Kilmallie 2 Skye Camanachd 1. | |
26 July 2010 The Skye Camanachd second team went down to a disappointing Marine Harvest North Division 2 defeat to Kilmallie at Canal Parks on Saturday 24 July 2010. Skye Camanachd manager Davie MacVicar made 6 changes to the side which drew with Beauly last weekend. Keeper Michael Nicolson was unavailable so former first team keeper John “Podge” MacLeod started between the sticks for Skye for the first time in ten years. Andrew Banks and Iain Morrison were called up to the first team and Scott Martin, Paul MacKinnon, and Angie MacDonald were unavailable. Ally MacDonald would have returned to the squad but he was a late call off with an ankle injury. There was a first start for Eoghan Stewart following his transfer from Lewis Camanachd and Scott MacLeod came in at wing back. Daniel Morrison and Malcolm Moir came off the bench to start the game and Ally MacLeod took up position in the attack. Neil John Campbell returned to the bench for the first time since the opening game of the season. He was joined by John “Spod” MacLeod, who refereed a game in Spean Bridge in the morning and player / manager MacVicar. Despite a starting line-up that included 6 players from this year’s U17 team and 7 teenagers in total, the inexperienced and hastily arranged squad gave an excellent account of themselves and were unfortunate not to take a point from a game they dominated for long spells. Skye played into the wind but took the game to Kilmallie from the off and came close to scoring 4 times within the first 6 minutes. First Malcolm Moir set up Eoghan Stewart who fired just over in the first minute and moments later Moir set up Jordan Murchison who saw his shot turned for a corner by Kilmallie forward turned keeper Sebastian MacMillan. Before Kilmallie could settle Moir again fed Murchison who sent a rasping drive just over the crossbar. The resultant by-hit from MacMillan was stopped by Stewart but unfortunately he hurried his shot which flew over the crossbar. The chances kept coming and Stewart again fired just past when well positioned following another by-hit. Kilmallie began to get a foothold in the game and Connor MacIsaac fired just wide when handily placed. Skye were to pay for their profligacy when Kilmallie scored in their next attack. Scott Campbell dispossessed Shaun Hedley at buckshee back and played in Mark Graham who beat John MacLeod with a composed finish from a suspiciously off side position – a point the forward later confirmed. The goal merely increased Skye’s offensive forays and following some neat lead up play by Neil MacVicar and Jordan Murchison, Malcolm Moir’s fierce goal-bound drive was deflected wide. As she play flowed from end to end Andrew MacAlister sent a flashing drive just wide. Then Neil MacVicar found Ally MacLeod with a long hit in only to see the youngster fire just wide. Stewart stopped another by-hit only to fire wide as he hurried his shot. In the best chance of the half Stewart was set up again by the combined efforts of Moir and Murchison only to see the shot flash wide. The entertaining half came to a close with Mark Graham shooting just wide for Kilmallie. Kilmallie started the second half on the offensive and MacLeod pulled off a fine save from substitute Farquhar MacRae. Kilmallie made crucial positional changes towards the end of the first half which saw them control more of the game which left Skye on the defensive. But with Shaun Hedley and Ian Grant in superb form the Skye defence was holding firm. When a long clearance from the Skye defence found Daniel Morrison on the left wing, the Skye U17 captain beat his marker and carried the ball up the wing before setting up Jordan Murchison who turned and sent a flashing back hand drive into the Kilmallie net with the aid of a deflection. The goal was no more than the youngster deserved for a fine all round performance. The goal merely spurred on Kilmallie on and MacLeod had to be alert as he turned a Mark Kelly drive round the post. In the next Kilmallie attack all Skye’s good work was undone as Kilmallie regained the lead when Mark Graham played in Mark Kelly and his long range drive took a wicked deflection off Skye full back David Grant, wrong footing keeper MacLeod. With half an hour remaining Skye introduced John “Spod” MacLeod at full forward in place of Eoghan Stewart. MacLeod was soon in the action as his son Ally MacLeod set him up but his bullet shot went just wide of goal. John MacLeod again came to Skye’s rescue with a save from Scott Campbell. With 15 minutes remaining, Skye introduced their second substitute when Neil John Campbell came on for Daniel Morrison in an attempt to regain midfield. Campbell was quickly into the action when he played in Malcolm Moir who teed up John MacLeod. The Skye full forward took one touch before firing a blistering drive on goal only for MacMillan to pull off a superb save with his foot. As the clock ran down Skye again went agonisingly close following a Darryl Macintosh – who had earlier been booked - corner that MacLeod senior met full on the volley for what would have been a spectacular equaliser. The last word went to Kilmallie as MacLeod saved well from teenage substitute Craig MacIsaac. Skye Camanachd from; John MacLeod, David Grant (captain), Iain Grant, Scott MacLeod, Shaun Hedley, Neil MacVicar, Darryl MacIntosh, Daniel Morrison, (Neil John Campbell), Jordan Murchison, Malcolm Moir, Ally MacLeod, (Davie MacVicar), Eoghan Stewart, (John MacLeod) Match Referee – Daniel MacRae |