The Shinty Round Up – Saturday 9 November 2019 | |
10 November 2019 There was a top flight win for Oban Camanachd, the Newtonmore second team rescued a point as they bid for a fourth successive Mowi North Division 1 title and the Mowi annual award winners were announced following the shinty action on Saturday 9 November 2019.
Mowi Premiership Kinlochshiel 0 Oban Camanachd 2 Oban Camanachd go third in the Mowi Premiership after beating Kinlochshiel 2-0 in their 1pm throw up at Reraig. Both sides last match was against Newtonmore. ‘Shiel were 1-0 home winners against ‘More three weeks earlier whilst Oban Camanachd also came out on top against the Camanachd Cup winners, triumphing 4-1 the week after, also on their own patch. Kinlochshiel and Newtonmore have also taken the opportunity in recent matches to give valuable game time to a number of their promising youngsters and this match was no different. This was Kinlochshiel’s third match on their new pitch and they’d won the previous encounters 7-0 against Caberfeidh and 1-0 against Newtonmore. Jordan Fraser was again unavailable whilst Finlay MacRae, John MacRae and Conor Cormack were also missing. Keith MacRae was given a start in attack whilst Duncan Matheson dropped back into defence. Andrew MacKenzie, Donald Nixon and Duncan “WD” MacRae made up their centre line whilst Martin MacRae started in attack. Boss Johnston Gill was unwell so Scott Kennedy took the side. With Malcolm Clark, Willie Neilson and Aidan MacIntyre still out, Oban Camanachd boss Stephen Sloss and his assistant Kenny Wotherspoon also travelled without Daniel Sloss who had flu as well as Lorne Dickie and Keith MacMillan. Daniel Cameron was at full back whilst Gary McKerracher started at full centre, flanked by Scott MacMillan and Andrew MacCuish. Blair MacFarlane and Ross Campbell were on the away bench. It was a bright but cold day on the west and Kinlochshiel started playing towards the Kyle end of their ground. The Oban side created the first chance of the match with ‘Shiel keeper Josh Fraser palming away Lewis Buchanan’s shot which was going inside the keeper’s right post. Oban Camanachd forced a series of early corners and Daniel MacVicar was next to test Josh Grant. Gary McKerracher was revelling in his midfield role and his long ball sent Daniel MacVicar through on goal, one-on-one with the keeper, but Josh Grant again stood between the visitors and an early goal. Kinlochshiel threatened on 15 minutes as Keith MacRae showed good control inside the D before pushing the ball goalwards but Oban Camanachd keeper Cameron Sutherland did well as he first blocked MacRae’s effort before Daniel Madej had to clear off the line as the home forwards closed in. Good play from Daniel MacCuish, who had come deep, saw him find Chrissie MacMillan and he sent the ball long into the danger area and keeper Grant had to come off his line to get the ball away for a corner. The match was now flowing from end-to-end and Martin MacRae, on the right, turned the ball inside to Donald Nixon but his shot went by the keeper’s right post. Kinlochshiel replaced Andrew MacKenzie with Arron Jack midway through the half before Keith MacRae sent a good effort narrowly off target following good lead up play from Duncan “WD” MacRae. The visitors responded and Chrissie MacMillan sprayed the ball wide to Lewis Buchanan who picked out Daniel MacVicar but his shot went wide. Oban Camanachd made their first change on the half-hour mark as Ross Campbell took over from Chrissie MacMillan in attack with Fraser Reid replacing Martin MacRae in the ‘Shiel forward line soon after. Scott McMillian was booked with 5 first half minutes remaining for saying too much to referee Archie Ritchie. There was late first half action at both ends and there was no margin for error as Cameron Sutherland parried a dropping Donald Nixon ball from wide on the left and play then switched straight up the park where Mark MacDonald had to race across goal to clear a dangerous Daniel MacVicar ball at the expense of a corner. Ross Campbell played in the resulting corner from the left and Daniel MacCuish took the ball down but couldn’t get a shot on goal and the first half ended scoreless. Oban Camanachd boss Stephen Sloss made changes at the break. Gary McKerracher came off, Scott MacMillan went to full centre, Blair MacFarlane came on at wing centre and Andrew MacCuish went to full forward. Ross Campbell was looking lively for Oban Camanachd and Andrew MacCuish sent him racing down the left and it took a good challenge to get the ball out for a corner