Kingussie maintain their 100 per cent record for season
Kingussie have now completed a third of their Mowi Premiership fixtures and maintained their 100 per cent record with a 2-1 win over Oban Camanachd at the Dell on Saturday.
This fixture was originally scheduled for Mossfield but a dates mix-up for a football tournament resulted in a shinty fixture reversal to Kingussie.
Kings pair James Falconer and Thomas Borthwick are returning to full fitness, and both appeared from the bench, where they were joined for this 3pm throw up by Michael Slimon.
Oban Camanachd’s Daniel MacCuish returned from suspension whilst Daniel MacVicar, Daniel Madej and Gregor MacDonald were also back after missing the previous weekend’s win over Oban Celtic.
Ross Macmillan was unavailable and a knee injury, suffered in the win over Kyles Athletic at the end of March, continued to rule out Daniel Cameron.
Dylan Borthwick scored the only goal of the first half on 38 minutes, his ninth goal of the season, and it was a fine finish.
Kieran Macpherson won possession in midfield before finding James Falconer on the Kingussie left. Falconer played the ball back to Dylan Borthwick who turned his man before sending a searing shot into the top corner of the net to keeper Cammy Sutherland’s left.
Daniel McVicar hauled Oban Camanachd level on 57 minutes, running onto Daniel Madej’s long ball out of defence and he got by Robert Mabon to the right of the D, before cutting inside and finishing low into the net on his backhand.
The winning goal came on the hour mark. James Falconer’s corner from the right was take down at the right of the D by Ruaridh Anderson and his lifted effort spun off the keeper and just over the goal line to make it 2-1.
Looking back on another win, Kingussie manager Iain Borthwick said: “It wasn’t the best of games and if if I’m honest, a draw would have been a fair result.
“That said, we tested their keeper more than they troubled ours.
“Our defenders couldn’t let the brakes off at any time though as their forwards are so tricky to man-mark.
“I’m pleased we managed to give James Falconer 70 minutes and I’m pleased with his performance. Thomas Borthwick had a run out for last half-hour and proved strong at wing centre to help secure the win.”
Oban Camanachd manager Gareth Evans said: “I thought we deserved something out of the game but Kingussie just seem to grind out results.
“I’m happy with how we played, and I thought we should have had a penalty when their keeper fouled Lewis Cameron.
“I said to the boys afterwards that we have nothing to fear from any of the teams this season.”
This coming Saturday, Kingussie begin their bid to win back the Artemis Macaulay Cup when they travel to play Glenurquhart at Blairbeg.
The Kings lost out to Oban Camanachd in last year’s final after lifting the trophy for the preceding three years.
Borthwick said: “Kieran Macpherson played his last game at full centre before he heads off to Canada.
“He’s a massive loss and he will be missed.”
Glenurquhart’s Fergus Robertson misses out through suspension.
