Skye Camanachd 6 Beauly 1 | |
30 September 2015 Champions Skye Camanachd rounded off their Marine Harvest National Division programme with a 6-1 win over Beauly at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 26 September 2015. Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod made two changes to the squad which clinched the Marine Harvest National Division title with a win over Kilmallie at the Canal Parks a fortnight earlier. Neil MacVicar was working and Allan MacKinnon was on holiday. Kenny MacLeod, who missed the Kilmallie match, was unavailable. However Chris Rose, David MacInnes and John Gillies were added to make up a sixteen-man squad. Rose replaced MacVicar in defence whilst MacInnes and Gillies joined Iain Nicolson and Chris MacLennan on the substitutes’ bench. This was also a final league fixture of the season for Balliemore Cup winners Beauly. Boss Roger Cormack was without Jamie MacLennan, Sean Stewart, Connor Ross, Marc MacLachlan and Sandy Elrick. Conor Cormack started at full centre with David MacLean at full forward. Throw up was brought forward to 1pm at Beauly’s request as several of their players were looking to return early to attend the Loopalu Music Festival. There was LIVE commentary of the whole match on radio and online on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd Live show. Skye attacked towards the Struan Road end of the ground from the throw up and Danny Morrison turned a cross from the right into the net in the opening minute but his effort was ruled out for offside However the opening goal came after just 4 minutes. Ally MacDonald won possession at the back for Skye and the one-touch passes flowed from Jordan Murchison to Iain Murray to Danny Morrison who picked out Kenny Campbell and he sent the ball forward. Beauly defender Rory Campbell was unable to clear the danger and Shockie MacLennan pounced to send a great backhand strike high over keeper Josh Grant’s left shoulder into the net to make it 1-0 after just 4 minutes. Josh Grant made a great save after 7 minutes when Shockie MacLennan flicked a free-hit to the left to Will Cowie and Josh Grant stretched to turn Cowie’s fine strike away with his caman for a corner on the Skye right. The pitch was a little soft and the Skye forwards slipped on more than one occasion when trying to create a shooting opportunity. Skye goalie Iain MacLeod made a good save with his feet on 13 minutes to deny wing centre Ross Forbes who had lost his marker and burst forward from midfield. Beauly drew level on 15 minutes. Rory Campbell played a good ball out of defence and Steven Morrison slipped as he tried to clear on the Skye right. David MacLean capitalised but he still had plenty to do as he ran through on goal before slipping the ball past Iain MacLeod to score. Iain MacLeod made a great save from David MacLean a minute later, turning the ball away for a corner as the visitors took a lift from their equalising goal. A clever Jordan Murchison free-hit on 26 minutes gave Danny Morrison a shooting chance. Josh Grant saved well and Kenny Campbell was flagged offside as he went for the rebound. Beauly came close to taking the lead on 31 minutes when Jack MacDonald took a Calum Morrison pass and he sent a searing drive which was heading for the top left-hand corner of the net but Iain MacLeod stretched to turn the ball away for a corner on the Beauly right. It was a great shot and a tremendous save; with the action drawing warm applause from the large crowd. Iain MacLeod then palmed a Calum Morrison shot away for a corner on 36 minutes with the Scotland U21 hopeful the busier of the two keepers. Skye lost Jordan Murchison, who took a blow to the face on 39 minutes which left him with a blooded nose. Murchison was replaced by Iain Nicolson who went to full forward. There seemed little danger when Iain Nicolson received an Iain Murray pass on the penalty spot but the Skye substitute caught out the Beauly defence when he turned quickly and flashed a shot into the net to make it 2-1 with just 3 first half minutes remaining. Josh Grant had to palm a dangerous Kenny Campbell ball into the D away with Ross Forbes completing the clearance and referee John Angus Gillies blew for half-time after a minute of first half stoppage time. Beauly made two changes at the break with defenders Andrew Morrison, who took a knock to the ankle, and Rory Campbell coming off with Craig Rankin and Iain Rankin coming on in their place. Ross Forbes dropped back into defence with former Uist Camanachd youth Ewan Campbell going to full back. A Shockie MacLennan shot from the edge of the D early in the second half went just past Josh Grant’s left post. The ball quickly moved to the other end and David MacLean got on the end of a Conor Cormack ball and he forced a save from Iain MacLeod with his foot at this right post at the expense of a corner. Beauly continued to attack and good play from Jack MacDonald culminated in a disguised reverse pass to Barrie MacDonald but he got under the ball and his shot rose over the bar with 52 minutes played. Iain MacLeod produced the best save on the afternoon on 54 minutes. David MacLean picked up possession in midfield and he ran at the Skye goal but Iain MacLeod turned his waist high effort a way for a corner with his caman. Beauly were awarded a free-hit a minute later for hacking which was cleared by the Skye defence but Conor Cormack played the ball back in and Iain MacLeod saved