Orkney head north in search of inter-county silverware

July 26, 2019 at 11:00 am

Liam Delday scored a brace on his debut for Orkney against Shetland last year in that famous 5-1 win.

The biggest football and hockey fixtures in the Northern Isles will take place on Saturday as Orkney and Shetland go head-to-head.

The two hockey sides will contest the Lady Hamilton Cup while in the football, the fabled Milne Cup is on the line.

After a dream double win last year, Orkney are on the hunt for a rare double double, however Shetland will be desperate for revenge.

In the hockey, which begins at 12 noon in Brae, Orkney are gunning for their 16th consecutive Lady Hamilton Cup win, having last been defeated by Shetland back in 2003.

Aimee Drever has been given the honour of captaining her county, and while Orkney can boast huge experience within the squad, there are four senior newbies — Georgia Palmber, Rachael Priest and juniors Erika Poke and Ann Lennie.

At 5pm, the 101st Milne Cup match will take place at Gilbertson Park.

Orkney thrashed Shetland 5-1 in last year’s 100th game and if they were to retain the cup, it would be the first time in four decades Orkney has achieved the feat.

Shetland are aiming to extend a 38-year unbeaten run at home and are using the pain from that humbling last year as motivation.

Orkney, holders of the Archer Shield, Green Cup and Milne Cup, will be captained by Thorfinn Stout and Karl Adamson’s squad includes three new caps — Toby MacLeod, Jay Foubister and Findley Cooper.

Orkney’s Lady Hamilton Cup squad: Lynn Cursiter, Paula Bonner, Donna Wilson, Lisa Groundwater, Hannah Cromarty, Inga Kemp, Jennie Pickles, Stacey Tait, Aimee Drever, Bethin Macdonald, Georgia Palmer, Lauren Gilmour, Ilona Foubister, Erika Poke, Ann Lennie and Rachael Priest.

Orkney’s Milne Cup squad: Cameron McConnachie, Connan Rendall, Craig Gillon, Graeme Bain, Graeme Horne, Ryan McFerran, Jon Tait, Steven Hellewell, Owen Rendall, Kyle Drever, James Pickles, Liam Delday, Thorfinn Stout, Toby MacLeod, Chris Simpson, Jay Foubister and Findley Cooper.

One Hundred Glorious Games — a full history of the first 100 Milne Cup matches — remains on sale.

Local football historian Jockie Wood takes a look back at the fixture up to and including the memorable Milne Cup 100 celebrations in a book packed full of anecdotes, photographs and statistics.

Pick up your copy from The Orcadian Bookshop today.