Bute 3 Skye Camanachd 3 (Bute won 3-2 on penalties) | |
13 April 2015 Holders Skye Camanachd are out of this year’s Balliemore Cup after losing out to Bute in the first round following a controversial penalty shoot-out at the Meadows on Saturday 11 April 2015. The majority of the Skye squad travelled South on the Friday, staying the night just outside Glasgow. Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod had to do without the services of Steven Morrison who was suspended following his red card in the win over Inverness last weekend. Neil MacVicar and Shockie MacLennan both missed that game as they were working but they returned for this one. However Will Cowie and Iain Murray were unavailable and Allan MacKinnon was a late call-off. There were call-ups for second team captain David MacInnes and Alan Palmer and manager MacLeod joined Palmer on the substitute’s bench. Bute manager Tad MacDonald had seen his side make a solid start to the season and the Islanders are some-what Balliemore Cup specialists. Iain MacDonald started in defence and Robert Walker was up front for this 2.30pm throw up. Bute won the toss and opted to play into the brisk breeze in the first half. Skye made their intentions clear from the start and in the opening minute; a Jordan Murchison shot was blocked and deflected for the safety of a corner. However the visitors were unable to capitalise from the set-piece. Whenever Bute made excursions in the Skye half, they looked lively and a threat in front of goal. A low shot from Jordan Murchison went narrowly past the post on 5 minutes and Danny Morrison also shot past the post a couple of minutes later. Home goalie Kevin Queen did well to save from Danny Morrison on 13 minutes as Skye kept piling on the pressure. Skye regained the lead on 25 minutes when Chris MacLennan gathered the ball on the right and he struck a low, powerful shot from 15 yards into the far away left corner of the net to make it 1-0. However Bute equalised a couple of minutes later when Robert Walker was allowed to run through on goal and he finished well to make it 1-1. Skye regained the lead on 30 minutes. Chris MacLennan was again the scorer as he powered a great 20 yard shot from the right which gave Kevin Queen no chance. Bute goalie Queen saved to Jordan Murchison a minute before the break. Bute had the elements in their favour in the second half and there was a bit of a snow-storm for the players to contend with. Kenny MacLeod fired past the post on 50 minutes. Skye made a change with David MacInnes coming off and Alan Palmer joining the attack. Chris MacLennan dropped back to centre line. Skye keeper Iain MacLeod saved with his feet on 55 minutes. Skye extended their lead a minute later when Jordan Murchison hit a 15 yard rocket shot past Queen to make it 3-1. Skye lost Shockie MacLennan with a knee injury on the hour mark so David MacInnes came back on at wing centre and Chris MacLennan went into defence. Bute were not to be denied though and Robert Walker made it 3-2 on 72 minutes. The home side drew level 9 minutes from time and it was again Robert Walker who did the damage as he completed his hat-trick to make it 3-3. Play continued to flow from end to end in the closing stages with no further scoring. Skye had most of the pressure during the first half of extra-time but they couldn’t find a way past Kevin Queen in the Bute goal who made several saves. Skye continued to press in the second half of the extra-time period but there were no further goals. The closest Skye came to an extra-time winner was a Jordan Murchison effort which came back of the post. Referee John MacGregor took the tie to what was to prove to be a controversial penalty shoot-out with Bute having beaten Glenorchy by the same means in the previous weekend’s Gregor Cameron Consultancy Glasgow Celtic Society Cup first round. Neil MacVicar was first up for Skye but he missed and Bute scored their spot-hit to lead 1-0. Jordan Murchison went next for Skye and he scored but so did Bute so they led 2-1. Alan Palmer missed for Skye but visiting goalie Iain MacLeod pulled off a great save to deny Iain MacDonald so the score remained 2-1. Skye’s Kenny MacLeod scored but so did Bute which made the score 3-2 with one penalty apiece remaining. Kenny Campbell took Skye’s final penalty. His effort was well-hit and the ball came off keeper Kevin Queen’s caman, hit the inside roof of the net before spinning back into play. But to the dismay of the Skye camp, referee John MacGregor turned away their claims that the ball had crossed the line. Bute will now visit the Canal Parks to play Kilmallie in the Balliemore Cup quarter-finals. Skye will need to pick themselves up for a Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Preliminary Round meeting with Taynuilt at the Taynuilt Playing Field this coming weekend. Bute from: Kevin Queen: Iain MacDonald, Arran Dunn, Chris Lawrence, John Beattie: John MacCallum, James Craig, James Dunn: Robert Walker, Gordon MacMillan, Ben Clarke, Stewart Stirling: subs Neil McKirdy, Tom MacMillan, Scott Dunn Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod: Ally MacDonald, Ally “Spod" MacLeod, Neil MacVicar, Shockie MacLennan (captain): Kenny Campbell, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, David MacInnes: Jordan Murchison, Chris MacLennan, Danny Morrison, Kenny MacLeod: subs Alan Palmer, John MacLeod Match Referee – John MacGregor |