The Skye Camanachd second team are through to the Strathdearn Cup quarter finals following their 5-1 win over Boleskine at Farr on Saturday 21 May 2011.
Skye manager Davie MacVicar made just 3 changes from the side which lost to Lovat last weekend.
Iain Morrison returned to first team duty whilst Iain MacLellan was also promoted to the top team for the first time. Manager MacVicar also left himself out of the squad. Jordan Murchison and Paul MacKinnon returned from first team duty last weekend and John MacLeod started in defence.
Skye captain John MacLeod won the toss of the coin and opted to take the advantage of the stiff breeze blowing down Smith Park.
Skye almost opened the scoring with just 2 minutes on the clock as Stewart Grant played in Jordan Murchison and his first time drive was saved with his foot by keeper Weatherspoon in the Boleskine goal. With only his heel planted on the ground there were loud appeals for a Skye penalty but referee Jock Matheson was not interested.
In another flowing move involving Paul MacKinnon and Jordan Murchison, Will Cowie fired just over when teed up by Murchison.
With 10 minutes gone, Weatherspoon came to Boleskine’s rescue again when he saved another Murchison effort following good work by John MacKenzie.
Skye were dominant and Stewart Grant was next to threaten when he sent a 40 yard drive just wide of target.
In the Islanders next foray into the Boleskine half, Allan MacKinnon set off on a mazy run which took him past two defenders before unleashing a rasping drive on the Boleskine goal. MacKinnon was about to turn in celebration when Weatherspoon pulled off a stunning save to tip the ball over the bar.
Boleskine were clearly boosted by their keeper’s heroics and they launched an attack of their own which saw Lewis Smith fire wide from 20 yards.
Skye suffered a blow following this Boleskine attack when full back David Grant had to leave the field with an ankle injury. Grant was clearly in discomfort and he was replaced by Calum Gibb who slotted in at right wing back with skipper MacLeod taking up the full back role.
Skye were unaffected by the change and they continued to attack with John Mackenzie’s net bound effort turned away for a corner by wing back John Fraser.
Skye finally opened their account on 32 minutes with a well worked goal that started when buckshee back Scott MacLeod intercepted a Boleskine attack. MacLeod slipped the ball to full centre Ally MacDonald who played in Allan MacKinnon. He turned his marker before playing an inch perfect pass to young Will Cowie who made no mistake from 15 yards to make it 1-0.
Just 6 minutes later, Cowie was denied a second by another excellent save from Weatherspoon.
Skye doubled their advantage on 39 minutes with a rare Stewart Grant goal from a lofted drive from all of 35 yards.
Skye were enjoying a purple patch and they went 3-0 up on 41 minutes following another well worked goal. The move was again started in defence with Calum Gibb, Mark Mortimer and Allan MacKinnon all involved before Mackinnon’s slide-rule pass set up Jordan Murchison to apply the finish.
A minute later Skye were 4-0 in front. This time Murchison turned provider when he turned full back Graham Black to set up Will Cowie who dinked the ball past his marker before sending a blistering back hand drive into the left hand side of the Boleskine net.
Boleskine were not giving up however and Skye keeper Ross Graham came to his team’s rescue, saving from Lewis Smith at the expense of a corner.
Boleskine were clearly fired up by virtue of their half time team talk and second half wind advantage and they reduced the arrears a couple of minutes after the restart when Lewis Smith’s powerful drive beat keeper Graham despite his getting a hand to the ball.
Skye’s half time advantage was beginning to look vulnerable as they were forced to defend in numbers for a period of time.
The visitors were however back on the attack soon after and following a well worked corner between Paul MacKinnon and Allan MacKinnon, the latter fired into the side of the home net.
Boleskine enjoyed another period of ascendancy in which Ross Graham made a fine save to prevent Ewen Fraser from adding a second for Boleskine.
Fraser made room for himself again moments later but saw his shot flew wide of the post.
Skye thought they had extended their lead in their next attack as Weatherspoon saved from Murchison and Cowie knocked the rebound into net, However referee Matheson awarded a free hit to the home defence for a kick by a Skye player in the build-up to the goal.
The Islander then began to come back into the game and young Cowie shot just wide twice in quick succession following good work involving Stewart Grant, Allan MacKinnon and Jordan Murchison.
With 77 minutes on the clock Murchison was denied a second goal when his thumping drive from 20 yards cannoned off the right hand post.
Boleskine fought back and in their next attack it took the combined efforts of John MacLeod, Martin Bruce and Ross Graham to deny full forward Ian Grant. Lewis Smith could only fire wide from the resultant corner.
The home side was reduced to 11 men when Mike Pirie was sent off by referee Matheson. Pirie was originally booked for comments made to referee Jock Matheson following a challenge from Skye’s Martin Bruce and he received a second booking for continuing his protests after Skye’s Allan MacKinnon got involved.
Skye returned to the attack they went 5-1 up following neat interplay between Ally MacDonald and Allan MacKinnon which ended with another measured pass to Jordan Murchison who blasted the ball home from 20 yards.
In the end, this was a comfortable win for Skye who have now reached the last eight of both the Strathdearn and Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cups. Their Strathdearn opponents will be Newtonmore at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Skye had top performers in forwards Will Cowie and Jordan Murchison who looked like they would score every time they got the ball.
Boleskine from; Ewen Weatherspoon, Graham Black, Keith Nicolson, Sandy Fraser, John Fraser, Philip Cairney, Michael Pirie, Ben Taylor MacPherson, Lewis Smith, Ewen Fraser, Raymond Robertson, Ian Grant subs Andrew Young, Gavin Butterworth, Robert Weatherspoon, Peter Tinney, Donnie Forbes
Skye Camanachd from; Ross Graham David Grant, John MacLeod (captain), Martin Bruce, Scott MacLeod, Allan MacKinnon, Ally MacDonald, Stewart Grant, Paul MacKinnon, Jordan Murchison, Will Cowie, John MacKenzie subs Calum Gibb, Mark Mortimer, Daniel Morrison,
Match Referee – Jock Matheson