as Campbell cut in towards goal. The same duo combined again as Scott MacMillan took the corner and Ross Campbell flashed a low shot by the keeper’s left post. Blair MacFarlane sent a low ball from the right fizzing into the D where Josh Grant saved with his feet and full back Paul MacRae got the ball away to safety. You now sensed an Oban goal was coming and it duly arrived on 56 minutes. A clever turn inside from Scott MacMillan got him free of his marker and he got a shot on goal. Paul MacRae did well to stop the low ball with his club but as he stumbled backwards, Andrew MacCuish raced in to thump the ball low past a helpless keeper. It was a good finish from the Scottish international and MacCuish become the first opposing player to score a senior goal at Reraig. Kinlochshiel then enjoyed a period of pressure during which they had two penalty claims before a deft flick from Chrissie MacMillan allowed Scott MacMillan to surge forward but Josh Grant saved with his feet. Oban Camanachd doubled their lead on 67 minutes following some quick-thinking from a set-piece. Nobody spotted Garry Lord galloping forward from the half back position except Andrew MacCuish who played a clever free-hit to the Oban left and Lord quickly dribbled the ball into the D before showing great composure as he tapped the ball low past Josh Grant to make it 2-0. Ali Nixon sent a snap-shot just wide of the keeper's right post whilst, at the other end, Andrew MacCuish twice went close. As the match drew to a close, Cameron Sutherland saved a Keith MacRae shot from the right and the Oban keeper then moved smartly to adjust his feet to keep out Donald Nixon’s strike and Ali Nixon couldn’t get onto the rebound and the danger was cleared. Josh Grant saved with his feet from Lewis Buchanan just seconds before referee Archie Ritchie blew for time. The win lifts Oban Camanachd to third place in the division and they are only a point behind Lovat with a game in hand. However third placed Kyles Athletic, with two games remaining, are just a point behind Oban Camanachd. The match completes Kinlochshiel’s season whilst Oban Camanachd end their campaign against Lochaber at Spean Bridge this coming Saturday.
Kyles Athletic P Newtonmore P Paul John MacKintosh will have to wait a couple of weeks to bring the curtain down on his seven year reign as Newtonmore manager as their match against Kyles Athletic at Tighnabruaich was postponed because of an unplayable pitch.
Mowi North Division 1 Newtonmore 3 Glenurquhart 3 The Newtonmore colts gave themselves a great chance of sealing a fourth successive Mowi North Division 1 title when they beat challengers Glengarry last weekend. With a match at home to bottom side Aberdeen University still to come, ‘More went into their penultimate fixture against the Glenurquhart second team at the Eilan knowing two wins would guarantee the title. However, importantly, it would also be possible to lift the title with only three more points if they could increase their goal difference sufficiently to better Glengarry’s count. Newtonmore went in front on 8 minutes through top scorer Craig MacLeod who gathered a ball forward and slipped it past the advancing keeper from the front of the D. However Jed Stoddart hit a double on 17 and 30 minutes to give the Glen a 2-1 lead. First Stoddart took a pass from David MacLennan, who did well to battle for and then win possession, and he thumped the ball home from the right of the D. When Glen’s David MacLennan made it 3-1 just a minute after the restart, ‘More’s title chances were hanging by a thread. The visitors held their two-goal lead until 9 minutes from time when Glen MacKintosh made it 3-2. As the clock counted down, Glengarry were just seconds away from being crowned champions but it was Glen MacKintosh again at the death who made it 3-3, earning ‘More what could prove to be a priceless point. Orsten Gardener’s Newtonmore side must now beat already relegated Aberdeen University by at least five goals to at the Eilan this coming Saturday to win the league. As well as Glengarry, Aberdour are also more than interested bystanders as if Newtonmore win North 1, the Fife side will be automatically promoted to the National Division as only Glengarry are eligible to take part in any play-off match.
Aberdeen University P Kingussie P The game between Aberdeen University and the Kingussie second team was called off on Saturday morning as the pitch at Balgownie was frozen. This was to be the first meeting between the sides this season and would have been played as a four-pointer.
