Skye Camanachd 2 Lovat 3. | |
30 March 2010 The Skye Camanachd second team went down to a narrow defeat when they lost 3-2 to Lovat in Marine Harvest North Division 2 at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 27 March 2010.
Skye Camanachd second team manager Davie MacVicar selection problems continued as he was without injury victims Ian Morrison, Neil John Campbell, Scott Martin with Ali Digg MacDonald still suffering from a bout of viral pneumonia. Martin Bruce and Stewart Grant were also missing, having been called up to the first team for the visit to Strathpeffer.
Skye did however welcome back Danny Morrison who had missed the previous week’s game with an ankle injury and 16 year olds John Gillies and Magnus Burd were also included in the squad for the first time.
In the knowledge that Lovat had 6 players in their squad with first team experience, player manager MacVicar started at full centre against the towering Tom Smith to offer experience to a team that again had three 15 year olds in the starting line up.
Lovat fielded a more experienced side which included Jimmy MacKenzie at full forward and James Matheson at full back.
Skye found themselves playing into the strong northerly wind in the first half and it was Lovat who were first to threaten when Jimmy MacKenzie’s drive flew wide of the Skye goal.
Skye created their first opening on 8 minutes when Neil MacVicar found Angie MacDonald in space but the full forward’s drive flashed across the face of the goal to safety.
Skye almost took the lead moments later when Davie MacVicar’s long range drive was dipping under the crossbar only to be expertly turned away by young Chris MacCallum in the Lovat goal.
There was a let off at the other end when Martin Anderson played in Jimmy MacKenzie and he steered his aerial shot wide when it looked easier to score.
However Lovat opened the scoring on the 15 minute mark when Owen Ferguson played the ball in to MacKenzie who took the ball on his chest and fired a rasping aerial strike past Ross Graham in the Skye goal despite the close attentions of defender Ryan Nicolson.
The Lovat lead only lasted 5 minutes as Skye equalised with the best move of the game. Davie MacVicar won the ball in the centre and played in Jordan Murchison at left wing forward, where Murchison controlled the ball and played a lovely diagonal ball to Angie MacDonald at right wing forward and he laid the ball square to Ian Grant whose first time shot was saved by MacCallum, but Danny Morrison was quickly onto the rebound to sweep the ball past MacCallum for the equaliser.
As played flowed from end to end Lovat had the ball in the net again through Anderson, but referee Duncan Kelly correctly disallowed the goal for off-side.
Half time arrived with the teams evenly matched.
With the wind at their backs Skye were on the offensive from the start of the second half but lacked any real creativity in the final third of the pitch.
Despite the promptings from midfield where wing centres Neil MacVicar and Daniel Morrison were prominent, Lovat were helped by the towering defensive clearances from Jamie Matheson and Allan MacPherson.
One such clearance from MacPherson found Ferguson who passed to MacKenzie who had time to control the ball before dispatching it beyond Ross Graham in the Skye goal to make it 2-1 to the visitors.
Skye were spurred on by this set-back and found themselves back on level terms soon after. MacCallum pulled off a fine save from an Angie Borve drive following good work by Ian Grant, but he was helpless to prevent Danny Morrison netting from the rebound.
Shortly after Skye were reduced to 11 men for a period when Angie MacDonald took a blow to the mouth that needed treatment from Wilson Banks on the touchline.
Skye’s attacking threat was blunted during this spell and in a bid to freshen things up Davie MacVicar left the field to be replaced by 16 year old Ally MacLeod with Neil MacVicar taking over at full centre and MacLeod taking over the wing centre position.
With 10 minutes remaining John Gillies and Magnus Burd were introduced for their first taste of senior shinty.
Just when the game seemed to be heading for a draw, Lovat scored with less than 5 minutes remaining. Jimmy MacKenzie completed his hat-trick when he scrambled the ball over the line following a period of Lovat pressure.
This was a disappointing result for Skye in what was a solid team performance against last years Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup and Strathdearn Cup finalists.
Despite the loss Skye were well served by a team that contained 9 teenagers and had the man of match in 15 year old Shaun Hedley who outstanding at left wing back. He was closely followed by Neil MacVicar who turned in a strong performance at wing centre.
Skye Camanachd from; Ross Graham, David Grant (captain), Ryan Nicolson, Shaun Hedley, Willie MacRae, Neil MacVicar, Davie MacVicar, (Ally MacLeod), Daniel Morrison, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Iain Grant, Angie MacDonald, (John Gillies), (Magnus Burd)
Match Referee – Duncan Kelly
The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |