Memory Lane - Skye Youngsters Sweep The Boards – Part 2. | |
25 January 2010 Saturday 12 April 1997 - MacTavish Juvenile Cup Final
Skye Camanachd U17 2 Kilmallie U17 1
The Skye Camanachd U17 side ended a 14 year wait when they won the MacTavish Juvenile Cup for the first time since 1983.
The Skye youngsters had the thrill of playing in front of a large crowd at the Bught Park, Inverness as this Final took place before the MacTavish Cup Final between Kingussie and Fort William.
This was a keenly contested affair which provided an entertaining spectacle before the main event and both teams went at it straight from the start.
Kilmallie had most of the early pressure although the Skye forwards were always extremely dangerous on the break.
Skye’s difficultly seemed to be providing enough possession for their forwards. Whenever they did get the ball up front, the young Skye attackers always looked likely to score.
Skye almost took the lead on 10 minutes when a John Murphy shot flew inches wide of the post.
However they did go ahead a couple of minutes later when Somhairle MacDonald found space and rifled the ball into the net from the tightest of angles.
The Skye defence soaked up a fair bit of Kilmallie pressure for the remainder of the first half. Full back Stuart Campbell was in excellent form and buckshee back Jamie Nicolson tightly marked Kilmallie danger-man Scott Rodger.
Should Kilmallie get past the Skye defence, they found young keeper Kenny Campbell in confident form in goal.
Kilmallie started the second half strongly and they got their reward 15 minutes into the second period when a David Robertson snap-shot from the edge of the D gave Campbell no chance.
The Skye support suffered a heart in the mouth moment when a Scott Rodger shot came back off the post but was cleared to safety.
Just when it looked as if it would take extra-time to settle the outcome, up popped Jamie Beaton. The young Skye forward made the most of an opportunity just outside the D and his shot found the back of the net to take the Cup over the sea to Skye.
The defeat was hard to take for a young Kilmallie side who had put so much into the game.
However Skye were proving to be a difficult team to beat this season and their shinty ability and determination saw them through in the end.
The win was also an important watershed for the Skye youths as they had been to 6 recent Finals at U14 and U17 level only to lose every one of them.
This victory would prove to be forerunner for a run of winning Final appearances.
The victorious Skye team and coach Donnie Martin then stayed behind to watch the MacTavish Cup Final between Kingussie and Fort William. A Kevin Thain strike ensured the trophy went to Badenoch.
Skye Camanachd U17 from; Kenny Campbell, Stuart Campbell, Ben Wear, Keith MacKenzie, Jamie Nicolson, Ruairidh MacLeod, Allan MacLeod (captain), Scott Gordon, Steven Morrison, Somhairle MacDonald, John Murphy, Jamie Beaton, subs Aonghas MacDonald, Steven Wilson, Coach – Donnie Martin |