(All throw ups are at 2pm unless the match report states differently)
2019 Annual Mowi Shinty Awards There were reasons to celebrate for Oban Camanachd’s Daniel Sloss as well as Fort William and Glengarry Shinty Clubs at the Mowi Conference & Awards Ceremony hosted by sponsors Mowi at the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness on Saturday 9 November 2019. The awards were handed out by Mowi Communications Manager Ian Roberts and his colleagues Angus MacKay and Jayne MacKay.
Overall Awards Mowi Coach of the Year – John Gibson (Kingussie) Mowi Player of the Year – Craig Morrison (Caberfeidh) Mowi Club of the Year – Fort William Mowi National Division Coach of the Year – Victor Smith & Adam Robertson (Fort William) Mowi North Division 1 Coach of the Year – Ewen Cameron (Glengarry) Mowi South Division 1 Coach of the Year – Lisa MacColl (Aberdour) Mowi North Division 2 Coach of the Year – Murdo John Fraser (Lochcarron) Mowi South Division 2 Coach of the Year – Ronnie Campbell (Kilmory) League Player Awards Mowi National Division Player of the Year – Arran MacPhee (Fort William) Mowi South Division 1 Player of the Year – David MacKenzie (Aberdour) Mowi North Division 2 Player of the Year – Bruce Grant (Strathspey Camanachd) Mowi South Division 2 Player of the Year – Steven Gilmour (Kilmory) Women’s Camanachd Association Awards Overall Awards WCA Mowi National Division 1 Club of the Year – Badenoch WCA Mowi North & South Divisions 2 Club of the Year – Lovat WCA Mowi Development Club of the Year – Kinlochshiel League Coach Awards WCA Mowi National Division 1 Coach of the Year – Scott Campbell & Iain Robinson (Badenoch) WCA Mowi North & South Division 2 Coach of the Year – James Gallacher (Lovat) WCA Mowi Development Coach of the Year – Elaine Cameron (Glengarry) League Player Awards WCA Mowi National Division 1 Player of the Year – Kirsty Deans (Badenoch) WCA Mowi North Division 2 Player of the Year – Laura Gallacher (Lovat) WCA Mowi South Division 2 Player of the Year – Lisa Ford (Ardnamurchan) WCA Mowi Service to Womens Shinty Award – Katie Drain WCA Mowi Service to Womens Shinty Award – Laurene Cameron (Dunadd) Youth Awards Mowi Youth Coach of the Year – Elaine Cameron (Glengarry) Mowi U14 Player of the Year – Archie MacRae (Kinlochshiel) Mowi U17 Player of the Year – Daniel Sloss (Oban Camanachd) Mowi U21 Player of the Year – Calum Grant (Kingussie) Donella Crawford Award for Youth & Schools – Lyndsay Bradley (Ardnamurchan) Gary Innes Award for Youth Club of the Year (Youth Development) – Fort William Gary Innes Award for School of the Year (Youth Development - (Uddingston) Referee Awards Johnny “Ach” MacRae Quaich for Referee of the Year – Graham Cameron (Caol) Emerging Referee of the Year – Tina Marshall (Kiltarlity) Volunteer Awards William Paterson Salver Volunteer of the Year – Linda Bell & Martin Bell (Lovat) Mowi Fair Play Award - One Team Club – Ardnamurchan Mowi Fair Play Award - Two Team Club – Kinlochshiel Media Award Media Award – Fraser MacKenzie The awards took place alongside the Shinty Surviving & Thriving Conference where delegates attended a number of workshops including: fixtures & competitions, facilities & ground maintenance, coaching philosophy & tactics, funding for clubs, Go Membership support for club secretaries, club culture, shinty ambassadors, child protection and moving your club forward in Scottish sport.
This Weekend’s Fixtures There are three fixtures scheduled for this coming Saturday. Oban Camanachd complete a long season against Lochaber at Spean Bridge whilst Kilmallie are also on the road, as they make for Tighnabruaich for a noon throw up against Kyles Athletic. Meantime, the Newtonmore second team can clinch the Mowi North Division 1 title if they beat Aberdeen University by at least five goals at the Eilan. |