Kyles Make It Five In a Row! | |
25 June 2017 Kyles Athletic took the honours as they defeated Oban Camanachd 3-1 to lift the Gregor Cameron Glasgow Celtic Society Cup in their 4.05pm throw up at The Taynuilt Sports Field. This was a first final in charge for Kyles Athletic boss James Perlich and he had keeper John Whyte back following a hand injury. However Innes MacDonald was sidelined with a foot injury whilst Grant Irvine was only fit enough to take up a place on the bench. Dunkie Kerr played with a protective cover on a hand injury. Oban Camanachd boss Iain Hay had to do without defender Gary McKerracher and forward Daniel MacVicar who were both on holiday. However Scott MacMillan came back into the side following suspension and David Lafferty’s recent return from injury earned him a place on the bench. Gordon Whyte scooped the ball wide from close in with what was the game’s first chance. With a swirling wind and a greasy surface, both teams made an uncertain start but it was Kyles who struck an early blow. Camanachd failed to clear a powerful Thomas Whyte shy from the right and Kyles full centre Donald Irvine knocked the ball left to Roddy MacDonald whose first-time pass found Gordon Whyte and he continued the one-touch passing to Dunkie Kerr who swept the ball into the net from the edge of the D, beating keeper Gavin Stobbart by his left post, to make it 1-0 with 6 minutes played. Oban Camanachd responded straight away and Malcolm Clark picked out Lorne Dickie on the right with a free-hit and Dickie got past Robbie MacLeod before taking the ball into the D but Kyles goalie John Whyte was quickly off his line to block Dickie’s path. A superb Roddy MacDonald turn and shot saw the ball come back off the base of post and Marc MacCallum threw his body in the way block Dunkie Kerr’s shot from the rebound. Thomas Whyte sent a drive from the right into the side-netting with 16 minutes gone. A Scott MacMillan shy from the right was then taken down by Willie Neilson but Matt Rippon just couldn’t reach Neilson’s low cross. With the rain becoming heavier, Kyles were on top and there were shouts for a penalty following a scramble in the Oban goal area. Gavin Stobbart came off his line in an attempt to clear his lines but when the ball was knocked into the D, and with players from both sides on the ground, referee Wood restarted the game with a throw up after consulting with goal judge Ross Brown. Roddy MacDonald was suffering with a shoulder injury after an earlier collision with team-mate Dunkie Kerr and he needed treatment before being able to carry on. The action continued towards the Oban Camanachd goal and keeper Stobbart saved with his feet from Roddy MacDonald and Garry Lord was quickly in to push the ball away before Daniel Cameron cleared the danger. Oban Camanachd were furious when referee Lachie Wood failed to allow advantage as Willie Neilson, although impeded, broke towards goal. To make matters worse for Camanachd, the set-piece went badly wrong and Kyles cleared easily. Dunkie Kerr had an opportunity when Roddy MacDonald’s cross from the left fell nicely for him but he topped the ball and the chance was gone. The Kyles pressure continued and Mark MacCallum did well to block a Gordon Whyte shot. A rare Camanachd attack saw Willie Neilson’s cross from the left and Kyles Athletic full back Callum Miller dived in to block Andrew MacCuish’s shot from the right When Daniel Cameron brought down Roddy MacDonald, not for the first time in the half, the Oban man earned the game’s first booking. Gavin Stobbart came off his line to clear from the resultant set-piece and despite Kyles Athletic’s dominance; they only led 1-0 at the break. Iain Hay made the game’s first change as Daniel MacCuish came on for Mark MacCallum at the interval. Kyles hit Oban Camanachd with a sucker-punch within a minute of the restart. Garry Lord was penalised for a wild swing and Dunkie Kerr ran forward onto Gordon Whyte’s free-hit and he steered the ball low into the net from the left of the D to make it 2-0. It was a well-worked goal, executed to perfection. Kyles Athletic full centre Donald Irvine was influential throughout the game and when he pushed forward and won the ball, he lofted an effort wide of goal. Oban Camanachd suffered a blow on 50 minutes when Daniel Cameron had to come off after he was hit point-blank in the eye area with the ball. Willie Neilson dropped back into defence and David