THE man they call Super Dan swooped to the rescue just as Newtonmore's dreams of a shinty league and cup double looked set to sink beneath the mud in Dunoon on Saturday.
Danny MacRae blasted his second goal in the 90th minute to give the Badenoch side a 2-1 win over Kyles Athletic and a second premier league title success in a row, adding to their Camanachd Cup victory.
MacRae had hit a hat-trick in the Camanachd Cup final win against Kingussie in September as the blue and whites ended their 25-year wait for the sport's biggest prize.
The goal hero told the "Strathy": "It was just brilliant to take the title again, especially after winning the Camanachd Cup.
"It brought us a second great weekend in the village when we got home.
"The games with Kyles was really end-to-end. It was a good, hard game of shinty. I was delighted to score the winner. It was almost the last chance of the game so it had to be taken."
He added: "I did well on Saturday, but the whole team has been great. We have a really strong squad with everyone fighting for their places."
Asked whether the balance of power had shifted from Kingussie to Newtonmore, MacRae said: "I think it has a wee bit but you can never write them off.
"However, we certainly have a lot of confidence and hopefully that will continue next season. We have had a great year but I am looking forward to a wee break now!"
Newtonmore manager Norman 'Brick' MacArthur has steered the club back to the very top of the game.
It was their first Premier League and Camanachd Cup double and their first double since 1985 when they won the old North First Division and the Camanachd Cup.
MacArthur said: "It's a fantastic achievement to do the double. We always make things exciting - we won the title in the last 10 minutes of a game last year and this year it was virtually down to the last minute.
"We have got a good pool of players now with our second team winning their league and the Strathdearn Cup.
"There are young guys coming through the door all the time, so everyone has to knuckle down and put the work in to stay in the first team."
He added: "If someone has not been playing well this season somebody else has stepped in to do the business.
"Danny played well in Saturday's game but before that Glen MacKintosh had scored for us in the previous three games.
"The big thing is we are playing with confidence now, and once you start winning it becomes a habit."
MacArthur predicted that Kingussie would come back stronger next season but doubts their record-breaking years will ever be emulated - not even by his current crop.
He said: "I don't think any team will dominate in the way that Kingussie did for the last 20 years."
Delighted defender Norman Campbell said after the match: "It was a real backs to the wall job on Saturday. It was heavy going on the pitch - not really a place for dribbling the ball.
"However, we battled away, and although we left it a bit later than we had hoped, we came through. It has been a long, hard season as the Premier League is so competitive. I think it is harder to win now than it has been in previous years."
Kyles Athletic were unbeaten all season in the league until Saturday.
Newtonmore, who were cheered on by a small crowd of supporters who had made the long trip, had lost only once this season.
They had to win to beat Kyles to take the title.
Camanachd Association president, Archie Robertson, presented the Scottish Hydro Premier Division Trophy to Newtonmore captain, Scott Campbell, in front of his jubilant teammates.
Huge efforts had been made by Argyll and Bute Council's groundsman to ensure a good looking surface and to drain it as best he could so that the game could be played.
Newtonmore beat Kingussie 4-3 after extra time in a classic Camanachd Cup final at the Bught in Inverness.
In that game MacRae netted the all important fourth goal just five minutes from the end of extra-time.
