With Skye Camanachd first team manager Aonghas MacDonald on holiday, Willie Cowie and Alasdair Bruce looked after the side for the Marine Harvest North Division 1 win over Beauly at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
“We are very pleased with the win,” said Alasdair Bruce after the game. “Beauly came to Portree with a full strength team whist we were missing 7 players - Jamie MacDonald, Allan MacLeod, AB Connor, Somhairle MacDonald, Alan Palmer, Donnie Campbell and Dougie Rankin.”
“We had the wind at our backs during the first half and enjoyed most of the pressure and a good strike from Gibbs MacDonald gave us the lead with a super goal just before the break. Beauly came more into it in the second half as we expected but our defence was outstanding Shockie MacLennan and John Moir always looked in control and few would have believed that the game was actually Andrew Bank’s first start for the first team. As for full back Steven Morrison, he was simply the best player on the park by a distance.”
Our centre line was steady throughout. Kenny Campbell played with a hand injury whilst Kerr Gibb did well to last the first half after being affected by a shoulder injury picked up against Inverness the previous week.”
“The second goal came from great lead up play between Iain Nicolson and Danny Morison and Martin Bruce’s finish was tidy from someone who normally plays in defence. Danny Morrison put in a power of work against more experienced opponents, He started up against Roger Cormack and finished against Innes Simpson and he applied himself well against both markers. Allan MacKinnon was in the wars and picked up a couple of knocks but he linked up well with Iain Nicolson and Iain Morrison and they pulled the Beauly defence around, especially in the second half. ”
Bruce was also impressed with opponents Beauly saying. “It was easy to see why they were second in the league ahead of this game. They were always a danger and never let up. They are particularly strong down the middle of the park and Dougie Blaine – who played youth shinty on Skye when he lived here – never fails to impress.”
Next up for Skye is another tough match against Kilmallie at Pairc nan Laoch on Saturday 31 July 2010.