned.
Lovat’s only notable absentee was Martin Mainland and they started with Lorne MacKay at centre, flanked by Drew Howie and Lewis Tawse.
Lovat had the better of the first half but Skye were on top after the restart.
Both goalkeepers were key with Skye’s Ryan Morrison keeping out a Greg Matheson piledriver with his face whilst Lovat’s Stuart MacDonald made an outstanding double stop to deny both Jordan Murchison and then William MacKinnon.
Skye claimed a Sam MacPhee free-hit had come off a Lovat stick before being allowed to enter the Lovat net but the referee waved away their claims.
The goals that made the difference were both good strikes from Lorne MacKay on 110 and 114 minutes. The first came following a Lovat hit-in on the left whilst the second was a smart drive from the right.
Lovat now go through to play 2019 Camanachd Cup finalists Oban Camanachd in the quarter-finals.
Many thanks to Skye Camanachd website for the below.
Oban Camanachd 1 Lovat 3
Lovat reached the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-finals after beating Oban Camanachd 3-1 in their 1pm throw up at the Taynuilt Sports Field
This tie was rescheduled from the previous weekend following a covid outbreak in Oban and with Mossfield hosting the Artemis Macaulay Cup Final; this game was moved just down the road to Taynuilt.
The constant rain made for difficult conditions and Fraser Heath put Lovat ahead on 21 minutes. The Oban Camanachd defence didn’t deal with Drew Howie’s hit-in from the right and when the ball came back to Howie, he sent it forward into the danger area. Again Oban failed to clear and as Scott McKillop tried to send the ball up-field, he played it straight to Fraser Heath who fired low on his backhand past Cameron Sutherland.
Malcolm Clark equalised on 29 minutes when Evan MacLellan’s corner from the right dropped for him just inside the D and he swept the ball home, giving the keeper no chance.
Ross Campbell shot over the bar as the Oban side tried to get in front.
However Lovat regained the lead through Greg Matheson on 32 minutes. Lewis Tawse fed a free-hit from a central position for Greg Matheson to run onto and the Scotland forward lost his marker as he took off to the left where he sent the ball low into the net on his backhand.
Marc MacLachlan made it 3-1 on 64 minutes, picking a great time to score his first goal of the season. Fraser Heath, bandaged following a head knock which later required stitches, played the ball into the D from wide on the right. Cameron Sutherland came off his line to stop the ball with his legs but the ball came to MacLachlan at the edge of the D and he gleefully rolled the ball low into the net to make it 3-1.
Oban Camanachd pushed Daniel Cameron and Daniel Sloss, who were best for the side on the side on the day, up front for the closing stages but Lovat were resolute.
The Tulloch Homes Camanachd semi-final line-up is now confirmed. Kinlochshiel and Kyles Athletic meet at the Taynuilt Sports Field on Saturday 28 August 2021.
Then, a week later, Kingussie face Lovat at An Aird on Saturday 4 September 2021. Both semi-finals throw up at 4.10pm are live on BBC ALBA.
Kingussie's Road to Semi-Final
2-0 vs Newtonmore
Thanks to Skye Camanachd for providing the below.
Newtonmore and Kingussie met at the Eilan for the second successive Saturday, this time in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup. A 3-1 win saw the Kings progress in the Artemis Macaulay Cup a week earlier and they did it again, knocking holders Newtonmore out of the Scottish with a 2-0 triumph.
‘More had Steven Macdonald back following suspension whilst Savio Genini returned for Kingussie following injury. However Thomas Borthwick looks set for a spell on the sidelines following his knee injury against ‘More the previous week.
There was a strong wind across the pitch which made it difficult for both sides.
Kingussie took the lead a couple of minutes before half-time. Roddy Young’s corner from the left was knocked down but only as far as Ruaridh Anderson on the left who swept the ball to Savio Genini on the left of the D and he took a touch before turning and lashing the ball into the net.
And there were just a couple of second minutes gone when Roddy Young added a second. Ruaridh Anderson’s corner from the right went across field where it was gathered by Fraser Munro. Munro’s low ball found Roddy Young on the left of the D and he made enough space to turn and shoot home.
Owen Fraser in the home goal made several very good saves throughout.
11-0 vs Kilmallie
Many thanks to Skye Camanachd website for the below.
Kingussie marched through to the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-finals following their 11-0 triumph over Kilmallie at the Dell.
Kingussie went into the game with a 100% record so far this season. They were missing keeper Rory MacGregor and defender Alexander Michie so Craig Dawson played in goal and Calum Grant returned to the defence after recovering from an ankle injury.
This was always going to be a big task for Kilmallie and their cause wasn’t helped with Innes Blackhall serving the second match of a seven game suspension whilst Ryan Stewart and Liam Cameron were also missing. However Steven Stewart returned from suspension and former Lochaber player Stuart Callison made his debut.
Kingussie opened the scoring from a set-piece on 8 minutes. James Falconer ran onto Savio Genini’s measured ball to the right where he hit a low 20 yard shot past Shane Gillies in Kilmallie goal.
Roddy Young made it 2-0 on 22 minutes when he hammered home James Falconer’s cut-back after Falconer had gone on a wonderful solo run.
Roddy Young got his second and Kingussie’s third on 30 minutes when he got away from Steven Stewart before running in to score.
Savio Genini made it 4-0 on 38 minutes. This time Roddy Young ran at the visiting defence and with full back Robbie MacFadyen coming out to challenge, the ball deflected to Savio Genini on the left who needed no second invitation to whip the ball home.
Roddy Young completed his hat-trick on 44 minutes when he controlled Ryan Borthwick’s ball forward, getting by Steven Stewart and cutting in on goal before firing low into the net and, just a minute later, Savio Genini’s free-hit from a central position sent James Falconer running out to the left and he struck the ball on his left side for his second goal of the match to make it 6-0 at the at half-time.
James Falconer completed his hat-trick on 50 minutes. James Hutchison’s free-hit wasn’t cleared by the Kilmallie defence and Falconer sent the ball high into the net from the Kingussie left.
Kingussie substitute Iain Fraser made it 8-0 with 10 minutes remaining. Fraser turned home a ball from the left from close range on his backhand with his effort bobbling into the net on the keeper’s right.
James Falconer got his fourth goal of the afternoon a minute later. Kieran MacPherson volleyed the ball forward to Iain Fraser who picked out Falconer’s diagonal run to the right and he hammered home a head-high shot.
Dylan Borthwick added two more goals on 85 and 87 minutes to make the final score 11-0. First Borthwick was unmarked at the back post as he turned home Iain Fraser’s corner from the right.
Then Borthwick took down James Falconer’s high ball forward before spinning and smashing the ball high into the net.
Shane Gillies made some good saves in the game, preventing Kingussie from adding further misery.
Kingussie will now play the winner from this Saturday’s quarter-final tie between Oban Camanachd and Lovat in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-finals. This semi is scheduled for An Aird on Saturday 4 September 2021.
The other semi-final between Kinlochshiel and Kyles Athletic takes place a week earlier on Saturday 28 August 2021 at the Taynuilt Sports Field.
Both semi-finals throw up at 4.10pm and both are live on BBC ALBA.
