Boleskine 2 Skye Camanachd 4 | |
06 May 2014 With John Angus MacInnes and Angie MacDonald on the field, former second team manager Davie MacVicar returned to look after the side from the touchline. Skye remained without Shaun Hedley who was working. There were seven changes to the squad which lost to Fort William the previous weekend. Iain MacLeod returned to the squad in goal in place of Aonghas MacDonald. David Grant and Paul MacKinnon were on first team duty whilst Iain Murray was injured and Magnus Burd, John MacKenzie, Chris Campbell and Ally “Viewfield” MacLeod were unavailable. There are places for U17 pair Conor Ross and Stephen Murchison as well as Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, DJ Gilpin, Daniel Morrison, Ally MacCrimmon and Iain MacLellan. The visitors included seven players under the age of eighteen. Boleskine have made a great start to the season. They went in to the match in third place, only trailing Fort William and Glengarry on goal difference. Skye started brightly and were 1-0 up inside 3 minutes when an Iain MacLeod clearance up the Skye right found Calum Gibb who passed to Stephen Murchison who squared to Iain MacLellan who teed up Angie MacDonald on the edge of the D and he simply rounded keeper Craig Pirrie to tap the ball into the empty net. Boleskine tried to capitalise from winning the throw up Gavin Butterworth shot wide when well placed. Skye continued to press and Stephen Murchison was next to test Boleskine keeper Pirie who saved comfortably. Stephen Murchison then turned provider as he set up Iain MacLellan whose shot was well saved by Pirie. Angie MacDonald shot wide a minute later before play swung to the other end of the pitch where Iain MacLeod pulled off a fine save from the experienced Lewis Smith. Boleskine then enjoyed a period of ascendancy as Smith shot wide and Kyle Pirie blocked a Craig Hazel drive before Iain MacLeod cleared the danger. Ewen Fraser was next to try his luck for Boleskine when he shot just wide. Boleskine eventually equalised when Neil Hope squared the ball across the Skye defence to the unmarked Craig Hazel, who had drifted upfield from wing centre, and he sent an unstoppable shot into the roof of the Skye net from 25 yards. Play then settled down in midfield with Skye next to threaten on 30 minutes when Angie MacDonald brought another save from Boleskine keeper Pirie following a Calum Gibb corner. Boleskine were awarded a penalty by referee Martin MacLean when full back D J Gilpin was adjudged to have kicked the ball inside the D. Lewis Smith was entrusted with the penalty but his thunderous shot was superbly saved by Iain MacLeod. However the Skye defence failed to clear the rebound and when the ball was played back to Smith, he drove it home inside keeper MacLeod's right hand post to put Boleskine 2-1 up with 42 minutes played. Skye kept pressing and got back on level terms when a long range Thomas Wilson shy which found Iain McLellan who turned his man and from an acute angle and thrashed the ball past Craig Pirrie in the Boleskine goal. The half time whistle went moments later with the game finely poised at 2-2. Boleskine surged upfield from the throw up and were 3-2 up within a minute of the restart as Ewen Fraser turned the ball home following a goalmouth scramble with Skye again failing to clear their lines. As Skye tried to bring a spark to their game again, Iain McLellan found space on the left and he sent a rocket shot fizzing just over the bar. Iain Macleod was again in action on 54 minutes when he turned away a Craig Hazel drive. Skye continued to create their own chances and keeper Pirrie cleared the danger following a scramble in the Boleskine goalmouth. As Boleskine sought to kill the game off, Iain MacLeod pulled off a smart save with his hand from a long range Dickie MacKenzie drive. Boleskine extended their lead when Craig Hazel scored his second from close range to make it 4-2 following good lead up play by Lewis Smith. Craig Hazel, Dickie MacKenzie and Ewen Fraser were tops for Boleskine. Best player for Skye was full back D J Gilpin who was well supported by keeper Iain MacLeod and full centre Thomas Wilson, before he picked up an injury, and wing back Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod. Boleskine from: Craig Pirrie; Graham Black, Doneil MacLeod, Keith Nicholson, John Fraser; Craig Hazel, Dickie MacKenzie, Neil Hope; Ewen Fraser, Lewis Smith, Samuel Evans, Gavin Butterworth; subs Mike Pirrie, Kevin Hepburn, Darren MacLeod, Mark Taylor Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod; DJ Gilpin, Kyle Pirie, Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, David MacInnes (captain); Calum Gibb, Thomas Wilson, Daniel Morrison; John Angus MacInnes, Iain McLellan, Stephen Murchison, Angie MacDonald; subs Ryan Morrison, Conor Ross, Ally MacCrimmon Match Referee – Martin MacLean |