James Falconer admits he’s flown under the radar in the Kingussie attack – but his new-found scoring touch has pushed the Red and Blue Hoops to the edge of a trophy treble.
The 23-year-old plumber found the leaks in the Kilmallie defence on Saturday to fire four goals in an 11-0 romp to earn The Dell men a Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final at Fort William on September 4.
They will meet the winners of this weekend’s postponed Oban Camanachd-Lovat tie.
Falconer is now senior shinty’s top marksman with 14 goals and he will be the biggest threat to Kyles Athletic in this Saturday’s Artemis Macaulay Cup Final at Oban.
“I’ve not normally been in the limelight”, said James, “because I wasn’t noted as a goalscorer. But it’s different now and this was my second four-goal haul, the first being against Caberfeidh early in the season.
“I haven’t really done anything different, but the goals are coming for me. It’s because the whole team is really flying just now.
“If we can win the first cup on Saturday, we’ll be in great shape to make it a clean sweep by adding the MacTavish Cup and Camanachd Cup. That’s a tempting target.”
Kings manager John Gibson said: “James was easily our best player against Kilmallie, whose goalkeeper pulled off two terrific saves to stop him getting six.
“James is coming good at just the right time for us. Adding a scoring dimension to his all-round play has turned him into the complete player.”
Fraser Munro, who has a hand injury, was rested, while Calum Grant lasted only half an hour on his return from ankle trouble, but Gibson expects both to be ready for the MacAulay final, which is to be screened live on BBC Alba.
Roddy Young hit a hat-trick, while Savio Genini netted once then both were substituted to allow youngsters on, with Dylan Borthwick grabbing a late double after 16-year-old Iain Fraser had scored number nine.
Kinlochshiel v Kyles semi has date
The Kinlochshiel-Kyles Athletic Camanachd Cup semi-final has been fixed for Taynuilt on August 28.
Falconer was nudged out as the day’s highest scoring senior player by Beauly’s Jack Macdonald, who slammed six goals – a hat-trick in each half – in their 10-0 win at Inverness to book their Alvance BA Balliemore Cup semi-final spot.
David Maclean added a hat-trick and Conor Ross got the other for the Greens.
James Gillies hit a treble as Aberdour’s marathon trip to Skye ended with a 5-0 defeat in their tie at Portree, with Taylor Matheson and Will Mackinnon also on target.
Strathglass made the journey to Bute and the visitors’ Penri Jones equalised Leon Macmillan’s early strike. The tie went into extra time, with Scott Harvey thumping Bute’s 110th minute winner.
Completing the last four will be Inveraray, 8-0 winners at Ballachulish – with a Fraser Watt treble, two for Ruaridh Graham and one apiece for Alan Macdonald, Campbell Watt and Craig Taylor.
The only Mowi Senior League game saw Alex Macmillan put Fort William 2-1 up at Drumnadrochit with seven minutes left, only for Jed Stoddart to grab Glen Urquhart’s 88th-minute leveller.
Craig Macleod hit five goals and Somhairle Thomson four as Newtonmore colts reached the HIS Sutherland Cup semi-finals with an 13-1 home win over Kyles Athletic.
Lovat colts also progressed with a 7-1 home win over Aberdeen University aided by a Ray Rennie hat-trick.