Senior Orkney sides set for inter-county date with destiny

July 29, 2016 at 9:00 am

Claire Irvine scores for Orkney as the hosts beat old rivals Shetland 4-1 in 2014. — Claire Irvine scores for Orkney as the hosts beat old rivals Shetland 4-1 in 2014 to make it 11 Lady Hamilton Cup’s in a row.

Orkney’s senior inter-county squads are preparing for one of the biggest sporting weekends of the year with Shetland due to travel south in the annual inter-county battles.

On offer are two historic prizes. For the hockey players, Orkney are aiming to retain the Lady Hamilton Cup and extend their astonishing run of victories to 13. History points to a home win for the county’s hockey players having not lost a home inter-county match since 1984. Meanwhile, the footballers will battle it out for the Milne Cup which Orkney last won in 2012 with a 3-1 home victory.

Both squads have been named with both sides being a blend of youth and experience. Hockey coaches Graham and Ali Johnston have called up four players from Orkney’s junior inter-county squad, with Bethin MacDonald and Claire Rendall making the transition to the senior squad for the first time. Elsa Bain and Kirkwall Ladies’ Kayla Smith are also named, while Stacey Tait is also hoping to win her first cap. Goalkeeper Lynn Cursiter is set to win her 20th cap against Shetland, while the experienced trio of Lisa Groundwater, Hannah Cromarty, and Inga Kemp are set to face Shetland for another year. Joanne Pottinger is named as captain.

Orkney’s football manager Karl Adamson has named 16 players for Saturday’s match, with six players named in a squad to face Shetland for the first time. Dounby’s Wayne Kirkness and Firth’s Neil Aim, along with the Stromness quartet of Ryan McFerran, Axel Bondoux, Robbie MacVie, and Ross Slater come into the squad, joining the likes of established Orkney players such as captain Erik Bews, Jon Tait and Thorfinn Stout.

The hockey pass-back is set for 1.30pm on Saturday, while the football is due to kick-off at 4pm. Both matches will be at Picky.

Orkney’s hockey squad to face Shetland: Lynn Cursiter, Aimee Drever, Donna Wilson, Lisa Groundwater, Hannah Cromarty, Inga Kemp, Jennie Pickles, Kayla Smith, Stacey Tait, Joanne Pottinger (c), Charlotte Bruce, Lauren Gilmour, Paula Bonner, Elsa Bain, Bethin MacDonald, and Claire Rendall.

Orkney’s football squad to face Shetland: Paul Bain, Cameron McConnachie, Ryan McFerran, Wayne Kirkness, Erik Bews (c), Axel Bondoux, Jon Tait, Thorfinn Stout, DJ Moffat, Steve Hellewell, Chris Simpson, Joe Wilson, Neil Aim, Robbie MacVie, Chris Hellewell, and Ross Slater.