A 78th-minute goal from man of the match Roddy Macdonald was what it took to win Kyles Athletic the Camanachd Cup for the 21st time in their history after a contest that turned out to be a classic 11-goal thriller.
That strike was Macdonald's fourth of the afternoon in a game which fully lived up to its pre-match billing as being too tight to call.
The early pressure came from Inveraray who adapted quickly to Mossfield's blustery conditions and their ability to run with the ball saw them take an early lead when in the ninth minute Chris Crawford evaded his marker and slipped the ball inside to front man Russell Mackinlay who stabbed it past Kyles keeper Kenny Macdonald to put Inveraray 1-0 up.
Kyles equalised almost immediately when a long hit forward from midfield by Dunky Kerr, which should have been dealt with by Inveraray keeper Graham Macpherson, was tucked home by Macdonald. Macdonald then put Kyles ahead when he ran past Inveraray defenders Scott Robertson and Douglas Dando to slip the ball home.
Kyles at this stage, however, were less than convincing in their lead and Inveraray winger Chris Crawford again escaped his marker and drove the ball forward where it fell to veteran Garry Macpherson to smash home the equaliser. Within a minute Crawford had made it 3-2 when he got on the end of a long shy and finished with precision. By half-time Inveraray were 4-2 ahead thanks to a neat Mackinlay finish.
Soon after the interval Kyles pulled one back when Robbie Macleod, a tireless presence in midfield, scored from the penalty spot. The Royal Burgh side, however, quickly restored the differential when Macpherson made it 5-3. Then Inveraray simply ran out of steam and the Kyles fight back began. First Fraser Macdonald pounced on a defensive error to make it 5-4 and then Roddy Macdonald fired home the equaliser two minutes later and the stage was set for a thrilling climax.
Both sides had their chances but when a long shy by Kerr came into the Inveraray defence Macdonald found the space to smash it home for the winner.
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