Kyles Win 2017 Artemis Macaulay Cup | |
21 August 2017 Kyles Athletic added the Artemis Macaulay Cup to the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup won earlier in the season after beating Newtonmore 7-4 in their 2pm throw up at Mossfield on Saturday 19 August 2017. Kyles Athletic manager James Perlich switched Donald Irvine to full back after Callum Miller was ruled out with a broken foot sustained in the previous week’s league win over Glenurquhart. However the match came too soon for the injured Innes MacDonald although he was listed as a substitute. Thomas Whyte started at full centre. Newtonmore manager Paul John MacKintosh was still minus injured pair Drew MacDonald and Chris Sellar and captain Rory Kennedy ankle ligament injury suffered against Glasgow Mid Argyll was a blow for both the club and the player. Steven MacDonald started at full back. Evan Menzies featured in attack but he will miss this coming Saturday’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final against Skye Camanachd as his booking against GMA took him over the disciplinary points threshold. The match was broadcast live on BBC2 Scotland and the acclaimed Oban High School Pipe led both teams and the match officials onto the pitch. Despite heavy rain in Oban during the week, Mossfield Groundsman Iain Hay and his team had the field in good condition and Macaulay President David Thompson and Roddy MacCuish from Argyll & Bute Council were introduced to the players and officials. The rain eased ahead of throw up and Kyles won the toss so started with the wind in their favour. Three goals in the opening 12 minutes was a sign of what was to come. Colin MacDonald gave Kyles the lead after just 3 minutes. Grant Irvine took a Robbie MacLeod free-hit and was allowed to run at the Newtonmore defence and, with ‘More trying to clear, the ball broke to Colin MacDonald at the edge of the D and his shot bobbled low into the corner of the net, beating keeper Norman Campbell on his right side. Newtonmore levelled on 8 minutes. Michael Russell sent a long ball forward. Kyles Athletic keeper John Whyte came off his line but missed his hit at the edge of the D and then lost his footing which allowed Glen MacKintosh to run in and he was rewarded for great anticipation as he gleefully rolled the ball into the unguarded goal. Kyles regained the lead 4 minutes later. Gordon Whyte played a one-two with Grant Irvine as he broke up the right and his ball into the middle fell to Colin MacDonald who saw an initial effort blocked by Norman Campbell before he volleyed the rebound into the net from inside the D. Kyles led 2-1 and the Newtonmore defence looked vulnerable as it adjusted to cope with the absence of influential full back Rory Kennedy. The rain returned and Colin MacDonald, who was now on a hat-trick, turned and shot past the keeper’s right post. Michael Russell was first to find his name into the referee’s book midway through the first half when brought down a marauding Robbie MacLeod. Fraser MacKintosh then tugged a shot wide under pressure from Ross MacRae. With the first half moving into the final 15 minutes, Sandy MacKenzie went wide to gather a free-hit and he played a one-two with Colin MacDonald but his shot rose over the bar. Moments later, an Evan Menzies cross from the left fell for Glen MacKintosh just inside the D but he topped his shot. The danger wasn’t over as John Whyte’s clearance went straight to Fraser MacKintosh but the keeper redeemed himself, saving with his feet. The chances continued to flow and Ackie MacRae did well to get a last-gasp challenge in on Sandy MacKenzie after Colin MacDonald had slipped him in and Kyles had to settle for a corner. Both defences were struggling to clear their lines and Fraser MacKintosh drilled a shot from the left across goal at the second attempt. Michael Russell surged forward and was brought down by a back-tracking Sandy MacKenzie which earned the Kyles man a yellow card. After absorbing the majority of the first half pressure, Newtonmore finished with a flourish and, with just 60 seconds of the first half remaining, David MacLean sent the ball down the Newtonmore right where Iain Robinson took a touch before crossing high into the danger-area. Glen MacKintosh knocked the ball into the path of Fraser MacKintosh who ran to his left and, from the penalty spot; he blasted a powerful shot just under the bar to make it 2-2. And after playing with the benefit of the elements; Kyles Athletic found themselves on