Badenoch Ladies 8 Skye Camanachd Ladies 1 | |
29 October 2019 Badenoch were crowned Mowi National Division champions after beating Skye Camanachd 8-1 in their title play-off at Balgate on Sunday 27 October 2019. The match was originally scheduled for Craigard but a Thursday pitch inspection led to a switch to the Bught Park, Inverness. However that was ruled out on Sunday morning and the game was relocated to Balgate. The sides finished their league campaigns level on points, each suffering only one defeat. It was no shock that the defeats came against each other although it was more surprising that both lost on their own turf. With goal difference not a deciding factor, the sides lined-up on this neutral venue to decide the championship. One of the Balgate goalmouths was very wet and muddy and Skye, who won the toss, opted to defend this area in the first half. Skye were reigning champions and they were going for a fourth successive top flight title success. The Islanders had already wrestled the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup from Badenoch this year: ironically again, on their opponents ground. However Badenoch, who were in search of a first Mowi National Division title, opened with a high intensity and they just didn’t allow Skye to play from the throw up. They showed their intent after just 90 seconds when Kirsty Deans beat two players on a run to the edge of the D but missed her shot at goal; probably her only mistake of the afternoon. From the moment Kirsty Deans put them ahead on 4 minutes, Badenoch took control. The ball was played into the middle to full forward Jeanette MacGregor, who was full back in the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup Final, but instead of shooting, MacGregor unselfishly played in Kirsty Deans who had found space on the right and her low shot beat Skye keeper Sarah-Jane Ferguson to make it 1-0. Jeanette MacGregor turned scorer on 16 minutes when, following a period of intense Badenoch pressure, the ball was cleared out of the Skye defence but only as far as MacGregor who, from 22 yards range, fired a low shot into the net. Just a couple of minutes later, Kirsty Deans added a third. The goal came following a set-piece after a Skye defender had been penalised for a “kick” and when an initial shot was saved with her feet by Sarah-Jane Ferguson, the ball held up on the sticky surface and Deans seized the opportunity as she flew in to push the rebound into the net. Kirsty Deans completed her hat-trick to make it 4-0 on 23 minutes. A ball from the left dropped off Ilana Paterson’s stick and Kirsty Deans took advantage to score. Badenoch were relentless and it was Kirsty Deans again on 27 minutes, scoring with a fierce 25 yard effort to make it 5-0. Badenoch had the ball in the net for a sixth time on 35 minutes when Kirsty Deans broke down the left before finding Jeanette MacGregor who netted but the effort was ruled out for offside. Skye seemed to take heart and it took two fine Elizabeth MacGregor saves to keep them at bay and it remained 5-0 until the end of the first 40 minutes. However Skye were finding Kirsty Deans too hot to handle and Badenoch did get their sixth goal 6 minutes into the second half when Deans ran onto a loose ball to hammer home a shot from the left, nothing her fifth goal of the game in the process. Skye pulled a goal back through Sarah Corrigall on 53 minutes. Skye won possession from a Megan Ralph hit-in and Corrigall shot through a crowded goal area to give the Islanders some consolation. Badenoch were in no mood to let Skye back into the match though and, just a couple of minutes later, Kirsty Deans made it 7-1 after running in on goal and flicking the ball into the net. Kirsty Deans scored for the seventh time on 62 minutes to make it 8-1, stretching to get to a high ball into the danger-area and scoring to give Badenoch, managed by Scott Campbell and his assistant Iain Robinson, a richly deserved win and their first Mowi National Division trophy. After the final whistle, the National Division trophy was presented to Badenoch captain Zoe Reid by Ian Roberts from sponsors Mowi. It was a final match in charge for Skye Head Coach Robbie Gordon who has presided over a particularly successful period for the club where they have progressed from North Division 2 to the top of the women’s game. His assistant John Angus MacInnes takes over for next season. Badenoch Ladies from: Elizabeth MacGregor: Jeanette MacGregor, Roma Fraser, Sarah Caird, Rona Stewart, Mairi Stewart, Megan Ralph, Rhona McIntyre, Zoe Reid (captain), Kirsty Deans: subs Eilidh Ross, Katie Falconer, Hope Borthwick, Shannon MacWhirter, Ruth Forbes Skye Camanachd Ladies from: Sarah-Jane Ferguson: Ilana Paterson (captain), Caitlin MacLean, Lorna MacRae, Rhianna Kirk, Emma Gordon, Sarah Corrigall, Jenna Beaton, Christina MacDonald, Katherine Dibble: subs Kirsty Dibble, Holly MacPhee, Amy MacKinnon, Molly MacKinnon, Izzy Law, Ceitidh Smith Match Referee – Graham Cameron Scorers Skye Camanachd Ladies Sarah Corrigall (53) Badenoch Ladies Kirsty Deans (4, 18, 23, 27, 35, 46, 62) Jeanette MacGregor (16) |