Inverness 6 Skye Camanachd 1. | |
20 July 2010 Skye Camanachd’s Marine Harvest North Division 1 title aspirations took a severe dent when they lost 6-1 to Inverness at the Bught Park on Saturday 17 July 2010. Skye Camanachd manager Aonghas MacDonald made 3 changes to the starting line-up which lost to Inveraray in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup quarter finals the previous weekend. Defender John Moir’s injury problems continued and he missed out with an ankle knock so AB Connor started at left wing back. Donnie Campbell starting at right wing centre as Dougie Rankin was absent and this allowed Kenny Campbell to push on to buckshee forward. Aonghas MacDonald was suffering from a thigh strain so Allan MacKinnon started in his place. Somhairle MacDonald, Jamie MacDonald and Allan MacLeod were longer tern absentees. Three youngsters from the second team started on the bench - defender Martin Bruce, midfielder Stewart Grant and forward Ally MacDonald. Kenny Campbell shot over for Skye after 6 minutes and the same player fired just wide after being set up by Danny Morrison a couple of minutes later. However it was by no means all Skye and Gordon Gray fired across goal for Inverness a minute later. Allan MacKinnon played in Alan Palmer after 11 minutes but his shot went past the junction between bar and post. Danny Morrison took a Donnie Campbell corner in the air a couple of minutes later but Inverness keeper Adam McMaster saved well with his feet. McMaster then saved a Danny Morrison shot in the air after 20 minutes and his defence scrambled the ball clear. Inverness took the lead on 29 minutes when the Skye defence failed to clear a corner from the right. However the Skye players were left bemused as the goal judge signaled for a penalty after Steven Morrison played the ball with his caman. Gordon Gray scored the penalty to put the home side 1-0 up. Skye tried to get back in the game but it was Inverness who were next to threaten when Graeme MacMillan shot over on 36 minutes. Inverness went 2-0 up 4 minutes before the break when the Skye defence failed to deal with a cross from the right and Connor Golabek shot past Jamie Gannon. Skye’s Donnie Campbell received a blow to the face during the first half and he had to come off at half time with a back problem. He was replaced by 16 year old Martin Bruce who took up the right wing back position marking young Inverness forward Connor Golabek. Shockie MacLennan pushed forward to right wing centre. Inverness midfielder David Higham was booked by referee John Sloggie for one foul too many on Gilleasbuig MacDonald after 54 minutes. Skye had a let-off on 58 minutes when Fraser Heath shot wide of the target. However the Islanders pulled a goal back on 62 minutes when Gilleasbuig MacDonald, who had swapped positions with Kenny Campbell, scrambled the ball home from a Shockie MacLennan corner on the right. David Higham shot wide on 66 minutes although Jamie Gannon had the goal covered as Inverness showed that they were in no mood to lie down. A 65 minute Gilleasbuig MacDonald shot from a Shockie MacLennan corner flew wide of the target. A Connor Golabek corner on 68 minutes was cleared by the Skye defence but the ball fell to the same player. Martin Bruce closed down his second attempt when the ball came back off his visor but when Golabek finally did play the ball across goal, Graeme MacMillan was allowed the time to fire the ball high into the net and put the home side 3-1 up. Worse was to follow for Skye 4 minutes later when their defence failed to a ball in the air and Graeme MacMillan added his second to make it 4-1. Stewart Grant came on in place of Allan MacKinnon after 76 minutes. With 5 minutes remaining, Graeme MacMillan battled for possession on the Skye left and shot past Gannon to complete his hat-trick although the ball seemed to take a deflection on its way into the net. Skye’s Ally MacDonald came on in place of Danny Morrison, who had been unwell ahead of the game, to make his debut for the first team. Fraser Heath made it 6-1 on 87 minutes to complete Skye’s misery. The final whistle couldn’t come quick enough for Skye and Graeme MacMillan had an 89 minute goal ruled out for offside and a Fraser Heath effort in the last minute was disallowed for a “kick” Inverness were well served by their lively attackers, in particular their U17 trio of Fraser Heath, Graeme MacMillan and Connor Golabek whilst Sandy Tulloch prompted their midfield in the first half. David Glass was his usual assured self at buckshee back. The win takes them 2 points off the bottom of the table and gives them plenty to build on for the weeks ahead. The defeat leaves Skye in seventh place in the league although they do have games in hand on their rivals. Skye Camanachd from; Jamie Gannon, Steven Morrison (captain), Shockie MacLennan, AB Connor, Iain Nicolson, Donnie Campbell, (Martin Bruce), Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Kerr Gibb, Kenny Campbell, Danny Morrison, (Ally MacDonald), Allan MacKinnon, (Stewart Grant), Alan Palmer Match Referee – John Sloggie |