DOUBLE DEFEAT FOR SHINTY'S OLD FIRM

What a weekend of sport.

Never mind your overpaid tennis stars, puffed-up-with-their-own-importance Euro Championship footballers or freakishly muscular rugger internationalists battering each other into brain damage.

Photo by John MacTavish

I'm talking about real sport - shinty.

If it's the real thing you're looking for and if sporting upsets are what you're after, look no further.

This is a season that looks as open as any in recent years, with any half-decent side - on their day -  capable of beating any other team.

And for the fans, it's turning into a pretty exciting one to watch.

The two great Badenoch near-neighbours and rivals, Kingussie and Newtonmore, are often described as shinty's equivalent of the footballing Old Firm.

Kingussie, while not the force they have been over the past couple of decades, are still one of the sport's big names. Newtonmore was a sleeping giant of past heroics. One of shinty's aristocrats, the club endured a lean period in the latter part of the 90s and early years of this century, made all the more painful as they looked through the sweetie shop window at rivals Kingussie sweeping up all the goodies. But, over the past couple of seasons, all this has changed under former player and now manager, Norman Macarthur. The club won the premier league trophy in 2010 and repeated the feat - only just ahead of Kyles Athletic - in 2011.

Newtonmore also hold the Camanachd Cup, and led this year's premiership - until Saturday, that is. They were roundly beaten 3-0 by new leaders, and one of the surprise packages of 2012, Lovat.
A stuffy side; hard to beat and with good fitness, Lovat met Newtonmore in a vein of form that has dropped from the high point early season. Without their key hit-man in Danny MacRae, who is out through injury, the side hasn't been scoring goals to offset those they are clearly conceding.
Not that this concerns Lovat too much. They sit atop the Orion Premiership after that win, while Newtonmore must regain form quickly, or face slipping lower than second. They are level with Kyles, on 14 points; one behind Lovat and two points ahead of Kinlochshiel, who have played a game more than the teams above them.

And so were Kingussie. Beaten, that is.
In a different competition, but beaten all the same. Glenurquhart took them on at Drumnadrochit in the MacAulay Cup second round, and defeated the mighty Kings 3-1. The Glen might be struggling a wee bit in the premiership and fresh from Camanachd Cup defeat to Skye, but this was a sweet taste of success - and they may just fancy their chances in this competition. Kingussie are left to lick their wounds as they join Newtonmore (who lost to Kinlochshiel in the first round) in being ousted from the MacAulay.

In other MacAulay second round ties, Inveraray, who beat holders Kyles in the last round, had little trouble overcoming south division one side Glasgow Mid Argyll 5-0.

In the other match in this round, Kinlochshiel, the team that conquered Newtonmore in the first round, came up against Fort William - a side still smarting after being dumped out of the Camanachd Cup the previous week by near-neighbours Kilmallie. Dented pride and a the knowledge that this was a last chance for cup silverware meant that Fort triumphed 6-2. Things were far from cut-and-dried at half-time, though. At 3-2, it took a further three second half goals to finish the job.

One further MacAulay Cup second round tie is due to be played this weekend between south first division leaders Oban Camanachd and Bute, currently bottom of the premiership and winless in the league this season. It looks like a tasty one, this.

Since a heavy defeat to Inveraray in the Celtic Cup semi-final last month, the island side's form has slumped dramatically. Camanachd Cup defeat to lower-league but high-flying Lochaber further stunted morale, and Saturday's 10-0 league thumping to a revitalised Kilmallie side cannot have improved matters.
 Oban Camanachd themselves have had problems. A side that never seems far from boiling point at any time, matters boiled over a few weeks back in an ill-tempered affair against Lochaber in the Balliemore Cup. The fallout has seen the management team step down as the club takes steps to try to improve its disciplinary record.

Despite their own troubles, the new McCuish/Campbell management team must be licking their lips at the prospect of a battered Bute squad arriving at Mossfield.

Never write off Bute, though. With plenty of seasoned campaigners in their ranks, it will be fascinating to see if they can pick themselves up and get the better of lower league opposition.

On the horizon for this coming weekend we have the Co-operative MacTavish Cup Final.
I mentioned that Oban Camanachd must be relishing the visit of Bute in the MacAulay.
Perhaps it's over-egging matters to suggest that Lochaber are looking forward as much to playing a Newtonmore side that has experienced a dip in form over recent weeks. But Lovat showed the way this weekend, while others such as Kinlochshiel have demonstrated that Newtonmore are not invincible.
Lochaber are enjoying cup runs all over the place this season. If they overcome Newtonmore at the Bught Park this weekend, the roars will echo across the bens and glens around Spean Bridge for weeks (years?) to come.

But Newtonmore, even on an off-spell, is still a damn good side.

It should be a cracker - and we're led to believe that the problems witnessed during the live Badenoch league derby match a couple of weeks ago have been ironed out, and the broadcaster is all set for some excellent coverage. Let's hope so.

And the following week, it's even more of a David and Goliath story in the AJG Parcels Celtic Cup Final. Minnows Taynuilt, in their first-ever senior final, face free-scoring premiership side Inveraray.

But more of that later...