Skye Camanachd 3 Kingussie 3 (Kingussie win 4-3 on penalties) | |
19 May 2015 Kingussie lifted the John “Kaid” MacLean cup with a sudden-death penalty shoot-out win over Skye Camanachd at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 16 May 2015. Skye Camanachd manager John MacLeod was without injured trio Shockie MacLennan, Iain Nicolson and Jamie Gannon whilst Iain Murray had to pull out after feeling a leg muscle tighten in the pre-match warm-up. Kingussie co-managers Russell Jones and Davie Anderson were without Louis Munro, Fraser Munro and Garry Munro. Barrie Dallas was unable to play as he had not fully recovered from injury. Kingussie were unable to include Ronald Ross for this 3pm throw up as he was carrying a knee injury. Both teams wore special strips to commemorate the Battle of Festubert which started 100 years earlier. Skye opened shooting towards the Viewfield Road end of the ground and they attacked from the throw up, forcing an early corner with Kenny Campbell’s eventual shot going wide. Craig Dawson turned away a Danny Morrison drive for a corner after 5 minutes. The rain started to get heavy which didn’t help the soft surface but it didn’t deter the large crowd who had gathered for the game. Skye started well and Will Cowie put them ahead following a goalmouth scramble on 15 minutes. Skye won a corner on the left which was taken by Chris MacLennan and with Jordan Murchison and Kenny Campbell involved, Will Cowie slotted the ball home from close-range. The sun was now out and Kingussie keeper Craig Dawson did well to stop an Allan MacKinnon ball a couple of minutes later, almost on the goal line, and he scooped the ball away for a corner. Dawson saved again with his feet on 22 minutes after a good run and shot from Jordan Murchison and Skye had to settle for another corner. Skye threatened again on 25 minutes when Ally MacDonald won possession and found Chris MacLennan but his shot was again well-saved by Craig Dawson. A minute later, Kingussie were level. There didn’t look to be too much on when John Gibson gathered possession following a shy but he drove the ball past an unsighted Iain MacLeod from around 22 yards out. Skye goalie Iain MacLeod saved a Rory MacGregor snap-shot with his feet on 33 minutes and although the ball spun up and hit him in the face, he managed to clear it to safety. A cross-come-shot from Will Cowie was cleared out of the air by Craig Dawson and a Robert Mabon effort went just wide of the Skye goal as the first half drew to a close. The last chance of the first half fell for Skye as Kenny Campbell broke forward and he found Danny Morrison who took a touch but he was unable to get a shot on target and the Kings’ defence crowded in to scramble the ball away for a corner and the half ended with the teams all-square. Neither side created any chances of note during the opening period of the second half. Kingussie took the lead for the first time in the match on 57 minutes when the Skye defence failed to halt a superb run forward from Kingussie’s James Falconer which started just inside his own half. The youngster held off three challenges before slipping the ball into the net for a fine individual goal which made it 2-1. Skye responded and a Jordan Murchison shot was saved at his left post by keeper Craig Dawson who put the ball out for a corner. Kingussie’s Rory MacGregor required treatment and suffering a knock to the hand on the hour mark but he was able to return to the field of play. A Danny Morrison shot was blocked by James Hutchison on 65 minutes and the visitors scrambled the ball out for a corner. Craig Dawson dealt well with a dangerous ball into the D from Allan MacKinnon and Skye had to settle for another corner. A superb Jordan Murchison run ended when he flashed a back-hand shot wide of goal. Skye’s pressure paid off and they levelled on 75 minutes. Danny Morrison burst forward from the left and his initial shot was well saved by Kings’ keeper Craig Dawson but Jordan Murchison put the rebound into the back of the net to make it 2-2. And better was to come for the home support when a great Jordan Murchison strike, his second of the afternoon, flew across keeper Dawson and the ball nestled high into the net to make it 3-2 on 78 minutes. Skye made a double-substitution on 82 minutes. Stewart Grant came on for Ally “Spod MacLeod at the back and Kenny MacLeod replaced Danny Morrison in the Skye attack. Moments later, Kings also made a double-switch with James Falconer and Robert Mabon replaced by Chris Holley-Song and Scott MacIntyre. Kingussie pushed defender James Hutchison forward as they tried to get back on level terms. Skye keeper Iain MacLeod did well to get the ball out for a corner following a Kingussie set-piece. Craig Dawson then made a super double-save; first turning away a Kenny Campbell drive with his caman and then deflecting Will Cowie’s effort from the rebound for away for a corner. David MacInnes took over from Chris MacLennan in the Skye midfield for the closing stages of the game. A James MacLean free-hit into the Skye goal area was put out for a corner by Steven Morrison. Owen Reid replaced Ryan MacWilliam before the set-piece was taken. When the corner from the right was played in, Skye failed to get the ball away and Rory MacGregor thumped a great shot from the left, high into the net, to make it 3-3 with just a couple of minutes remaining A late Jordan Murchison shot went just wide as penalties loomed large. Referee John Angus Gillies sounded his final whistle and the crowd warmly applauded both sets of players for their effort. The teams did consider sharing the trophy but opted for a penalty shoot-out at the Viewfield end of the ground. Savio Genini went first for Kingussie and he sent a well-hit strike into the roof of the net to put the Kings 1-0 ahead. Will Cowie drilled his penalty low into the net to make it 1-1. Kingussie’s Rory MacGregor saw his spot-hit saved with his feet by Iain MacLeod. Craig Dawson then saved with his feet from Jordan Murchison so it stayed at 1-1. Kingussie’s James Hutchison missed the target so it remained level. Skye’s Kenny MacLeod topped his attempt and Craig Dawson saved with ease. John Gibson was next up for Kingussie and he blasted the ball high into the net to give Kingussie a 2-1 lead. Kenny Campbell didn’t connect well with his penalty and Dawson made another comfortable save Lee Bain had a chance to win it for Kingussie but he put the ball past the post. Skye had to score their final penalty and Steven Morrison stepped forward, taking the pressure in his stride, and he bulleted the ball home so the sides were level at two-each after the first ten penalties. The shoot-out went to sudden-death with the players taking penalties in the same order. Savio Genini scored to put Kingussie back in front. Will Cowie had to score and he tucked the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-3. Rory MacGregor drove the ball low into the net to make it 4-3. Then Craig Dawson crucially saved from Jordan Murchison to give Kingussie the win. Kingussie captain Lee Bain was presented with the John “Kaid” MacLean trophy by members of the MacLean family. Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod: Steven Morrison, Neil MacVicar, Ally MacDonald, Ally “Spod” MacLeod: Allan MacKinnon, Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Chris MacLennan: Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Kenny Campbell: subs Kenny MacLeod, David MacInnes, Stewart Grant, John Gillies Kingussie from: Craig Dawson: John Hutchison, Rory MacKeachan, Darren Hanlon, Lee Bain (captain): James MacLean, John Gibson, Ryan MacWilliam: Rory MacGregor, James Falconer, Savio Genini, Robert Mabon: subs Owen Reid, Scott MacIntyre, Chris Holleysong, Lee Riddoch Match Referee – John Angus Gillies The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |