Boleskine 3 Skye Camanachd 0. | |
01 March 2011 The Skye second team went down 3-0 to Boleskine at Farr on Saturday 26 February 2011. This was Skye’s final pre-season game and they travelled with a very youthful side. Indeed there were only 3 players over the age of 18 in the 13 man squad. Missing from the team that beat Beauly in Portree were Jamie Gannon, David Grant, Scott Martin, Paul MacKinnon, Darryl Macintosh and John MacLeod. Will Cowie and Scott MacLeod were added to the squad with Ally MacDonald coming back into the team following a good display for the first team at Lovat the previous week-end. Iain MacLellan was also included in the starting line-up for the first time having given up shinty for football following the MacTavish Juvenile Final in 2005. Boleskine on the other hand had a good blend of youth and experience in their ranks with the seasoned campaigners Lewis Smith and Raymond Robertson in their attack. On what was a difficult playing surface, Skye had their opponents on the back foot from the first whistle. Skye’s first opportunity came within the opening ten minutes when Ally MacDonald and Iain MacLellan combined to set up Ally MacLeod, but the youngster hurried his shot and fired wide. Skye threatened again soon after when MacLellan was denied by a fine save by Ewan Wotherspoon in the Boleskine goal. The Skye centre line had the upper hand throughout the first half and with Allan MacKinnon influential at full centre the young forward line were not short of opportunities. A Stewart Grant corner on the right created an opening for young Will Cowie but he was also denied by the Boleskine keeper. When the ball was only partially cleared by the Boleskine defence, the onrushing MacKinnon fired in a low shot through a ruck of players that was superbly saved by the feet of Wotherspoon in the Boleskine goal. Stewart Grant then fired past from a good position wide on the right. In a rare foray up-field Boleskine forward Smith fired tamely past the Skye goal. Following a switch to left wing centre, Daniel Morrison fired in a long range effort that was palmed clear by keeper Wotherspoon. With half time approaching Boleskine again broke up-field where Robertson turned his marker to rifle a shot past 14 year old Iain MacLeod in the Skye goal. Boleskine started the second half with renewed confidence and the elements in their favour and put Skye under pressure for long spells. Young MacLeod in the Skye goal, playing his first game for the second team, was having a noteworthy debut as he denied first Smith and then Robertson with superb saves. As Boleskine maintained the pressure MacLeod then saved well with his feet from the full forward. The inexperienced Skye defence was caught out again mid–way through the half when Smith turned his marker to fire high into the net. Following a couple of positional changes, Skye came back into the game during a 10 minute spell late in the second half. However despite creating scoring opportunities both MacLellan and MacDonald failed to hit the target. With Skye on the attack the ball was cleared by the Boleskine defence as far as Robertson in the buckshee forward position where he was unmarked, and turned and crashed a rasping drive past MacLeod from 25 yards. Despite the disappointing result, the Skye management duo of Davie MacVicar and Murdo Morrison had the opportunity to introduce fringe players to the team ahead of the new season with several of the youngsters on show indicating their ability to cope with the demands of second team shinty. None more so than 14 year old Iain MacLeod who put in a superb display in the Skye goal on his second team debut. Skye Camanachd from; Iain MacLeod, Iain Grant (captain), Calum Gibb, Scott MacLeod, John MacKenzie, Stewart Grant, Allan MacKinnon, Daniel Morrison, Ally MacDonald, Ally MacLeod, Will Cowie, Iain MacLellan subs Mark Mortimer, Davie MacVicar, Murdo Morrison |