PICTURES: Kingussie seconds lift Sutherland Cup for first time in more than decade
The Kingussie second team showed their fighting qualities as they twice came from behind to beat their Skye Camanachd counterparts 3-2 in the HIS Sutherland Cup final at Blairbeg on Saturday.
Kingussie’s last success in this competition was in 2012 whilst you had to date back to 1987 for the last time the Islanders took shinty’s junior championship home.
Roddy Young started for Kingussie in this 3pm throw up with first team manager Iain Borthwick keen he got as much game time as possible on his return from injury with next week’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup final very much in mind.
Young lined up in attack with Michael Slimon, Toby Thain and Jack Nelson.
There was bad news regarding two other players as Louis Munro failed to recover from a broken thumb and 15-year-old Rory Munro missed out with a fractured wrist.
Skye’s Ian MacPherson is unlikely to play again this season following a leg break but skipper Shockie MacLennan returned to his full forward position after suffering an arm injury in the Strathdearn Cup final defeat to Newtonmore.
Paul MacKinnon, John Archie Tuncay and Jordan Murchison made up the rest of the forward line.
It was wet and blustery as referee Lachie Wood got the final underway and Skye struck first, taking the lead after just three minutes.
Jordan Murchison turned on the left before drifting a backhand strike on goal.
The ball came off the crossbar but dropped for John Archie Tuncay in a central position and he lashed the rebound high into the net.
Skye had chances to extend their lead but did not take them and were made to pay when Kingussie levelled a minute before the break.
Jack Nelson, on the left, found Roddy Young to the left of the penalty spot and he turned inside before sending a low shot into the corner of the corner of the goal to the keeper’s right.
Kingussie started the second half well, pressuring Skye, but it was the Islanders who went back in front on 59 minutes.
John Archie Tuncay and Jordan Murchison exchanged passes and when Tuncay’s shot was blocked, Shockie MacLennan prodded the ball to Jordan Murchison who adjusted himself before beating keeper Hayden Taylor Ramsay, low to his left side, from a central position.
Kingussie gambled as they moved James Hutchison from defence to full centre and that switch proved pivotal as they pressed Skye back once more.
With the clock running down and just five minutes remaining, Michael Slimon ran onto a ball from the right and slipped it home from a tight angle to the right of the D to make it 2-2.
With extra-time a distinct possibility, and with just a minute remaining, substitute Fergus Sherlock played a hit-in from near the corner flag on the right.
Michael Slimon played the ball into the danger-area and Roddy Young turned and struck the ball hard from the right of the D, by the keeper’s legs and into the net to win the trophy.
Skye keeper Ally MacDonald was named man of the match and Kingussie captain Sam Thain, with a soft toy otter in hand to remember teammate Calum Mackintosh, came forward to raise the HIS Sutherland Cup, adding it to the Mowi North Division 2 trophy claimed a fortnight earlier.
The success will be all the sweeter as the Kings had to win it the hard way, defeating holders Newtonmore in the semis and last year’s runners-up Skye in the final.