Badenoch boss hoping to have fully fit squad for huge cup weekend
It promises to be a huge day for Badenoch ladies shinty club this weekend.
The Kingussie based club is aiming to lift both trophies in the Mowi Women’s Camanachd Association Cup Finals Day which takes place at the Eilan in Newtonmore this Saturday.
The Mowi Challenge Cup final between Inverness B and Badenoch B is first on and it throws up at 1.45pm.
The main event is the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup final between the Badenoch and Lochaber senior sides.
Badenoch manager Scott Campbell is looking forward to the day.
He said: “Things are going as well as we could have hoped in the build up to the final.
“We have had a couple of tricky league matches against Kinlochshiel and then away to Glasgow Mid Argyll that have provided good tests as we approach the big one.
“We are now fully focussed on the final and the challenge that awaits us.
“We know Lochaber will be working hard on their preparations and we expect them to be extremely formidable opponents.
“We were naturally extremely disappointed last year to not be able to compete in the final; it was a sore one for everyone involved at the club.
“That said, we didn’t deserve to be there after we were comprehensively beaten by a very high-quality Skye performance in the semi-final.
“Thankfully this year, we were able to find a performance of our own that secured safe passage to the final, but only just.
“So, the 2024 Valerie Fraser final is even more important to us after the disappointment of last year’s semi-final exit.”
Two teams appearing in the finals on the same day has created some selection difficulties.
Campbell said: “This year’s final offers a different dynamic as our second team is in the Challenge Cup final directly before the Valerie Fraser final so there may be a bit of conversation required with our second team manager Rona Stewart before we can absolutely nail things down.
“Unfortunately, we have a few injury concerns in the build-up which isn’t ideal but I remain optimistic that hopefully the players in question will pass the planned final fitness tests and we will be close to full strength.”
Throw up is at 4.05pm and this clash will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA.
There will be the usual stalls and off-pitch entertainment too.
Admission is £7 Adults / £3 Concessions and under-12s can enter free of charge.
Kids activity bands will be available at £5 each.
Strathspey notched a very impressive 4-0 win over league leaders Glenurquhart in their Mowi WCA North Division 2 game at Grantown Grammar School on Sunday.
Charlotte Bisset grabbed a hat-trick and Rachel Black the other.