Roddy Young makes scoring return in big win over basement side Lochaber
After 15-months out with an ACL injury, 2022 national player of the year Roddy Young made a scoring return in Kingussie’s 8-4 Mowi Premiership win over Lochaber at the Dell.
There was mixed news from the Kingussie camp ahead of Saturday’s fixture.
With the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup final just three weeks away, it was confirmed that wing centre Liam Borthwick suffered a broken wrist in the competition’s recent semi-final win over Fort William.
Borthwick still managed to play in the Artemis Macaulay Cup final triumph over Oban Camanachd but now faces a fight to be fit for the Scottish final on Saturday 21 September.
Lee Bain sat the game out after suffering a hamstring problem in training whilst defender Zander Michie missed out as he served a one-match suspension for a disciplinary points accumulation.
This was Lochaber’s final game of the season, and only victory coupled with an unlikely run of other results would avoid a return to the Mowi National Division next year.
They gave it their all though and Ben Delaney put them ahead after just four minutes.
Kingussie responded was clinical as James Falconer continued his good form with a hat-trick of strikes in the 17th, 19th and 33rd minutes and Cameron Bremner added a fourth just three minutes before at the break.
Lochaber responded and Max Campbell, who spent time with Newtonmore, pulled a goal back just three minutes after the restart and Ben Delaney got his second on 57 minutes, cutting Kingussie’s lead to a single goal.
It was the Kings turn to threaten and two goals in two minutes from James Falconer on 68 minutes and substitute Eoin Baikie from the restart made it 6-3.
Roddy Young received a special cheer as he came off the bench and he was only on the field for four minutes when he found the net in the 79th minute.
Ben Delaney completed his hat-trick with five minutes remaining with his 31st goal of the season.
But Roddy Young had the last word, scoring his second goal of the game a minute later to make the final score 8-4.