The Skye Camanachd second team picked up another vital Marine Harvest North Division 2 point from their 1-1 draw with Beauly at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 17 July 2010.
Skye Camanachd reserve team manager Davie MacVicar made 2 changes to the squad which drew with Fort William the previous week as defender Martin Bruce and forward Ally MacDonald were on first team duty in Inverness. Malcolm Moir and MacVicar himself came into the squad.
Beauly were boosted by the inclusion of some first team players, including father and son Stephen MacLean and David MacLean, following the cancellation of the their first team game at Kilmallie.
Skye rose to the challenge and despite playing into the wind, they took the game to Beauly in the early stages.
The Islanders opened the scoring after 4 minutes when a long ball in from Neil MacVicar found Jordan Murchison who fed Angie MacDonald on the edge of the D. Following a spot of keepy-uppy, MacDonald dispatched the ball low into the net.
After this early set back, Beauly began to settle with full centre David MacLean coming more into the game.
Beauly kept up the offensive and Michael Nicolson in the Skye goal saved well from Steven MacLean.
Shortly after Skye were reduced to 11 men when Darryl MacIntosh had to leave the field for treatment to a cut on the face which later needed stitches.
Beauly tried to capitalise on their numerical advantage and Jack MacDonald sent in a blistering drive which Nicolson turned onto the post and round for a corner.
Beauly continued to press their advantage and Steven MacLean was again denied by Nicolson.
Just after MacIntosh returned to the fray, David Groat was allowed to run unchallenged from midfield into the Skye defence. His first time drive was cleared but only as far as Jack MacDonald who took one touch before thundering a 25 yard drive into the roof of the Skye net.
This served as a wake-up call to Skye who finished the half on the offensive when Darryl MacIntosh played a long ball to Angie MacDonald. He chested the ball down, only to fire just wide of the target.
Skye started the second half brightly and Allan Bruce in the Beauly goal had to look lively as he palmed a long range Scott Martin effort round the post.
With Andrew Banks, Ian Grant and Shaun Hedley taking a defensive strangle hold in the second half; Beauly rarely posed an attacking threat.
Skye did continue to work the Beauly defence and Angie MacDonald seemed certain to score when teed up by Paul MacKinnon, but the big fellow lost his footing and was almost prostrate as his shot went the wrong side of the post.
Skye used all 3 subs in an effort to prize out a winning goal but the closest they came was when a Neil MacVicar drive crashed off the outside edge of the post with minutes to go.
Skye Camanachd from; Michael Nicolson, David Grant (captain), Iain Grant, Shaun Hedley, Andrew Banks, Neil MacVicar, Darryl MacIntosh, Scott Martin, Paul MacKinnon, Iain Morrison, (Daniel Morrison), Jordan Murchison, (Malcolm Moir), Angie MacDonald, (Davie MacVicar),
Match Referee – Russell Ross
The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan.