Camanachd Leòdhais brought the curtain down on their Mowi North Division 2 season with a 3–1 victory over Strathglass at Cannich Playing Fields on Saturday (26 September), claiming the Stirling Memorial Cup in the process and signing off the campaign in style.

The following report has been sent by a member of the Camanachd Leòdhas team and edited by welovestornoway.com.

Leòdhas lined up with Connor Chalmers in goals; Paddy Sinclair at full back; Ronan Sinclair and Michael Macleod at wing back; Ryan Gunn at half back. The centre line featured Daniel Harrison, Colin MacRae and Kieran Macdonald, while Scott Macleod operated at half forward. Up front, Dylan Murray and Paddy Wilson supported Callum Macritchie at full forward.

On the bench were John Slaughter, Ally Lamont, Blue Sawyer and Ryan Garrett.

Camanachd Leòdhais were dominant from the off, with the midfield controlling the game and rarely allowing Strathglass to build any momentum going forward. The Forward Line worked hard throughout the opening half, creating chance after chance but struggling to find the finishing touch the opportunities deserved. Strathglass threatened on only a couple of occasions, and the Leòdhas defence were equal to both.

The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute through a goal that reflected the quality of build-up play Leòdhas had been producing all half. Dylan Murray collected the ball out on the left and drove it across the edge of the box, where Paddy Wilson took it in his stride, turned his man and finished smartly to put Camanachd Leòdhais 1–0 ahead at the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Leòdhas continuing to dominate possession and territory while the Forward Line kept pressing. A change was made in the 60th minute, with Callum Macritchie withdrawn for John Slaughter, and the impact was immediate — Strathglass found themselves under considerably more pressure with Slaughter leading the line and the keeper stretched far more frequently than before.

Strathglass carved out a brief spell in the second half where they managed to find a way through what had been a rock solid defence for the majority of the game, and they made it count in the 76th minute when Ciaran Melens levelled at 1–1. It was a moment that tested the character of the squad, but Camanachd Leòdhais responded with authority. Two minutes later, in the 78th minute, a long ball up from midfield was met by Paddy Wilson out on the right, who played it into John Slaughter, who finished quickly and clinically past the goalkeeper to restore the lead at 2–1.

A further change was made in the 70th minute, with Kieran Macdonald making way for Ally Lamont, Paddy Wilson moving back to wing centre and Lamont taking up the wing forward position. Blue Sawyer came on for Dylan Murray in the 85th minute to see the game out.

Slaughter was not finished there, however. Another long ball forward in the 85th minute found him with his back to goal, and he turned before rifling a finish past the goalkeeper to make it 3–1 and seal the win. It was a fitting way to mark a milestone — John Slaughter's brace on the day took his season tally to 10 goals for Camanachd Leòdhais, making him the club's top scorer for the season.

The result also secured the John Stirling Memorial Cup — a trophy named in honour of a former Strathglass club president — adding silverware to what has already been a historic season for the club. Camanachd Leòdhais would like to thank Strathglass for hosting the cup and for their warm welcome at Cannich Playing Fields on what was a fitting occasion to mark John Stirling's legacy.

The standout collective performance on the day came from the midfield, which was superb throughout — dominant, disciplined and rarely beaten. The forwards worked tirelessly to create openings, and while the finishing was at times frustrating, Slaughter's introduction from the bench proved the decisive factor in the closing stages.

With the season now complete, Camanachd Leòdhais sit top of the Mowi North Division 2 table on 28 points. However, the title is not yet theirs to claim — Kilmallie sit second on 26 points with two games still to play, while Lochaber sit fourth on 23 points with three games remaining. It is a tense wait for the Dubh is Gorm, who can only watch on as their rivals complete their campaigns. What is certain is that 28 points would have been enough to win the league in three of the last four seasons — a testament to just how far the standard of the division has risen, and to the remarkable season Camanachd Leòdhais have put together.