level-pegging at the interval. Newtonmore made a change at the interval with Paul MacArthur replacing Iain Richardson at wing centre. Craig Ritchie went to full centre with Michael Russell dropping back into defence. The second half was just 23 seconds old when Roddy MacDonald played in Sandy MacKenzie and he took the ball away from goal to just make just enough space to direct a shot which went through the legs of both defender Michael Russell and keeper Norman Campbell and put Kyles in front for a third time in the final. This time they would stay in front. Newtonmore responded and Cammy Keith blocked an Evan Menzies shot at the expense of a corner. Andy MacKintosh needed treatment after the tail-end of a Roddy MacDonald swing caught him on the forehead and he had to leave the field so Jamie Robinson came on at centre with Craig Ritchie returning to defence. Steven MacDonald took over Andy MacKintosh’s marking duties on Roddy MacDonald with Michael Russell going to full back. With the final just seconds past the hour mark, Roddy MacDonald came deep to get onto a ball forward and ran to the right before thundering a shot over the keeper’s shoulder from the angle and Kyles led 4-2. Just after the restart, Sandy MacKenzie ran onto a defence-splitting Roddy MacDonald pass and his shot from almost the same spot was saved with his club by Norman Campbell. A bandaged up Andy MacKintosh returned to defence with Craig Ritchie withdrawn and MacKintosh resumed his shadowing role on Roddy MacDonald. . Kyles took a grip of the match and Roddy MacDonald got his second on 67 minutes. Once again, Kyles played the ball out wide and Colin MacDonald gathered possession before making a superb run in-field and he picked out Roddy MacDonald who sent the ball low into the net to make it 5-2. With 20 minutes remaining, Dunkie Kerr came on in favour of Colin MacDonald and MacDonald, who scored both goals in Kyles 2-0 semi-final win over Oban Camanachd, could be more than pleased with another two-goal contribution. Norman Campbell saved a Roddy MacDonald shot with his feet before Newtonmore narrowed the deficit on 72 minutes when Glen MacKintosh got on the end of a Fraser MacKintosh cut-back following a David MacLean corner from the right and the goal made it 5-2 with 72 minutes played. However there was to be no come-back as Roddy MacDonald completed his hat-trick a couple of minutes when he controlled a ball driven forward by Thomas Whyte, and, from the edge of the D, MacDonald was fortunate to escape an offside call and he slotted the ball low into the net to restore the Tighnabruaich men’s three-goal cushion. Scotland U17 player Scott MacDonald took over from Sandy MacKenzie in the Kyles attack. Kyles scored the goal of the match on 78 minutes. Ross MacRae started the move by winning possession in his own half and he picked out Grant Irvine on the right and his first time pass found Dunkie Kerr. Scott MacDonald ran forward and stretched to pull Kerr’s ball forward across goal and Roddy MacDonald nipped in to sweep the ball into the net. Glen MacKintosh completed his hat-trick on 79 minutes when he took a Fraser MacKintosh pass before making space to turn and he sent a dipping 22 yard shot which caught out keeper Whyte at his left post to make it 7-4. Ackie MacRae had to come off to get a head cut seen to and there was still time for John Whyte to make a good save with his caman to deny Jamie Robinson. However the goal deluge was over and the Artemis Macaulay Cup returned to Tighnabruaich for the first time since 2013 and the twelfth time overall. Thomas Whyte was the sponsor’s choice as man of the match although four-goal Roddy MacDonald must have run him close. The Artemis Macaulay Cup and silver mounted caman were presented to Kyles Athletic captain Gordon Whyte by Graeme Mitchell from sponsors Artemis. Kyles Athletic from: John Whyte; Donald Irvine, Ross MacRae, Cammy Keith, Andrew King; Gordon Whyte (captain), Thomas Whyte, Robbie MacLeod; Grant Irvine, Roddy MacDonald, Sandy MacKenzie, Colin MacDonald; subs Dunkie Kerr, Scott MacDonald, Rupert Williamson, Martin MacFadyen, Innes MacDonald Newtonmore from: Norman Campbell; Steven MacDonald, Andy MacKintosh, Craig Ritchie, Ackie MacRae; David MacLean, Michael Russell, Iain Richardson; Fraser MacKintosh, Iain Robinson, Evan Menzies, Glen MacKintosh; subs Paul MacArthur, Jamie Robinson, Conor Jones, David Fraser, Rory Kennedy (captain) Match Referee – Robert Baxter
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