The Tighnabruaich men chalked up their first win over Bute since 2005, in the islanders' first fixture of the season, to progress to a quarter-final tie at home to Oban Camanachd.

A tense derby match only really came to life when Kyles' Duncan Kerr opened the scoring with 25 minutes to go, and though Robert Walker soon equalised after Bute's best move of the game, two defensive mix-ups allowed Matthew MacColl and Thomas Whyte to give the visitors a crucial two-goal lead, with James Craig's last gasp strike for the hosts coming too late to make an impact on the end result.

With Bute not having swung a caman in anger before Saturday's tie, and Kyles having only one game under their belt since the 2008 campaign got under way at the beginning of March, it was perhaps not surprising that it took both sides a while to find their rhythm on a tricky Meadows surface hit hard by the recent wet weather.

An early booking, in somewhat controversial circumstances, for Iain MacDonald didn't help Bute's endeavours and only a full length save from goalkeeper Kevin Queen prevented the visitors taking the lead midway through the half.

Ali Carmichael was denied by the Kyles keeper as the first half entered its closing stages before Walker saw his long distance shot parried after a good team move, but when referee Colin MacDonald blew for half time it was impossible to say which side would prevail in the second half.

It was Kyles who got off on the front foot when the match restarted, but their pressure came to nothing - and Bute were presented with a golden opportunity to seize the initiative on 61 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after a stramash inside the Kyles D, only for captain Hector Whitelaw to see his low shot blocked by the Kyles keeper.

And the visitors made the most of their let-off five minutes later when Kerr found himself in acres of space in sight of the Bute goal and fired a shot past the helpless Queen and into the net.

David Whitelaw scooped an effort over the bar as Bute searched for a way back into the game, but the younger Whitelaw brother more than made amends for that miss on 72 minutes when his measured ball into the Kyles danger zone found Walker, who turned and struck a sweet shot into the corner of the net.

But Bute's hopes of a comeback were short-lived, MacColl putting the visitors back in front on 80 minutes after a mix-up in the Bute defence, and Whyte put the result beyond doubt with Kyles' third five minutes from time after the Bute defence missed a high ball into the danger zone.

Craig pulled one back from close range in the dying seconds after an untidy tussle in the Kyles goalmouth, but the final whistle went just seconds after the restart to leave Bute's hopes of a first ever Celtic Cup triumph in tatters.

Weather permitting, Bute are due to begin, somewhat belatedly, their Marine Harvest Premier League campaign this Saturday, April 12, away to a Lochaber side which has blown hot and cold so far this season - they lost their opening match 5-0 away to Kyles but raised a few eyebrows with a 4-1 home win over Inveraray in their second league fixture.

Throw-up at Spean Bridge is at 2.30pm.