Kilmallie attacker Calum MacDougall’s joy turned to agony after he proved his team’s matchwinner in their Mowi Premiership derby duel with Fort William at An Aird.
MacDougall made his first appearance since knee surgery last autumn and his seventh minute strike for the game’s only goal gave the Caol club Lochaber bragging rights as well as registering their first league win of the season and lofting them off the bottom.
But it was calamity for Calum with 20 minutes remaining when he took a tumble and dislocated his shoulder.
Manager Martin Stewart said: “Calum played so well in a terrific comeback, so it was tragic to see him sustain such a bad injury.
“The verdict is that he should be out for eight weeks, which is frustrating for someone who’d waited so long to get back into action.
“It’s a shame for a good player who showed us what we’d been missing. Hopefully, he’ll be back by the end of July and ready to play his part in the campaign’s final months.”
‘Overdue first win’
The two points were precious for Kilmallie, rising from tenth to seventh while Fort, a point behind, slip to bottom spot from the same number of games.
Stewart added: “We were overdue that first win and it kick-starts our season.
“We’ve been plugging away and not being outclassed, and it’s rewarding that the victory comes on the ground of our local rivals.
“Fort actually beat us last year for the first time in eight years, but this time we moved the ball extremely well and were clearly the better team on the day.
“Innes Blackhall was phenomenal while Robbie MacFadyen was a real machine at full back.
“Wing centre Shane O’Rua, still only 14, played 88 minutes and was excellent – it’s scary how good he can become. Our other wing centre, 18-year-old Ben MacKinnon also did extremely well.”
FT – Fort William 0 Kilmallie 1 (Callum MacDougall 7) – Mowi Premiership #shinty
— Shinty (@camanachd) May 21, 2022
Lovat came within seconds of their first league defeat of the season but Marc MacLachlan, who had given them an interval lead, rammed home a 90th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Newtonmore.
After Conor Jones had levelled, youngster Duncan MacPherson fired The Eilean men ahead but they could not hold on.
Second top Newtonmore now slide four points behind leaders Kingussie, who made it 11 wins on the spin in all competitions this season with a 2-0 win at Kyles Athletic.
Fourth successive victory for Kinlochshiel
Two goals in three minutes from Ruaridh Anderson and Roddy Young late in the first half proved decisive although Kyles’ youngsters battled grittily in the second 45.
Kinlochshiel’s fourth successive victory, lifting them within a point of Newtonmore, proved hard fought.
John MacRae gave the Wester Ross men an interval lead against Glasgow Mid Argyll at Yoker but Calum McLay slotted a penalty equaliser in 46 minutes and it needed another penalty, by Keith MacRae in 88 minutes, to keep the Shiel run going.
In the National Division, undefeated leaders Beauly were 7-1 winners at Oban Celtic in the battle of the Green and Whites. Euan MacCormack’s double and strikes from Finlay Maclennan and Ross Forbes put Beauly 4-1 up by half time, Scott Dempster netting for the hosts.
Sean Stewart and Jack MacDonald then got on the scoresheet before Forbes added his second, the 32nd goal Beauly have scored in their six league games.
Second placed Lochaber, three points behind with a game in hand, stayed in touch with a 2-1 win over Glen Urquhart at Spean Bridge. Duncan MacKinnon’s early opener for Lochaber was quickly nullified by Angus McCallum’s goal but the deadlock was broken by Ryan Toal’s 86th minute winner.
Bottom club Aberdour fought hard at Inveraray before going down 2-0 to Ally Macdonald’s 41st minute strike and Ruaridh Graham’s late clincher which lifts his team to third spot.
Scotland women’s international captain Laura Gallacher scored for Lovat second team in their 4-2 Strathdearn Cup win over Strathspey.