Lafferty came off the bench. Oban Camanachd knew they needed to score next and Ross MacRae did well clear a Matt Rippon ball across the face of the goal following Malcolm Clark’s free-hit. Oban Camanachd claimed for a penalty as goalie John Whyte blocked the ball on the ground but they had to settle for a corner from which Scott MacMillan sent the ball into D and Andrew MacCuish flicked it goalwards but the Kyles’ goal remained intact. The weather conditions were now making it really difficult for both sides and when Aidan MacIntyre played a free-hit back to Scott MacMillan; his shot went wide of John Whyte’s left post. The goalmouth action continued and Gavin Stobbart made a fine stop with his caman from Thomas Whyte’s deflected shot. Sandy MacKenzie took over from Gordon Whyte in the Kyles attack and he made an immediate impact. Donald Irvine and Dunkie Kerr worked the ball down the right flank and Scott MacDonald laid the ball off to Sandy MacKenzie. The substitute’s shot was saved with his legs by Gavin Stobbart but Roddy MacDonald was quickly in to force the rebound home to make it 3-0 with on 65 minutes on the clock. Moments later, Daniel Cameron bravely returned to the field, joining the forward line in place of Aidan MacIntyre. Oban Camanachd didn’t let their heads drop and Malcolm Clark won possession after Callum Miller had knocked down a ball into the goal area but john Whyte stretched to tip Clark’s shot away with his caman. Roddy MacDonald, so instrumental to everything offensive from Kyles, had been in the wars and he needed treatment after a tussle with Scott MacMillan but was able to carry on. Oban Camanachd made a double switch as youngster Lewis Buchanan replaced Andrew MacCuish and Aidan MacIntyre came back on for Matt Rippon with 14 minutes remaining. Daniel Cameron gave Oban Camanachd some hope when he pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining. The Kyles defence failed to deal with a high Scott MacMillan ball into the goal area and Daniel Cameron showed great composure to run in to touch the ball past the keeper to make it 3-1. Oban Camanachd were creating chances and Aidan MacIntyre shot narrowly wide of the keeper’s left post after Malcolm Clark had chipped the ball forward and, moments later, a Lewis Buchanan shot was saved with his feet by John Whyte as the late flurry continued. Meantime Kyles had sent on Brandon Wilson for Scott MacDonald. Daniel Cameron almost got on the end of an Aidan MacIntyre ball from the left as Camanachd looked to set up a grandstand finish. Gavin Stobbart batted away a high ball into the D before Thomas Whyte blazed over from close in. Andrew MacCuish put an injury time effort wide with Callum Miller having to come off with a head cut in the lead up to what was the game’s last chance. BBC Alba summariser Stewart MacKenzie, a former Oban Times Editor, selected Dunkie Kerr as man of the match for, “Scoring the goals that mattered at the times that mattered.” Kerr received the award, which is in memory of shinty stalwart Donald J MacNiven, from Donnie’s widow Mary MacNiven. Match referee Lachie Wood was the recipient of the Jack Asher Memorial medal. However the main prize was collected by Kyles Athletic captain Gordon Whyte who was presented with the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup by sponsor Gregor Cameron and the trophy goes back to Tighnabruaich for a club record fifth successive time; having won it four times between 1920 and 1923. With a Marine Harvest Camanachd Cup tie against Newtonmore on the horizon, league leaders Kyles Athletic have much to play for. Oban Camanachd played well in patches and there’s more to come from them starting with this weekend’s league trip to Spean Bridge to play Lochaber. Kyles Athletic from: John Whyte; Calum Miller, Ross MacRae, Cameron Keith, Andrew King; Robbie MacLeod, Donald Irvine, Thomas Whyte; Gordon Whyte (captain), Dunkie Kerr, Scott MacDonald, Roddy MacDonald; subs Sandy MacKenzie, Brandon Wilson, Colin MacDonald, Grant Irvine, Donald Nicolson Oban Camanachd from: Gavin Stobbart, Garry Lord (captain), Daniel Cameron, Scott MacKillop, Marc MacCallum; Scott MacMillan, Lorne Dickie, Aidan McIntyre; Malcolm Clark, Willie Neilson, Matt Rippon, Andrew MacCuish; subs David Lafferty, Lewis Buchanan, Daniel MacCuish, Craig MacDougall, Cameron Sutherland Match Referee – Lachie Wood Goal Judges – Ross Brown & Des McNulty Fourth Official - Robert Baxter |