Savio Genini says Kingussie’s response to winning the Cottages.Com MacTavish Cup after an 11-year wait must be to work even harder if they are to add further silverware.
After captaining Kings to a 5-2 win over Caberfeidh at Inverness, 25-year-old Genini said: “We’ve got the monkey off our backs as far as this cup is concerned and it’s a reward for the players’ hard work.
“This team is well capable of achieving more success – but, rather than relaxing, we need to buckle down and put in even more work to make it happen.”
Ross-shire fans roared as Cabers led 2-0 until Genini struck twice in the final three minutes of the first half, making him senior shinty’s top scorer with 14 goals.
“My best in a season is 27, so I’ve a chance of matching that,” he said.
Manager John Gibson said: “Savio has a welcome habit of turning up on the big occasion.
“His goals were crucial in their timing, ensuring we started the second half level when it was our turn for wind advantage.
“He’s proving an excellent captain and bringing home the MacTavish is a key launchpad for us with so many more important tests coming up.”
While it was a first MacTavish winners’ medal for the bulk of Kingussie’s young side, it was repeat business for brothers Fraser and Louis Munro.
Wing centre Fraser said: “This is my third MacTavish win but when we last won this cup 11 years ago, Louis suffered a broken collarbone, so it was a relief we enjoyed injury-free double success this time.
“Caberfeidh played very well and made things difficult for us – but there’s more to come from this side.”
Kingussie Captain Savio Genini lifts the 2022 https://t.co/bBYn0AuYYf MacTavish Cup Final following his sides 5 – 2 victory over Caberfeidh on 11th June 2022 #shinty pic.twitter.com/jY357grdZp
— Shinty (@camanachd) June 12, 2022
Goalkeeper Bob McGregor, a first time winner, said: “It shows the spirit in the team that we weren’t knocked off our stride by going two down.
“A couple of years ago we’d have lost the game but we got the job done and hopefully that won’t be our only cup this year.
“Credit to Caberfeidh, they battled extremely well and didn’t really deserve the final scoreline.”
James Hutchison, 42, collected his 12th MacTavish gong and said: “Coming out for the second half two down would’ve been tough so Savio’s double was well timed. We made hard work out of finishing off a determined Cabers side, but I’m delighted for the younger lads sampling their first win in this competition.”
Cabers’ Blair Morrison snarled defiance with tigerish tackling and deservedly won the Tom Mackenzie Medal for man of the match. His brother Craig was sacrificed to midfield to allow comeback man Ally Maclennan to play full forward.
Then, after an hour, cramp problems saw Kevin Bartlett, who had been excellent at full centre, pushed up to full forward.
Maclennan may be rusty but he did very well and his sixth-minute opener from distance was the most spectacular goal of an entertaining final. The Strathpeffer club will now push to persuade him that this shouldn’t be a one-off.
Manager Jodi Gorski said: “Hopefully, Ally will be able to help us out more regularly, but we still have to discuss it.
“It was frustrating that small lapses in concentration proved costly for us. Kingussie didn’t really cut us open, and our defence coped with the pressure well.
“But our lads will watch the TV footage and see the kind of lapses which lead to goals. We’ll take heart from our performance and seek to kick on from here.”
The Sky Blues were making their first MacTavish final appearance in 83 years and showed enough commitment and quality to suggest they won’t have too long to wait to make another final.
Craig Morrison made it 2-0 only for Genini to pounce on disarray to make it 2-2 at half time. Goalkeeper Iain McColl was a hero as Kingussie’s buzzbomb forwards, with their pace and close passing, began to hem in Cabers.
Roddy Young, still only 21, cleverly found space 12 minutes from time and his piledriver looped home off the keeper’s hand for the winner. Sub Dylan Borthwick smashed a fourth virtually with his first touch before Ruaridh Anderson got reward for a smart display by firing the fifth from the edge of the box.
John Gibson stressed there’s a lot of shinty still to be played but his players will be feeling confident for their other upcoming cup challenges.
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