2015 Coal Cup – Representative Match - North U21 3 South U21 2 | |
12 September 2015 The North U21 came from behind to beat the South U21 3-2 in their 1.30pm throw up at Jubilee Park on Saturday 5 September 2015. Last year the South upset the odds and defeated the North by three goals to one in a thrilling encounter. With ten of last year’s South players in Coach Allan MacKechnie’s squad, they were looking to retain the trophy; however North Coach Alan MacRae had other ideas. The South were without Oban Celtic’s Ally McKerracher who was forced to pull out on the morning of the match through illness. The South made a good start in this 1.30pm throw up and North keeper Iain MacLeod was called into action in the opening minute. MacLeod kept his side in it again on 11 minutes as he saved with his feet before pushing the rising ball away with his hand. The South went in front on 28 minutes. Connor Howe broke down the left wing cut in towards goals. He drew North full back Ewan Campbell out before slipping a pass to Craig Anderson around 15 yards from goal and he hit the ball low and hard on his back-hand into the bottom right corner of the net past a helpless MacLeod to make it 1-0. The North restored parity with just a couple of first half minutes remaining when substitute Connor Golabek slammed a rebound home from just inside the D, beating keeper Scott MacLachlan at his right-hand side to make it 1-1. The second half was just 10 minutes old when the South regained the lead. There was a scramble in the North goal area and the ball came out to Connor Howe just to the right of the penalty spot and he put fired a shot into the top corner to make it 2-1. However the North levelled for a second time on the hour mark and the goal came following a good move from their forwards. The ball was played down the line to Calum Stewart who cut it back to Savio Genini and he ran onto the pass and hit a low, first-time shot low past the keeper into the net from around 15 yards out to make it 2-2. The North looked the more likely to get a winner and when it did come; the goal was in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. The ball broke to Rory MacGregor about 30 yards from goal and his shot seemed to take a deflection as it spun into the air and looped over the keeper, just underneath the crossbar, to make it 3-2 with 72 minutes played. There was no further scoring and North captain Fraser Heath was presented with the Caol Cup. The fixture was the final part of the selection process for Garry Reid’s Scotland U21 team that will compete against Ireland U21 at Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 24 October 2015. North U21 from: Iain MacLeod (Skye Camanachd); Ewan Campbell (Beauly), Michael MacKenzie (Lovat), Rory MacKeachan (Kingussie), Blair Morrison (Caberfeidh); Rory MacGregor (Kingussie), Craig Morrison (Caberfeidh), South U21 from: Scott MacLachlan (Inveraray); Daniel Madej (Oban Celtic), Gary McKerracher (Oban Camanachd), Cammy Keith (Kyles Athletic), Fraser MacNicol (Inveraray); Iain Wilson (Strachur), Innes MacDonald (Kyles Athletic), John McNulty (Glenorchy); Lewis MacNicol (Inveraray). Connor Howe (Oban Camanachd, Malcolm Clark (Oban Camanachd), Craig Anderson (Glasgow Mid Argyll); subs Ewan Harrison (Col Glen), Andy MacDonald (Oban Celtic), Craig Taylor (Kilmory), Ally McKerracher (Oban Celtic) Match Referee - Alex MacVicar |