Balliemore Cup Final

Skye Camanachd 3 Kilmallie 1

Brae View Park, Beauly - 26 July 2008

Skye Camanachd are the 2008 Balliemore Cup winners after they came from a goal down to beat Kilmallie by three goals to one. Ian Nicolson, Aonghas MacDonald and Kenny Campbell got the all important goals to ensure it was third time lucky for the Islanders who had lost out on penalties in their two previous final appearances to Lochcarron in 1999 and Strathglass in 2003.

The Road to the Final

First Round

Byes: Glasgow Mid-Argyll, Strachur

Quarter Finals

Semi Finals

Skye were led on to the field by club chieften Jimmy Devlin (pictured above) but they made a nervous start to the final. However they did have the first effort on goal when Ally MacLennan blasted over from 20 yards.

Kilmallie responded minutes later and Jamie Gannon was forced to make a double save to keep the scoreline blank. Skye had a penalty claim after 14 minutes when Aonghas MacDonald seemed to be pulled to the ground but referee Ron Kennedy waved play on.

The Skye bench (pictured above) looked concerned as Kilmallie had a period of pressure. First a great save from Gannon followed by a Steven Morrison clearance and then a brilliant reflex save by Gannon to his right to foil Michael Rodgers.

John Moir was taking no prisoners in defence as he demonstrated by almost sending his opposite number through the advertising boards with one enthusiastic challenge.

Skye responded after 27 minutes when Aonghas MacDonald took a ball from the left and flicked it just past the post. A minute later Kenny Campbell was on the end of a flowing move and his cross was knocked just past the post by MacDonald.  

Kerr Gibb went close for Skye in 37 minutes and shortly after Iain Nicolson had to leave the field for 5 minutes to have a hand knock strapped by Skye medic Dr Wilson Banks. However he returned to action before the break.

For the remainder of the half, Skye came under intense pressure from the Kilmallie attack. Keeper Jamie Gannon (pictured above) saw a Michael Rodgers drive whistle past his post and he then saved from Alex MacNichol with Steven Morrison completing the clearance.

Right on half time Gannon saved again, this time from John Stewart. After such a period of sustained pressure, Skye were relieved to hear the half time whistle. 

It was encouraging to see so many young Skye players (pictured above) amongst the large Skye support and they roared on their team throughout the game.

The second half was only 2 minutes old when Kilmallie got the opening goal. It was 18 year old Michael Rodgers who sent a drive from the left past Gannon into the Skye net.

However this goal seemed to relax Skye and for the remainder of the match, they started to play the flowing shinty which earned them a place in the final.

Skye wing centre Jamie MacDonald (pictured above) was on the receiving end of a series of trips by Kilmallie players which eventually saw his marker booked. From one such foul after 50 minutes, Gilleasbuig MacDonald sent a free hit to his brother Aonghas and his turn and shot came back off Kilmallie keeper Neil MacNiven's post.

A couple of minutes later, a MacDonald shot was saved by MacNiven and Iain Nicolson just failed to make contact with the rebound.

Skye were certainly getting closer and the large Skye support could sense a goal was coming. They were rewarded in 59 minutes when the ball was crossed into the Kilmallie penalty area from a corner on the right and Iain Nicolson (pictured above) reacted first to flick the ball into the net.

Roared on by their supporters, Skye continued to attack the Kilmallie goal and their superior fitness was really starting to tell. Aonghas MacDonald had a shot saved by McNiven and Kenny Campbell saw a great shot hit the side netting when most of the ground thought he had scored. MacDonald came close again after 70 minutes when Skye won possession from a Kilmallie shy and two minutes later a superb reverse pass from Ally MacLennan set up MacDonald but his shot was blocked.

Kilmallie's only moment of danger during his period was a good run by John Stewart which was brought to an abrupt stop by Steven Morrison.

Then in 79 minutes, the ground erupted when Aonghas MacDonald was rewarded for all his endeavour during the match when his blistering shot gave MacNiven no chance and flew into the net at the keeper's right hand post.

If Skye now had one hand on the cup, then they had a second firmly grasping it two minutes later when they scored the goal of the game. Sixteen year old Shockie MacLennan - the youngest player on the park - who had come on as a second half substitute for Kerr Gibb, hit a terrific shy from the left. Aonghas MacDonald met the ball in the air on the penalty spot and in one movement flicked it over his head to Kenny Campbell who was making a great run in behind him. Campbell seemed to be the coolest man in the ground as he slipped the ball past his market and beat the out-rushing MacNiven to clinch a famous victory. It was a goal fit to win any cup final.

There was no respite for Kilmallie as Skye brought on AB Connor after Jamie MacDonald had been caught by one late challenge too many and Alan Palmer replaced goal scorer Iain Nicolson.

The only remaining moments of note were a booking for Kilmallie's Lamont for an unnecessary swing of his stick towards a Skye player. Kilmallie's Rodgers was lucky not to follow him into the book for several petulant pushes on Alan MacLeod which the Skye defender chose to ignore as he had a bigger prize to focus on.

Referee Ron Kennedy's final whistle triggered scenes of celebrations and congratulations for team manager Ally Morrison (pictured above receiving his winners medal from Camanachd Association Chief Executive Gill MacDonald) and his delighted players.  

Keeper Jamie Gannon (pictured above) congratulates goal scorer Kenny Campbell as AB Connor, Gareth Roberts and Alan Palmer look on.

Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon, Steven Morrison, Dougie Rankin, John Moir, Alan MacLeod, Jamie MacDonald, (AB Connor), Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Kerr Gibb, (Shockie MacLennan), Kenny Campbell, Ian Nicolson, (Alan Palmer), Ally MacLennan, Aonghas MacDonald sub Gareth Roberts not used