Hopes were high in the Badenoch side's camp that on a glorious sunny day at Oban's Mossfield Park they would make it No 11, and when Ronald Ross fired them into an early lead with a penalty they looked to be on their way.

Inveraray mounted a determined attack in the 12th minute with both Crawford and Macpherson going close but they soon found themselves even further behind.

A quick Kings break from that attack saw the ball come to Ross who turned his man and drilled a shot that the keeper was only able to half stop, and the ball rolled into the net to make it 2-0.

Borthwick in the Kingussie goal pulled out a good save on the quarter hour but Inveraray did get a goal back a few seconds later.

Garry Macpherson drilled a rocket high into the roof of the Kingussie net to reduce the deficit.

Ross nailed his hat-trick in the 21st minute with a beautifully controlled little lob over Mackenzie in the Fynesiders' goal on the volley from a rebound after a Paul Gow shot.

Much of the first half pressure thereafter was at the Kingussie end and Borthwick pulled off a double save on the half hour, picking up a sore thumb in the process.

Grant Griffin missed a glorious opportunity to pull another one back after he reached the ball ahead of the advancing Borthwick, but mis-hit his shot.

The Kingussie defence, however, held firm, assisted by some wayward shooting, and an excellent stop from Borthwick three minutes before the turn and an exceptional stop from a Scott Robertson rocket two minutes later.

Five minutes into the second period, Macpherson netted his second with a ground shot through a ruck of players that eluded Borthwick to make the score 3-2.

Inveraray were still having most of the game as good ball supply to the Kingussie forwards simply dried up.

The Badenoch side did threaten in the 63rd minute when Ryan Borthwick let fly with a rocket that was superbly saved by Mackenzie.

Russell Dallas picked up an ankle injury during a clash with David Robertson in the 72nd minute and Barry Dallas took his place.

Six minutes later, Inveraray were back on level terms as Scott Robertson lashed home from the right side with Borthwick in the Kingussie goal unsighted.

As the game moved towards its conclusion, Kingussie came under yet more pressure and Ross moved back to more of a centre half back role in a bid to stem the flow.

Kingussie had an opportunity to kill the game in injury time but for once it was not meant to be with Barry Dallas' shot flying over the bar.

Within seconds, the ball came down the right wing after Garry Macpherson beat Ross and slotted a pass through Scott Robertson to Grant Griffin who fired home to make it 4-3 to Inveraray to win the game and break Kingussie hearts.

The last-gasp manner of losing was painfully redolent of the MacTavish Cup final against Newtonmore as the Kings must now pick themselves up and prepare for their Camanachd Cup replay against Kyles Athletic this weekend.

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