Bute had put in a huge effort, with the defence typically solid and goalkeeper Kevin Queen enjoying an outstanding game between the posts, and their efforts were just a few minutes from being rewarded with a fine away point when Campbell struck to give the Badenoch men full points.

With James Craig still on holiday and John McCallum out with a knee injury, coach Barry Martin drafted young Robert Ferguson into the team for his first senior start - and the new man had a fine 90 minutes against some of the best players in the game, barely putting a foot wrong all afternoon.

Newtonmore did enjoy the lion's share of the possession over the course of the game, and will probably feel they deserved to take maximum points, but even their supporters must have felt it just wasn't going to be their day until Campbell popped up to net the winner.

Bute made a bright start to the game, Ali Carmichael getting in a shot from distance which the Newtonmore keeper just managed to block with his foot, and with no-one in a red shirt rushing in to gobble up the rebound, the chance was lost.

Newtonmore's own attacking efforts were dealt with well by a Bute defence which has given very little away in recent weeks, and which again soaked up everything their opponents could throw at them throughout the first half.

And with the wind behind them in the second half the outlook appeared promising for Bute, with Newtonmore unable to convert their possession into goals against a persistently stubborn Bute back line.

An injury to Graham Fisher midway through the second half required a reshuffling of the visitors' ranks, with Stevie McKellar coming on and Brian Liddle moving from midfield back into defence, but the changes made no difference to Bute's approach, and Ali Carmichael and Roberto Zavaroni both had decent efforts on goal as the visitors sought to hit Newtonmore on the break.

Even when the ball did make it past the Bute defence, Queen in goal had a fine afternoon, with several good stops enhancing his reputation among Badenoch's shinty sages after his good display against Kingussie two weeks previously.

But with four minutes to go and Bute within touching distance of a hard-earned point, Donnie McDermid stopped a ball which appeared to be running out of play; Newtonmore seized possession as a result and two quick passes found Campbell in just enough space to fire home the game's only goal.

Said Barry Martin afterwards: "We certainly didn't play badly and we can take a lot of heart from the game - it just means that when we play Strathglass and Lovat later in the season they'll be real cup finals for us."

* It's derby day for the Bute senior team this Saturday, June 28, when they make the short trip to Tighnabruaich to face Kyles Athletic in what promises to be a real ding-dong Premier League derby, with Bute out to avenge their Celtic Cup defeat when the sides last met back in April. Throw-up is at 2.30pm.