Skye Camanachd 3 Inverness 2 | |
31 July 2015 Skye Camanachd beat Inverness 3-2 in their Marine Harvest National Division match at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 25 July 2015. Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod made two changes to the squad he named ahead of last weekend’s postponed league meeting with Ballachulish at Jubilee Park. Neil MacVicar and Ian Nicolson were available so Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod and Stewart Grant dropped out of the squad. Steven Morrison and Shockie MacLennan remained on the injury list. Inverness travelled with just twelve players and Davie Duncan, Craig Nicolson and former Skye Camanachd player Somhairle MacDonald were amongst their absentees. Manger Drew Mcneil played at full centre. This 3pm throw up was broadcast live on radio and online by Cuillin FM on their “Camanachd Live” show. The pitch had cut up following the noon meeting between the Skye Camanachd and Caberfeidh second teams and it was clear that conditions were going to be heavy. Skye attacked the Struan Road end of the ground in the first half. There was a half-chance for Inverness in the opening minute and Skye keeper Iain MacLeod had to turn a Colin Fraser snap-shot away for a corner which the Skye defence cleared. As the rain continued to fall, Inverness continued to enjoy the better of the early stages without really troubling home goalie Iain MacLeod. A low Danny Morrison shot went just wide of target in Skye’s first real attack on 8 minutes. A great challenge and clearance from Neil MacVicar snuffed out a threat from Charlie MacDonald on 12 minutes and MacVicar did well to deflect a bullet-shot from James Cameron away for a corner a minute later. From the resultant corner, Iain MacLeod did well to save Dougie Rankin’s shot with his feet and he batted the rising ball away for shy. Skye turned defence into attack on 15 minutes as Will Cowie played a one-two with Jordan Murchison before shooting into the side netting. Inverness goalie Adam MacMaster made a good save from Will Cowie on 18 minutes after the youngster collected a Danny Morrison pass and the keeper must have seen the ball late. Skye were coming more into the game and Adam MacMaster saved a Jordan Murchison shot with his feet on 22 minutes and Kenny Campbell scooped the rebound over the bar from close-range in what was the closest either side had come to a goal. However the Islanders took the lead on 28 minutes when Allan MacKinnon won possession in midfield. MacKinnon found Will Cowie. Danny Morrison collected Will Cowie’s pass on the Skye right and he tried to pick out Kenny Campbell at the far post but the ball rebounded back to him off an Inverness defender and Morrison kept his cool to tuck the ball past keeper Adam MacMaster to make it 1-0. Skye doubled their lead on 34 minutes. There was a scramble in front of the Inverness goal and, with no one in the visiting defence taking responsibility to clear the danger; Jordan Murchison pushed the ball into space to his left before running forward and firing home an unstoppable shot from just inside the D. Jordan Murchison took a Kenny Campbell pass on 37 minutes and he showed great stick work as he ran in from the left. Keeper Arran MacMaster had to come off his line to halt Murchison’s progress and he knocked the ball out for a corner. Kenny Campbell passed up a chance to increase Skye’s lead a couple of minutes later when he intercepted a goal-hit. Liam Girvan challenged and the ball broke to Danny Morrison who found Campbell in space but he couldn’t get any power in his shot. There was little respite for Inverness and Kenny Campbell’s persistence paid off when he found the back of the net just 5 minutes before the break. The move started on the Skye left with Cowie slipping the ball to Murchison who found Allan MacKinnon at the back post on the Skye right. The ball took a horrible bounce but MacKinnon took an exquisite touch to tee the ball up before having the presence of mind to pick out Kenny Campbell who sent a bouncing ball just inside the post to make it 3-0. A blocking challenge from Skye stand-in full back Neil MacVicar stopped Dougie Rankin’s progress on 44 minutes and when play quickly switched to the other end of the field, Adam MacMaster had to come off his line to thwart Kenny Campbell and the first half came to an end exactly on the 45 minute mark. Skye looked very much in control at the interval having pinned Inverness back for the second quarter of the match. However Inverness made a determined start to the second half and Skye goalie Iain MacLeod dived to his right to make a tremendous save from James Cameron on 47 minutes. Arran MacMaster saved with his feet from Will Cowie a couple of minutes later and the keeper cleared the ball up the park. Another good MacMaster save stopped a long-range Murchison shot on 53 minutes and the visitors got the ball away before Kenny Campbell could reach it. Jordan Murchison flicked the ball in the air before firing wide on 58 minutes. James Cameron pulled a goal back on 62 minutes when he sent a powerful shot into the back of the net after a ball from the left was cut back to him following a deep corner on the Inverness right. Referee Evan MacRae spoke to Allan MacKinnon, Davie Glass and Drew Mcneil following a clash in midfield and the match restarted with crossed camans. Just a minute later, Will Cowie was caught on the hand by a Davie Glass swing on 69 minutes and as the ball broke free, Allan MacKinnon brought Daniel Palombo crashing to the ground with a late challenge. Skye made a change a minute later with Iain Nicolson replacing Allan MacKinnon. Nicolson joined the Skye attack with Will Cowie dropping back into midfield. James Cameron went close from an Inverness shy on 71 minutes. Inverness cut Skye’s lead to a single goal on 76 minutes when Michael Price collected a Daniel Palombo shy and held off his marker on the right before cutting the ball back to Charlie MacDonald who blasted a shot into the net to make it 3-2. Skye had not shown much as an attacking force for around 20 minutes and there was danger that they would throw away a valuable league point. However when Chris MacLennan picked up possession in midfield, he found Gilleasbuig MacDonald who played the ball long to Kenny Campbell but Adam MacMaster came off his line to clear before Iain Nicolson could get a shot in. Jordan Murchison was replaced by John Gillies on 83 minutes. Adam MacMaster did well to palm away a deflected Will Cowie corner a minute later and Arran MacMaster stepped in to clear the danger. Inverness came close to drawing level on 86 minutes when Drew Mcneil played a free-hit into the Skye goal area and James Cameron fired goalwards from the right but Iain MacLeod made a brilliant save with his right foot before an ensuing goalmouth scramble with Neil MacVicar eventually clearing the ball. Skye were forced to defend a couple of free-hits during the closing stages of the match with Neil MacVicar standing up well to a couple of late challenges. The win means Skye maintain their title challenge at the top of the table as they complete the first half of their league programme. Skye Camanachd from; Iain MacLeod; Neil MacVicar Ally MacDonald, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Iain Murray: Allan MacKinnon, Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Chris MacLennan; Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Kenny Campbell; subs Iain Nicolson, John Gillies, Kenny MacLeod Inverness from; Adam MacMaster; Liam Girvan, Daniel Palombo, Arran MacMaster, Fraser Stoddart; Dougie Rankin Drew Mcneil, Davie Glass; Charlie MacDonald, Michael Price, Colin Fraser, James Cameron; subs none Match Referee – Evan MacRae The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |