Kingussie's international defender Ian Borthwick could not make his playing comeback on Saturday after a bizarre pre-match injury.
Hard-tackling Borthwick has been sidelined since the opening games of the season, but had been fit to return in the Camanachd Cup semi-final with Lyles Athletic at Oban.
But his brother, Steve, the Kingussie team manager, said: “Ian missed out through a crazy set of circumstances. He was driving his car and only a few miles from Oban when a dog ran out in front of him.
“Ian braked hard then got out to see if the dog was all right – and was struck by a post office van.
“The dog escaped unhurt, but Ian was thrown over the bonnet of the van and twisted his ankle. When he told me what happened I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.”
But it was all smiles for Kingussie and Fort William who will face each other in the Camanachd final in Inverness on September 18.
Steve Borthwick was honest enough to admit the 6-2 win against Kyles Athletic in the first semi-final was a flattering scoreline.
Ally MacLeod played his first game in eight weeks for the Badenoch men, who led 3-1 at half-time through a Ross double and one from Thomas Borthwick to a Colin McColl goal.
Roddy MacDonald pulled one back in 63 minutes to give Athletic fresh hope, but Ross' third made it 5-2 and two goals in the last two minutes from Fraser Munro and Ross again wrapped up Kingussie's first appearance in the final in two years.
Steve Borthwick and Peter MacIntyre will be in the unusual situation of leading their teams in the final in their first season in charge.
MacIntyre's Fort needed to draw on their stamina to edge through 4-2 after extra time against brave Inveraray in the second semi-final at Mossfield Park.
MacIntyre took the brave decision to leave James Clark and Victor Smith out of the starting line-up because of lack of training, though both came on as substitutes.
Drew Ferguson fired Fort ahead, but Grant Griffin levelled just on half-time then a splendid Euan McMurdo goal gave Inveraray a 2-1 lead in 55 minutes. But Ferguson's second, six minutes later, was a wonderful effort and though it was end to end stuff, it was 2-2 after 90 minutes.
Gordon MacKinnon was Fort's hero with a 100th minute winner and nine minutes later substitute Smith clinched it with a superb finish to ensure an eighth successive Camanachd final appearance for the team which has triumphed in the past three years.
In the only Premier Division game, Glenurquhart may have virtually ensured survival with a 4-0 home win against bottom side Glasgow Mid Argyll.