Kingussie scrape through to next round of MacTavish Cup after penalty shoot-out thriller
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Kingussie’s bid for a third successive cottages.com MacTavish Cup success remains on course, but only just, as it took penalties to eventually see off Lovat following a 2-2 draw at the Dell.
Kings manager Iain Borthwick named the same starting 12 from the previous weekend’s win over Newtonmore as James Falconer remained sidelined with an ankle problem.
Lovat’s Marc MacLachlan pulled out before the Kyles game a week earlier with an ankle issue but recovered sufficiently to start in attack.
Kingussie’s Ruaridh Anderson tested Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald early on but it was the visitors who took the lead after eight minutes.
The Kingussie defence didn’t deal with Calum Cruden’s hit-in from the right and Lorne MacKay slipped the ball to Marc MacLachlan on the right.
MacLachlan’s low cross went across the face of goal and was swept home at the back post by Lewis Tawse.
Lovat’s Callum Cruden was booked for a late swing at Ruaridh Anderson as Kingussie pressed, prompted by full centre Lee Bain, and the Lovat goal survived a couple of scares before the interval.
Kingussie were edging closer to an equalising goal and, just after the hour, Stuart MacDonald had to react quickly to stop and then clear Savio Genini’s bouncing shot.
Kingussie drew level on 65 minutes when Thomas Borthwick’s hit-in from the left was knocked out to Savio Genini on the left and, on the turn, he hit a low, firm strike into the corner of the goal.
It was a good finish which had the Kingussie support celebrating.
Dylan Borthwick’s looping effort game off the crossbar and also Ruaridh Anderson went close as the 90 minutes finished all-square.
Extra-time ensued and Kingussie got themselves in front for the first time in the tie on 97 minutes.
Ruaridh Anderson’s corner from the right was taken down by Dylan Borthwick as he ran into the D, and his deft flick gave the keeper to chance.
With the rain now hammering down, Kingussie were nearly there.
But disaster struck as Lovat made it 2-2 with the last hit of the game when Lewis Tawse ghosted into the D to touch Craig Mainland’s lofted ball by the keeper.
Referee Willie MacDonald blew for time at the restart, taking the tie into what would prove to be an epic penalty shoot-out.
Kingussie went first and Dylan Borthwick crashed the ball into the top corner of the goal before Greg Matheson stepped forward to send his penalty inside the post.
Lovat edged in front when Savio Genini’s penalty was saved with feet by Stuart MacDonald and Callum Cruden thumped his effort high into goal.
Kingussie’s Rory McGregor and Lovat’s Lorne MacKay then both fired wide, so it remained 2-1.
Zander Michie converted with the ball going in off keeper’s foot and Craig Mainland scored to maintain Lovat’s single goal lead.
Kieran Macpherson crashed his penalty over the keeper and into the net, but Lovat captain Graeme MacMillan had the chance to send his side through with their fifth penalty, but Rory McGregor made a brilliant save with his stick.
With the shoot-out now tied at 3-3, the penalties went to sudden death as the players stepped up once more in the same order.
Dylan Borthwick fired low into the goal and Greg Matheson into the top corner to make it 4-4.
When Savio Genini missed the target, Lovat had another chance to win it but Rory McGregor was again the hero as he kept Kingussie in it with an outstanding save from Callum Cruden.
Rory McGregor then scored into the corner, but Lorne MacKay did likewise to make it 5-5.
It was tense and when Zander Michie despatched the ball into the corner to the keeper’s left, Lovat’s Craig Mainland had to score but tugged his effort by the right post, so Kingussie went through to this Friday’s draw.
