DERBY DAY IN THE SUN

Seeing double - McMurdo x 2 in Inveraray's big derby win over Kinlochshiel - Photo: John MacTavish

The first official Orion Premiership Derby Day was blessed with fantastic sunny weather as dusty old rivalries were polished up for the new occasion.


I say 'blessed with sunny weather' - but I'm sure there was the odd player struggling in the heat and secretly wishing it would rain... Great for spectators, though.

In the first of a number of planned televised matches, shinty fans had the luxury of taking in a game starting at 2.30then perhaps switching on the telly when they got home to watch the Badenoch derby live from the Dell.

The Kingussie-Newtonmore game was one that I saw bits and pieces of while frying up the fish for tea. I didn't really catch the goals from the camera position, and a good bit of the action was a wee bit distant, but i got the impression that they pretty much cancelled each other out - even if Ronald Ross did manage his usual.

Didn't quite follow why Lee Bain was sent off though. Perhaps there were verbals that the ref caught that I didn't.

Elsewhere. Kyles beat Bute 1-0 on the sunny Firth of Clyde island, Fort William overcame Kilmallie 3-1 at Canal Park; and Kiltarlity was the venue for a 5-1 Lovat victory over near-neighbours Glenurquhart.

The surprise result, for my money, came from Argyll, where Inveraray hosted Kinlochshiel in the only non-derby premier tie. The north side have been going well this season, but met Inveraray at a time when the forwards seem to have found some form after a season and a half of mis-firing. The omens were there in the previous week's game - the Celtic Cup semi-final away to Bute - when Aray fired six past the islanders. This week, Kinlochshiel were boosted inside the opening ten minutes after Finlay MacRae gave the away side the lead. Unfortunately for the visitors, Inveraray then scored seven.

The Orion Premiership Derby Day seems to have been a success - but what do you think?