Badenoch 6 Skye Camanachd 3 | |
04 September 2022 Skye Camanachd put in a battling display before eventually going down 6-3 to Badenoch’s in the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup Final at the Eilan on Saturday 3 September 2022. There was a carnival atmosphere throughout the afternoon as Newtonmore hosted Women’s Cup Final Day and a big crowd were treated to a final played at a frantic pace. Ahead of the match, the squads were introduced to Jayne MacKay from sponsors Mowi and Peter Gow, long-term supporter of the player of the match award. Skye were dealt a massive blow when defender Christina MacDonald had to pull out on the morning of the game after feeling unwell. Ruby MacLeod came into the side meaning Skye fielded three 16-year-olds across their defence. Badenoch coaches Scott Campbell and Iain Robinson had injury concerns ahead of the final. Young defender Kirsty Grant was carrying an ankle injury, but successfully passed a fitness test on Saturday morning. Chloe Baikie picked up a knock the previous week playing for Kingussie under-17s whilst Hope Borthwick had been nursing a couple injuries throughout the season and both Baikie and Borthwick were able to start on the bench. Badenoch, with the wind in their favour, created the final’s first chance with Jeanette MacGregor running through on goal but she couldn’t hit the target and then Skye keeper Sarah-Jane Ferguson, who was to have a busy afternoon, came out to the left of her D to foil Kirsty Deans. Deans looked in the mood and a run in from the left finished with another Ferguson save. It was to be a recurring theme. The opening goal was coming and it was no surprise when Kirsty Deans broke the deadlock on 10 minutes, turning and shooting low into the net from a central position following Mairi Stewart’s corner on the left. Skye keeper Ferguson saved well with her right foot from Jeannette MacGregor after good lead up play from both Kirsty Deans and Rhona McIntyre. At a goal down midway through the first half, Skye looked a much better prospect than when they lost 15-1 against Badenoch in the league in July and good play from Holly Maclean set up a chance for Donna MacKenzie but her strike went wide. The personal battle between Kirsty Deans and Sarah-Jane Ferguson continues and the Skye custodian brilliantly turned away a backhand strike with her club and came off her line to block Zoe Reid soon after. Ferguson then saved from Kirsty Deans whilst Zoe Reid’s point-blank strike from the rebound came off the keeper’s helmet and went for a corner. At the other end, Kirsty Grant challenged well to stop Holly Maclean getting a shot in. Despite their early dominance, Badenoch only had a single goal to show for their efforts and Skye made them pay on 29 minutes. Holly Maclean played a one-two with Jenna Beaton before blasting home on her backhand, across keeper Elizabeth MacGregor from the left of the D, to make it 1-1. Badenoch regained the lead on 32 minutes when Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved from Zoe Reid, but Kirsty Deans made space from the rebound before sending the ball low past the Skye keeper. However, Skye went straight up the park to equalise as skipper Caitlin Maclean turned home a rebound off goalie MacGregor from a tight angle at the front post following Holly Maclean’s low ball from the left and it remained 2-2 until the break. There was a familiar start to the second half as Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved with her foot following another surging Kirsty Deans run. Badenoch took the lead for a third time on 46 minutes. Kirsty Deans took a pass from midfield before turning and shooting goalwards. The ball bounced back out of the goal and there was confusion for a few seconds as to whether the ball had crossed the line but eagle-eyed goal judge Laura MacKay spotted that the ball had come back off the back stanchion and referee Des Mcnulty awarded a goal giving Kirsty Deans a hat-trick. Sarah-Jane Ferguson made an excellent double-save; first when Jeanette MacGregor played the ball to Kirsty Deans but Ferguson saved with her foot before scrambled down to slap the ball away for a corner. Then Zoe Reid held off Rhianna Kirk’s solid challenge before seeing her shot saved onto post. Remarkably, Skye levelled for a third time on 58 minutes. Rhianna Kirk’s corner from right came to Caitlin Maclean who found Holly Maclean to the left of the D and she scored her second goal of the afternoon to make it 3-3. Badenoch bounced back brilliantly though as, just a minute later, a great touch from Kirsty Deans got her ahead of her marker and she finished well to make it 4-3 and this time Badenoch stayed in front. Deans took her goal haul to five on 66 minutes, coming deep before leaving the Skye defence in her wake as she went on a solo run before slipping the ball home and Badenoch led by two goals for the first time in the final. The goal knocked the stuffing out of Skye and they again relied on keeper Ferguson who this time saved with her feet from Rhona McIntyre. Zoe Reid’s wing play was a feature of the Badenoch attack and as the final moved into stoppage time, Reid cut in from the right to strike low into the net on her backhand, beating the keeper on her left side to make it 6-3. The final action of this enthralling clash saw Badenoch goalie Elizabeth MacGregor expertly use her club to turn away Jenna Beaton’s shot which was heading for the top corner of the net to the keeper’s right and it was Badenoch who retained the trophy. It isn’t often a player will score five goals in a cup final and not collect the player of the match accolade, but this was one prize that alluded Kirsty Deans as Sarah Jane Ferguson’s heroics between the sticks earned her the silver salver from sponsor Peter Gow. Badenoch captain Kirsty Deans was presented with the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup by Jayne MacKay from sponsors Mowi. The sides meet again this coming Saturday in what is effectively a Mowi National Division title decider. Badenoch have a one-point advantage at the top of the table with an infinitely superior goal difference, so a draw retains the title. However, a Skye victory gives them the championship so there is everything to play for. |