Skye Camanachd and Kingussie drew 1-1 in their 2010 Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup clash at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 12 February 2011.
Skye Camanachd first team manager Aonghas MacDonald was without Kenny Campbell who has moved to work in Australia and Iain Nicolson who has signed for Lovat. Defender Jamie MacDonald remains a long term injury absentee. Home keeper Jamie Gannon was unavailable as was full back Steven Morrison who was working.
Kingussie took a strong squad to Portree. However their captain Ronald Ross was a noticeable absentee as he has yet to recover from ankle ligament damage sustained in the Shinty / Hurling international against Ireland at the end of last season. James Hutchison was also unavailable as was Ricky Grant and 2010 captain Barrie Dallas who has moved abroad and James MacLean and Martin Dallas.
Skye, who had the benefit of a match the previous week, started the stronger but they couldn’t turn their early possession into a goal.
A 10 minute lob from Skye wing centre Neil MacVicar forced a good stop from Andrew Borthwick and the Skye forwards were too slow to capitalise on the rebound which allowed Borthwick to clear at the expense of a corner.
A couple of minutes later a shot from the left by Skye full centre Gilleasbuig MacDonald drifted wide of the goal.
Skye produced a great move on 15 minutes which started when Kerr Gibb intercepted a Kingussie free hit. Gibb played the ball forward to Iain Morrison who found Alan Palmer who quickly slipped the ball to Danny Morrison and his shot flew past the Kingussie goal.
Things were starting to heat up and referee John Angus Gillies had to speak to Skye defender AB Connor and Kingussie’s Iain Borthwick, who featured in attack.
Connor was then felled by an off the ball challenge which happened behind the referee’s back.
A Fraser Munro shot on 31 minutes hit the frame of the Skye goal as the Badenoch men started to come more into the game.
Thomas Borthwick fired over 5 minutes later and Skye keeper Michael Nicolson made a great save with his stick from a Ryan Borthwick effort.
Skye lost defender Shaun Hedley, who had played well, with a suspected broken nose after an accidental clash.
Skye manager Aonghas MacDonald took advantage of the new rolling subs rule and introduced Martin Bruce in defence and Jordan Murchison and Allan MacKinnon in attack. Kingussie brought on youngsters Hamish Anderson and Darren Hanlon.
Michael Nicolson made a good save with his feet from Iain Borthwick a minute from the break and the Skye keeper cleared the ball at the expense of a corner.
Skye were back on the offensive at the start of the second half and a good dribble from Somhairle MacDonald created the chance to shoot at goal.
There was an almighty scramble in the Skye goalmouth on 51 minutes which culminated in a Michael Nicolson save and AB Connor some-how managed to clear the danger.
A minute later Alan Palmer just failed to get on a great ball from Neil MacVicar.
The game was now swinging from end to end and 60 seconds later Martin Bruce did well to out muscle Ryan Borthwick as the young Kingussie forward tried to get on the end of a Hamish Anderson corner.
Michael Nicolson saved from Ryan Borthwick on 57 minutes and AB Connor cleared the ball to safety.
There was another melee in the Skye goalmouth on 64 minutes and this time there was no escape as Louis Munro prodded the ball into the net for the game’s opening goal.
Andrew Borthwick saved an Iain Morrison effort with his feet after 76 minutes and cleared the ball for a corner.
Skye brought on Stewart Grant as the Portree crowd was being entertained to a good days shinty.
AB Connor did well to usher a rampaging run from Kingussie wing centre Paul Gow away from the goal.
The Skye defence was under a lot of pressure and Iain Murray and Shockie MacLennan were stand-outs with AB Connor also playing well.
Kingussie had introduced veteran Rory Fraser and he tested Nicolson with an 81 minute drive.
Kingussie should have gone 2-0 ahead on 83 minutes but Michael Nicolson made an outstanding save from a Louis Munro shot which was heading for the postage stamp corner of the Skye goal.
The save inspired the Skye players and they set siege on the King’s goal in the final 5 minutes of the game to try and get an equalising goal.
With 4 minutes remaining, Somhairle MacDonald chested the ball down and played in Alan Palmer who shot wide.
Skye’s late pressure paid off a minute later when they levelled the game after a great move. Alan Palmer and Danny Morrison linked up and Morrison set up Somhairle MacDonald who beat his marker before shooting at goal. The ball came back off Borthwick and Jordan Murchison sped in to lift the ball into the net to the delight of the home supporters.
Skye almost won it a moment later when an Alan Palmer drive was cleared off the Kingussie goal line after a scramble in the goal area.
Referee John Angus Gillies’ final whistle took the match to a penalty shoot out. Kingussie’s Paul Gow was first up and he scored confidently. Skye skipper Somhairle MacDonald was next but keeper Andrew Borthwick got his feet to his shot, stopping the ball right on the goal line. Ryan Borthwick kept his cool to put Kingussie 2-0 up although Michael Nicolson was unlucky not to keep this one out as he got his feet to the ball but it spun up into the roof of the net. Borthwick then blocked Jordan Murchison’s rasping shot with his chest to leave Kingussie 2-0 ahead. Kingussie defender Greg McRae was wide of target so when Alan Palmer scored Skye’s first success from the spot, King’s only led 2-1. Thomas Borthwick netted to make it 3-1 but a fierce, low drive from Shockie MacLennan reduced the deficit to a single goal again. Louis Munro took Kingussie’s final spot hit in the knowledge that a goal would clinch the cup and make Skye’s last penalty irrelevant. Munro did just that and it’s Kingussie’s name that will go on the 2010 Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup.
Skye Camanachd from; Michael Nicolson, Iain Murray, AB Connor, Shaun Hedley, Shockie MacLennan, Neil MacVicar, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Kerr Gibb, Danny Morrison, Alan Palmer, Iain Morrison, Somhairle MacDonald (captain) subs Martin Bruce. Jordan Murchison, Allan MacKinnon, Stewart Grant, Iain Grant, John MacLeod
Kingussie from; Andrew Borthwick, Ally MacLeod (captain), Greg McRae, Gary Munro, Lee Bain, Paul Gow, Louis Munro, Stuart Downie, Fraser Munro, Thomas Borthwick, Ryan Borthwick, Iain Borthwick, subs Rory Fraser, Hamish Anderson, Darren Hanlon
Referee – John Angus Gillies
The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan