The Shinty Round Up – Saturday 16 November 2019 | |
17 November 2019 The Newtonmore second team are Mowi North Division 1 champions for the fourth successive season following the shinty action on Saturday 16 November 2019.
Mowi Premiership Lochaber P Oban Camanachd P The match between Oban Camanachd and Lochaber at Spean Bridge was postponed on Saturday morning because of a frozen pitch. The sides will try again this coming Saturday for what is the final Mowi Premiership match of the season. A win will give Oban Camanachd a second placed league finish.
Kyles Athletic v Kilmallie – Points Shared Kyles Athletic and Kilmallie agreed to share the points ahead of their meeting at Tighnabruaich. This was to be Kyles Athletic’s penultimate match of the season whilst it was Kilmallie’s final game of 2019. Kyles also still had to play Newtonmore at Tighnabruaich but the points have been shared in that game too. A Kyles Athletic statement read: “After discussions between ourselves, the Camanachd Association, Kilmallie and Newtonmore, it has been agreed that our two remaining matches of this season will no longer go ahead and the points will be shared. “After a long drawn out season, the players can now get some well-deserved time off before pre-season starts in January.” The shared points mean Kyles Athletic, who have finished runners-up in shinty’s top flight for the previous three seasons, are currently third in the table but both they and second place Lovat will both drop a place if Oban Camanachd win their final match at Lochaber. Having returned to shinty’s top flight at the start of this season, Kilmallie’s Premiership status was secured at the end of August, marking a successful first term in charge for new boss John Stewart.
Mowi North Division 1 Newtonmore 7 Aberdeen University 0 The Newtonmore second team took the Mowi North Division 1 title for a fourth successive season after beating Aberdeen University 7-0 in their 1pm throw up at the Eilan. Newtonmore keeper Calum Grover was unwell so Cameron McNiven stood-in between the sticks but he was to have a quiet afternoon. There was no Fraser MacKintosh but Drew MacDonald started and Glen MacKintosh took a place amongst five substitutes on the ‘More bench. Aberdeen were missing Jamie Beaton whilst Glengarry Ladies player Aoife Tangney started. Craig Macleod gave Newtonmore a 9 minute lead. Macleod’s initial effort from the left was blocked by Stuart Cameron but when the ball came back to him, Macleod’s low bouncing shot deceived keeper Scott Moffat and the ball ended up in the net. Newtonmore were keen to add to their tally and boss Orsten Gardiner brought Glen MacKintosh on for Calum Stewart on 26 minutes with Stewart reintroduced for Duncan Gorman on 37 minutes. There was some relief for the home support when Glen MacKintosh made it 2-0 on 38 minutes. MacKintosh ran to the right of the D to get on the end of Owen Fraser’s corner from the right. With Aberdeen University full back Graham Black in chase, MacKintosh blasted a high into the net, across the keeper from a tight angle on the right. The hosts had the chance to add a third goal during first half stoppage time when referee Deek Cameron awarded them a penalty after spotting a “kick” inside the D. However Aberdeen keeper Scott Moffat saved well with his stick to deny Glen MacKintosh and it remained 2-0 at the break. The visitors lost defender Joe Folan with a nasty face injury during the first half although did come back bandaged up later in the second half. A third goal did arrive on 50 minutes. Glen MacKintosh collected the ball wide on the right before flicking it inside, between his legs, and although Calum Stewart’s initial effort from the right of the D was blocked, Stewart managed to touch the ball back to Craig Macleod who evaded a challenge before shooting home on his back-hand to make it 3-0. Craig Macleod completed his hat-trick on 59 minutes to make it 4-0. Scott Chisholm’s lofted ball into the goal area, from wide on the right of midfield, wasn’t dealt with by the Aberdeen defence and Craig Macleod ran in behind them where he lashed the ball past a helpless keeper. Newtonmore still needed another goal for the title and it duly arrived with 20 minutes remaining. Substitute Sorley Thomson diverted a high ball forward into the path of Craig Macleod who ran in from the left and Macleod controlled the ball before tucking it past the keeper on his left side. Two late goals put gloss on the win. First, on 80 minutes, Glen MacKintosh ran onto a ball from wide on the right and he steadied himself before steering a low shot across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Then, 5 minutes later, Glen MacKintosh completed his hat-trick to make it 7-0. Substitute Neil Stewart crossed from the right, finding Craig Macleod at the back post. Macleod touched the ball inside to Glen MacKintosh who found space at the front of the D where he turned the ball low into the net on his back-hand. Keeper Scott Moffat was excellent for Aberdeen, making a number of fine saves including parrying an Owen Fraser drive from right of centre in the second half. Owen Fraser had a good game for Newtonmore, constantly driving the side forward from his full centre position. The winning means that, after a titanic battle, the Newtonmore second team pip Glengarry, who put in a fantastic challenge, to take the league title on by just three goals and, after the match, the splendid Mowi North Division 1 trophy was presented to ‘More captain Craig Macleod by Camanachd Association President Keith Loades. The outcome also means that Mowi South 1 winners Aberdour will step up to the Mowi National Division next season as the Newtonmore colts aren’t eligible to take part in the play-off match.
Oban Camanachd Youths Win Oban Camanachd U14 were 4-3 winners in their South U14 9-a-side League play-off match against Bute U14 at Strachurmore on Sunday 17 November 2019. There was an early exchange of goals as Innes Jackson gave the Oban side a 5 minute lead before Rory MacDonald levelled 3 minutes later but Ewan Campbell restored Oban Camanachd’s advantage on 10 minutes. A second goal from Ewan Campbell on 21 minutes made it 3-1 but Ronnie McMillian cut their lead to a single goal on 35 minutes. Bute’s Rory MacDonald got a second on 55 minutes to tie the play-off at 3-3 but Oban Camanachd responded immediately and Louis MacFarlane scored what proved to be the winner just a minute later. This was a very entertaining match which from which both sides will take a great deal. |