with his feet from Jack MacDonald as the visitors made the better start to the second half. Skye’s Chris MacLennan came on in a straight swap for Ally “Spod” MacLeod after 56 minutes. Iain MacLeod dropped to his knees to save when Calum Morrison drifted a dipping ball goalwards on 58 minutes and Beauly had to settle for a corner. When the ball came across, Jack MacDonald saw his shot deflected for another corner and this time David MacLean fired into the side-netting. Danny Morrison collected a clearance out of defence and he sent the ball wide of Josh Grant’s left post on the hour mark as Skye got back on the attack. Keeper Grant saved well from Iain Nicolson from the resultant corner. Skye kept on the pressure and forced a couple more corners. Jordan Murchison returned to the field of play on 61 minutes, his blood-covered number 11 shirt swapped for a number 18 top, with Will Cowie coming off. Shockie MacLennan shot wide and after a difficult opening to the second half, the tide seemed to be turning in Skye’s favour. Beauly fought back though and Iain MacLeod saved from David MacLean and Steven Morrison got the ball away for a corner on the Beauly right before Jack MacDonald could get on the rebound. Skye extended their lead on 73 minutes. Chris Rose picked up possession in midfield and Iain Nicolson flicked Rose’s pass into path of Jordan Murchison around 35 yards out and he showed good close-control before tucking the ball low into the net from the edge of the D to make it 3-1. Beauly player / manager Roger Cormack replaced Ryan MacKay before the restart. Cormack went to full back with Ewan Campbell returning to buckshee back. Beauly were unable to clear a Shockie MacLennan shot on 75 minutes and Danny Morrison saw his attempt cleared off the line for a Skye corner on the right by Roger Cormack. Skye went further ahead a minute later when the Beauly defence cleared a Kenny Campbell cross and Iain Nicolson left the ball for Jordan Murchison who made space before thumping the ball over Josh Grant’s fight shoulder for another superb finish to make it 4-1. Beauly’s Ewan Campbell received a cut to the forehead in the lead up to the goal and he came off to be treated by Skye medic Dr Wilson Banks. Rory Campbell came back on in defence. Skye also took the opportunity to make changes with David MacInnes replacing Iain Murray in midfield and Will Cowie coming on for Shockie MacLennan in attack. Skye were now in full flow and Josh Grant got his stick to an Iain Nicolson shot but Jordan Murchison latched onto the rebound right in front of goal and he rolled the ball home to make it 5-1 on 82 minutes. The goal took Jordan Murchison’s goal haul to 32 for the season and it’s a number of years since a Skye forward was so prolific. Skye saved the best until last and they went 6-1 in front straight from the throw up. The goal was a great exhibition of one-touch shinty as Danny Morrison found Iain Nicolson who released Jordan Murchison on the Skye left and his low cross across goal picked out Kenny Campbell and he stroked the ball home. Skye had now scored four times in 10 minutes and they were in control with 7 minutes remaining. Iain MacLeod palmed away a high Colin MacDonald ball into the goalmouth a couple of minutes later. A bandaged up Ewan Campbell came back on with Roger Cormack leaving the field with just a couple of minutes remaining. Josh Grant saved a Will Cowie strike with his hand and the Beauly defence hurried the ball away to safety. Beauly substitute Iain Rankin did well to send the ball out for a corner as Kenny Campbell threatened with the contest moving into injury time. With 3 minutes of stoppage time played, referee John Angus Gillies sounded the final whistle. Graham Cormack from the Camanachd Association congratulated Skye Camanachd and introduced Marine Harvest Site Manager John Angus Gillies, who had made a quick change from his refereeing attire, presented the Marine Harvest National Division Trophy to Skye captain Shockie MacLennan in front of a delighted Skye support. The result was significant in that it means that John MacLeod’s Skye side has now completed the last two seasons undefeated. Indeed the only dropped points over the 24 month period were a home draw with Caberfeidh on the opening day of the 2015 season and a goalless away draw with the Beauly second team a year earlier. The players and management team of John MacLeod, Davie Pringle, Donnie MacDonald and Douglas MacDougall deserve great credit for lifting the club from their fall to shinty’s third tier just two years ago. However Skye will have to step it up once more as they compete in shinty’s top flight next season for the first time since 2002. Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod; Steven Morrison, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Ally MacDonald, Chris Rose; Kenny Campbell, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Iain Murray; Will Cowie, Jordan Murchison, Danny Morrison, Shockie MacLennan (captain); subs Iain Nicolson, Chris MacLennan, David MacInnes, John Gillies Beauly from: Josh Grant; Andrew Morrison, Ryan MacKay, Rory Campbell, Ewan Campbell; Colin MacDonald, Conor Cormack, Ross Forbes; Calum Morrison, Jack MacDonald, Barrie MacDonald, David MacLean (captain); subs Craig Rankin, Iain Rankin, Roger Cormack Match Referee – John Angus Gillies Goal Judges – Donnie Martin, Iain Morrison The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |