The islanders looked set to fall to defeat against their Argyll opponents after Ali Carmichael's early opener was wiped out by goals from Gary MacPherson and Euan McMurdo, but MacDonald struck in the final minute with a goal which was almost a carbon copy of his strike against Lovat seven days before to secure a well-earned point.

No-one in the Bute camp needed reminding that Inveraray had knocked the islanders out of all three cup competitions in 2007, and the home side's search for revenge saw them start in determined mood and looking much more like the team which made such an impression during last year's league campaign.

Team selection problems before the game didn't help Bute's preparations, with Robert Walker unavailable because of a hand injury, Brian Liddle sidelined by an Achilles tendon problem, David MacDonald playing with a hamstring injury and Roberto Zavaroni not present - at the start of the match, at least - through the novel excuse of having slept in.

On the plus side, David Whitelaw returned after his two-match suspension, but any concerns that the team might take a while to gel because of the enforced changes were dispelled only five minutes into the game when Carmichael made ground up the right hand side before turning his man and firing the ball past Inveraray keeper Graham MacPherson and into the bottom corner.

Bute posed a much more potent attacking threat than in any of their early season fixtures, and Stuart Strathie in particular was causing the Inveraray defence no end of trouble with his running off the ball, but Inveraray were in no mood to lie down and Gary MacPherson saw a good effort saved by the feet of Bute keeper Kevin Queen.

On the whole, though, Bute were defending well, making tackles at the right moments and generally not allowing Inveraray any space to create trouble of their own, and when the half time whistle blew Bute, with the prospect of playing down the slope towards the Lade in the second half, were determined to build on their interval advantage.

But those plans were comprehensively ruined when Inveraray came out in equally determined mood and MacPherson levelled the match just three minutes after the break.

Inveraray took heart from the goal and went on to enjoy their best spell of the game, stretching the Bute centre line and asking some searching questions of the home defence.

But Bute coped well with everything the visitors threw at them - until the 65th minute, when Queen misjudged a McMurdo shot and allowed the ball to squirm underneath his feet and over the line to give Inveraray the lead.

Bute coach Barry Martin freshened things up with quarter of an hour to go, bringing on Zavaroni in place of Gordon McMillan, pushing John McCallum up to the forward line and moving James Craig out to the wing, David Whitelaw taking Craig's place in the middle of the park.

And the change of approach seemed to inject new life into the Bute team, with the hosts going all out in search of an equaliser in the closing stages and really putting the Inveraray defence under some intense pressure.

But for all their efforts, as time ticked away it looked as though Bute were destined to finish up empty-handed - until the final minute, when MacDonald, a long way from goal, launched a high ball into the danger zone, and with Graham MacPherson distracted by a combination of sunlight and the approaching menace of James Craig, the ball dropped from the sky at just the right moment and height to find the back of the net and secure what, overall, was a fair result for both sides.

The point gained against Inveraray takes Bute up to seventh place in the Premier League, level on points with Kyles Athletic, though Bute are ahead on goal difference after the Tighnabruaich side found themselves on the wrong end of a 9-0 thrashing at home to Kingussie.

Elsewhere in the top flight on Saturday, the bottom two sides, Strathglass and Lovat, were also on the wrong end of heavy defeats to Fort William and Newtonmore respectively, while Oban Camanachd and Lochaber drew 1-1 at Mossfield Park.

* Saturday's match was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of George Reid, who passed away last Thursday after a short illness.

George, who would have taken much pride in Saturday's result and in Bute's fighting performance, was a staunch shinty follower and held a number of roles within Bute Shinty Club, forging many close friendships within the shinty community after years of attending the sport's major events, in particular the shinty-hurling international, the Aviemore six-a-sides and the sport's major cup finals, and of course all Bute fixtures.

A heart bypass operation ten years ago allowed George to return to the enjoyment he gained from watching shinty, but after a period of ill health in recent weeks he passed away peacefully at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock.

The sympathies of all at Bute Shinty Club are extended to George's son David, daughters Joan and May and their families.

* Bute's first team are on home soil for the fourth week running this Saturday, May 10, when Oban Camanachd provide the opposition in the first round of the Macaulay Cup, with a home quarter-final against Kyles or Glenorchy awaiting the winners.

Throw-up at the Meadows is at 2.30pm.