LOCHABER SO SORE - AND KYLES GO TOP

There was to be no fairytale MacTavish Cup Final win for Lochaber as they were defeated 5-1 by reigning premier league and Camanachd Cup champions, Newtonmore.

Lochaber, plying its trade in north division one, is a club enjoying a season of relative success, particularly in cup competitions.

They are going well, having recently defeated premier league opposition in Kingussie - in the Mactavish semi-finals - and Bute, on that occasion in the Camanachd Cup.

Newtonmore had been defeated by Lovat in their previous match after a series of results suggesting a dip in form. Lochaber sniffed a chance, but it wasn't to be.

At a wet and blustery Bught Park, the lower league side got off to the worst possible start when Glen MacKintosh fired home for the Badenoch giants.

The big Spean Bridge support witnessed worse when Chris Sellar scored a brace - one either side of the half-time whistle.

A well-taken Shaun Nicholson strike raised hopes of a Lochaber comeback - but an opportunist goal from John MacKenzie soon restored Newtonmore's three goal advantage. Danny MacRae celebrated his return after injury by scoring Newtonmore's fifth goal of the final, and it was all over.

Disappointment for the game and skilful Lochaber players, who were only just off the pace against their premier league counterparts - and they certainly did not disgrace themselves.

Newtonmore may have lifted the silverware, but they lost ground in the league on Saturday. 

Donald Irvine clears for Kyles under pressure from Inveraray's McNicol

Knocked off their perch by Lovat last Saturday, this time it was Kyles Athletic who gained ground while the champs were on cup duty. Kyles and Lovat now sit two points and one point respectively ahead of newtonmore - though the Badenoch club has a game in hand over each of these challengers.

Inveraray arrived at a blustery Kames Playing Field, Tighnabruaich, on Saturday in a rich vein of scoring form. Kyles have been finding goals harder to come by, so it had the makings of an intriguing encounter. The Loch Fyne-side team travelled to the Kyles without three key players in forwards Garry Macpherson, Russell Mackinlay and Andrew McMurdo.

With a strong north-easterly breeze at their backs, Kyles wasted no time in rediscovering where the net is, as Gordon Whyte pounced in the second minute of the game. Aray, with wind and Kyles coming towards them swiftly, fought on, but never looked as potent as in recent weeks. Thomas Whyte scored another for the home side around the half hour point, and so it remained until half-time. 

Inveraray, with the breeze in their favour, rallied quickly after the re-start and Euan McMurdo fired home a few minutes in. Kyles were sharper to the ball, determined to avoid another defeat at the hands of Inveraray after two recent cup losses. Just a couple of minutes after arriving on the field as a substitute, a third Whyte brother - John - struck Kyles' third goal, before a Robbie MacLeod penalty rounded off a good day at the office for Kyles. 

Not so good for Inveraray, whose players slightly over-complicated matters and were second to the ball on too many occasions - but they did come up against a gritty defensive performance from Kyles. 

And there were the Whyte brothers.

With the AJG Parcels Celtic Cup Final to look forward to this coming weekend, Inveraray might have hoped to go in on a high after a win. They will be short of a few players for that one too, but should have enough in the tank to overcome south division one side Taynuilt. ...Should...

After heroic victory last week, Lovat contrived to lose at the weekend at home versus Kilmallie - albeit a Kilmallie side in the midst of a stunning revival in fortunes. A Michael Rodgers goal midway through the second half proved the difference between the sides, and Kilmallie are clawing their way out of the relegation zone. 

Replacing them in the squeaky bum part of the premiership are Glenurquhart, who lost 3-1 at home to Fort William and now lie second-bottom ahead of Bute. The bottom side has struggled this season, and mediocre early form has turned disastrous recently. Bute, with a thin squad, will do well to survive in the premiership. The islanders' misery was compounded on Saturday as Oban Camanachd - last year's relegated side from the top league - beat them 2-0 at Mossfield in the MacAulay Cup.