Camanachd Leòdhais recorded a club record 8-0 victory over rivals Strathspey and a first ever win in Grantown to go top of MOWI North Division Two on the opening day of the 2023 season.
It was also the first ever opening day win for the club, 12 years since Callum Stamper’s first minute goal had the shinty world believing in miracles for an hour in Beauly.
Appropriately, for an historic occasion the goals were spread around players from across the years. Club legend Paul Duke opened the scoring after 7 minutes, before Ally Lamont doubled the score on 30 and Callum MacRitchie made it 3 moments later. The score remained 3-0 until halftime, but Spey are always dangerous so nothing could be counted out.
However the veteran and the youngster combined early in the second half with Duke and MacRitchie popping in two goals within two minutes to kill the game at 5-0. Dukey’s veteran status was also marked by Gaga and Innes Lamont being the other two survivors of the Lochbroom game in 2007 to be playing on the day.
The scoring wasn’t over though. Young Gun Donnie MacRae showed the skills that impressed many at the sixes in Inverness in January, and helped himself to a hat trick against the ”Men in Purple” during the closing half hour.
The final score, 8-0, one of the great Dubh is Gorm performances and a happy return to the hotseat for Duncan MacIntyre. Results in the rest of the country meant that not only did Lewis Camanachd top the league but until next week at least are the top scoring team in Scotland.
Next week brings a challenging trip to Lochaber in Spean Bridge where the club has had a patchy record over the years, but with the bar now set high, the lads will be aiming to take on any team in the division this season with true Leòdhasach spirit and no fear. Throwup is at 12.30pm.
