Beauly Win 2015 Balliemore Cup Final | |
22 July 2015 Beauly lifted the Balliemore Cup for the first time when they beat Glasgow Mid Argyll 5-3 at the Dell on Saturday 18 July 2015. Glasgow Mid Argyll boss George Hay has had to do without a number of players in recent weeks. Finlay MacMillan and Brendan McLoone are abroad until later in the year as is Conal Mulholland. However the versatile Ben Dalgety was back after missing last weekend’s Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup defeat to Inveraray and he was given a role in defence. Former Aberdeen player Brian Slattery also returned the side. Beauly manager Roger Cormack welcomed the experienced Jamie MacLennan back following a two-match suspension for his red card in the semi-final win over Kilmallie and MacLennan started at full back. Cormack was also relieved that full forward Marc MacLachlan had recovered from a leg knock sustained against Skye Camanachd a fortnight ago and he came through last weekend’s 4-0 win over his former club Ballachulish with no ill-effects. The teams were piped onto the field and were introduced to Camanachd Association President Jim Barr ahead of throw up. The Dell playing surface was in excellent condition as usual. GMA started will and former Kinlochshiel player John Don MacKenzie burst forward from midfield before shooting wide in the game’s first attack. GMA went close on two more occasions before Jack MacDonald sent a 22 yard shot narrowly wide for Beauly. Beauly’s Conor Ross opened the scoring with a goal on 11 minutes when he tapped a rebound into the net after GMA goalie Jonathon Oates had saved from Marc MacLachlan following a Beauly shy on the left. Barrie MacDonald looped a shot over the top after lead up play from Marc MacLachlan and Beauly lad their tails up. GMA drew level on 20 minutes when Angus MacIntosh got a touch on a John Don MacKenzie free-hit in the D from the left side of midfield and as Beauly keeper Josh Grant tried to clear, the ball deflected into the net off his leg to make it 1-1. If there were any fears that Beauly would falter having lost out in three previous Balliemore finals, then the players certainly didn’t show it and they went on to overwhelm GMA in the remainder of the half. Indeed the sides were level for just 60 seconds as Beauly regained the initiative from the throw up. Marc MacLachlan collected a ball from midfield and he found Calum Morrison who teed up Conor Ross on the right, he lashed the ball high into the net to score his second to make it 2-1. Merely a couple of more minutes had elapsed before Beauly made it 3-1 thanks to another MacLachlan - Ross combination. Conor Ross played a free-hit forward from inside his own half and Marc MacLachlan tested Jonathon Oates with a shot goalwards and although the keeper made the save, Conor Ross was on hand and the player they call Bub bust GMA’s bubble when he completed his hat-trick as he sent the rebound low into the net to complete his hat-trick. GMA tried to fight back but Beauly were in full flight and Sean Stewart made it 4-1 on 33 minutes. Marc MacLachlan got past his marker and found Conor Ross who set-up Stewart who fired goalwards. Jonathon Oates got his hand to the shot but he couldn’t stop the ball from going over the line. Conor Ross recently became a father and he continued the celebrations following the birth of his daughter with a fourth goal on 37 minutes to make it 5-1. Jack MacDonald created the goal on the Beauly left and his cross-field pass found Ross on the right and he smashed the ball across the keeper. Marc MacLachlan went close as Beauly threatened to run away with the match. GMA pressed in the closing stages of the first half without troubling Josh Grant in the Beauly goal. Beauly went into the break knowing they could now only throw the trophy away. They made a change at the interval with Ryan MacKay replacing Jamie MacLennan. Conor Ross hit the post before GMA pulled a goal back on 53 minutes when John Don MacKenzie turned his marker and ran on to shoot through a crowded goal-area into the ball went into the right-hand corner of Josh Grant’s net to make it 5-2. Jonathon Oates made a couple of good saves and a Marc MacLachlan effort was cleared off the line as Beauly looked to add to their tally. Beauly replaced Calum Morrison with Sandy Elrick before David MacLean limped off after taking a blow to the leg and Colin MacDonald came on in his place. GMA tried hard to reduce the deficit further but the Beauly rear-guard stayed strong. The Glasgow side threw on Craig Anderson for the final 10 minutes. Anderson has hardly featured since early-April through injury and GMA have missed his goals and he forced a good save from Josh Grant, low at his left post, shortly after coming on. Referee John MacGregor awarded GMA a penalty in stoppage time. Beauly keeper Josh Grant had come off his line in an attempt to clear the ball out of his goal area but he was penalised for flattening John Don MacKenzie, who had a fine game for the Glasgow side, at the edge of the D. Craig Anderson made no mistake from the spot, tucking a shoulder-high shot inside the keeper’s right post to make it 5-3. There were only seconds to go though and the final whistle signalled the Beauly celebrations. Beauly captain David MacLean was presented with the Balliemore Cup by Camanachd Association President Jim Barr. |