Holders Kingussie negotiate tricky away Skye clash to progress in Camanachd Cup
Holders Kingussie reached the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup quarter-finals following their 2-1 win over Skye Camanachd in Portree on Saturday.
There was a ceremony ahead of the game as Skye officially opened the Donnie Martin Stand named in tribute to the club stalwart who was killed in a road accident in May 2022.
During the ceremony, Kingussie captain Thomas Borthwick presented Mr Martin’s grandon Skye’s Archie Millar with a specially commissioned plaque to commemorate the occasion.
Skye’s Ruaraidh MacLeod had an effort disallowed for offside before Kingussie went in front when Dylan Borthwick scored following a corner on the left.
Skye fought back and Dan MacDonald levelled with deft flick by the keeper following a quick break forward.
Kingussie made a strong start to the second half and Roddy Young scored the game’s decisive goal, finishing from the left of the D after Iain Fraser’s good run down the right.
Skye pressed for a leveller at the end but it’s holders Kingussie, with Robert Mabon excellent at full back, who progress.
Speaking straight after the final whistle, Kingussie manager Iain Borthwick said: “It was an exciting game, and you always know you have to work hard when you come here.
“The wind didn’t make it easy and a lack of concentration cost us the equaliser but I was happy to be level at the break.
“We had the wind in the second half and got the quick goal we wanted.
“We tried to get a third to kill it but when we didn’t, Skye were able to come back at us with some pressure at the end but I thought we did enough against a good Skye team.”
Kingussie captain Thomas Borthwick remarked: “That was a tough battle and there wasn’t much between the teams to be honest.
“At half-time, we thought we’d done well against the wind so we wanted to make a strong start to the second half, and we could have gone further ahead before Skye came back strongly, and it was backs-against-the wall at the end.”
Kingussie return to Mowi Premiership action this coming Saturday when they travel to play bottom side Beauly at Braeview Park.