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Kingussie ready for derby fixture


By Gavin Musgrove

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Kingussie v Newtonmore, Shinty
Kingussie v Newtonmore, Shinty

KINGUSSIE boss John Gibson has insisted his team will not be entering tomorrow's big Badenoch derby holding opponents Newtonmore in awe.

The Eilan side made it 11 wins in a row – albeit on penalties in the Camanachd Cup semi-final against Kilmallie on Saturday – while the Kings suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Oban Camanachd in the Premiership.

They also lost 2-0 to the Argyll team in the reverse fixture earlier in the season and they now leap over the Red and Blues in mid table.

But, of course, the Red and Blues are looking to do their first double in Newtonmore in recent years having taking their scalp in a surprise 1-0 win at the Eilan at the start of the season.

Gibson said anything can happen on derby day, as their last encounter showed, with the Kings grabbing their first victory over their local rivals for four years.

He said: "Kingussie-Newtonmore games are always competitive whether we are three, four or five places behind them, which has been the case in recent seasons. There is rarely more than a goal in it.

"We're looking forward to it. We just need to be more clinical in front of goal."

Gibson believes the pressure will be on their rivals.

He said: "The remaining four or five games are crucial for Newtonmore as they are challenging for the league title. There is certainly more riding on the outcome of this game for them.

"But we are looking ahead too to our own Camanachd Cup semi final with Lovat and we want to give ourselves a confidence boost going into that – and beating Newtonmore will do that."

Forward Savio Genini was missing for the Kings on Saturday through work obligations. Rory MacGregor moved in to wing centre to take his place as James Falconer returned upfront against Oban Camanachd.

It was the visitors who got off to the perfect start when a powerful strike from Willie Neilson put them ahead after just two minutes.

The hosts regrouped pretty quickly and built their way into the game but they found it tough to breach the Oban defence and when they did keeper Cameron Sutherland picked up the pieces.

Rory MacKeachen came on for Macgregor at half time as Kingussie looked for fresh legs to allow them to push forward.

The Dell side did control possession and push Oban further back as the second half progressed but they continued to have difficulty in breaking down the well-marshalled and committed visiting defence.

Falconer went closest to the equaliser when played through by James Hutchison.

He took the ball on the run, rounded his defender and shot past the on-rushing keeper Sutherland but for consecutive matches he saw his shot return off the woodwork.

Ryan MacWilliam and Ryan Borthwick came on to maintain the home side's high tempo but the best chance of an equaliser actually came from the opposing defence when a deflected a corner sent the ball towards the Oban goal only for Sutherland to produce a great save.


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