Finlay MacRae, one of shinty’s iconic performers, is a doubt for the biggest game of his long Kinlochshiel career, Saturday’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final against Lovat at Oban.
But international full back Mark MacDonald, who has not started a game in 10 weeks, is winning his fight to play at Mossfield Park.
The Wester Ross side held a three-hour training session at Balmacara on Saturday and manager Johnston Gill said: “Finlay was unable to be involved in the full session because of a knee injury sustained against Kyles Athletic.
“It would be hugely unfair if he missed our historic final but we’ll give him until Wednesday evening to prove his fitness.
“Mark MacDonald, however, worked hard and it’s my belief that he’ll be OK for Oban, which would be a major relief.”
Former Scotland skipper MacRae, now 37, has been Shiel’s lynchpin for so long and he is desperate to make the club’s first Camanachd final appearance.
Gill said:”We’ve a third injury issue involving 20-year-old wing centre Duncan ‘WD’ Macrae, and we’ll give him as much recovery time as possible.
“It’s the first Camanachd final in years that there hasn’t been a strong favourite and there’s hardly a straw between ourselves and Lovat.
“But our 9am to noon session really got the squad tuned up and we’re in a very positive frame of mind.
“It’s only a question now of waiting for Finlay and WD.”
Newtonmore’s 18-year-old hitman Struan Ross continued his hugely promising debut season with a hat-trick in their 7-0 Mowi League match at Strathglass.
“Struan’s third was the best goal I’ve seen in years”, said manager Orston Gardner.
“He played keepy-uppy before unleashing an unsaveable volley. He’s a great talent.”
Iain Robinson also grabbed a treble with Conor Jones slotting a penalty.
Manager Gardner said: “We had three teenage debutants as substitutes – Richie Irvine, James Ross and Duncan MacPherson – and they all showed up very well.”
Kevin Bartlett gave Caberfeidh an interval lead at The Dell but Kingussie roared back to win 5-1 with doubles from Roddy Young and Dylan Borthwick and one from Liam Borthwick.
In the other senior league clash, Lachie Shaw hit a double in Fort William’s 5-2 home win over Skye, with skipper Arran MacPhee, Lewis Morrison and Cam Stephen also on target. Sorley MacDonald and Jordan Murchison netted for the islanders.
Ewen Fraser, who won a MacTavish Cup and Camanachd Cup winner’s medals for Newtonmore in 2019, aims to become the first player in recent times to add a Celtic Society Cup winner’s medal to that haul.
Fraser, now a doctor in Glasgow, fired four goals as Mid Argyll thumped Bite 8-0 to move into the semi-final of the Scottish Sea Farms sponsored competition.
Ally McKerracher hit a double with Brian Slattery and ex-Kinlochshiel man Oliver MacRae completing the spree.
Also into the last four are Inveraray who beat Oban Celtic 3-0 with a Campbell Watt double rounded off by Ruaridh Graham.
