Fort William 2 Skye Camanachd 1 (after extra time) | |
17 June 2014 It took extra time to separate Fort William and Skye Camanachd before the Fort ran out winners in the inaugural RBS MacTavish Plate Final at Craigard, Invergarry on Saturday 7 June 2014. This new trophy was designed to provide extra matches for sides knocked out of the RBS MacTavish Cup at the first round stage. Orion Group Premiership side Kingussie knocked Marine Harvest National Division side Fort William out of the RBS MacTavish Cup. The An Aird side then had a first round Plate win over Strathglass before being give a walk-over in the semi finals as Boleskine were unable to raise a team. Co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson added Gary Innes, who was still carrying a bit of a hamstring injury, to the squad which knocked Caberfeidh out of the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup the previous Saturday. However Bryan Simpson was missing as he was on a stag weekend. Neil Robertson and Jack Fraser were both injured. After exiting the RBS MacTavish Cup to Orion Group Premiership side Glenurquhart, Marine Harvest North Division 1 side Skye Camanachd beat Lochaber and Inverness on their way to the Plate final. Manager John MacLeod had a full squad to choose from as he added Neil MacVicar and Kenny MacLeod to the pool which beat Bute in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup the previous weekend. There was a minutes silence ahead of throw up in memory of Richard Emery who passed away earlier in the week. Richard played for Fort William when he worked in the area and he also ran a couple of businesses on Skye before moving abroad. The Islanders played with a slight wind at their backs in the first half. Skye attacked from the throw up and Fort William keeper Paul MacKay had to come off his line in the opening minute to sweep away a Gilleasbuig MacDonald shy from the left which had bounced into the D. Skye forced a series of early corners and Paul MacKay saved a Shockie MacLennan drive with his legs and the ball was turned away for a corner. Iain Murray was next to try his luck but his backhand effort went wide. Gordie MacKinnon and Arran MacPhee linked up to try and create an opportunity for Fort William but Steven Morrison stepped in to clear the danger. Gary Innes played the ball back to Alexander MacMillan following a set-piece but the youngster’s shot went over the top. Fort William’s Daniel Stewart wriggled free of the Skye defence on 13 minutes but his strike went wide of goal. Skye came closest to taking the lead on 18 minutes. First Paul MacKay made a terrific save to keep out a Danny Morrison shot which was heading for the top left corner of the net. Then Kenny Campbell pushed the rebound towards Will Cowie who flicked the ball goalwards but, agonisingly for Skye, it came off the post and keeper Mackay put the ball out for another Skye corner. At the other end, Gary Innes collected possession in a central position but put his shot past the post. Paul MacKay had to palm away a Kenny Campbell ball into the goal area as Skye looked the likelier to score. Play was stopped on 27 minutes as Skye wing back Ally “Spod” MacLeod required treatment for a blow to the foot and Steven Morrison was treated after being struck on the hand by a caman. Both players carried on. Fort William took the lead after pressing the Skye goal on 33 minutes. Niall MacPhee chipped the ball forward from midfield and Daniel Stewart controlled his pass before playing the ball down the middle where Arran MacPhee allowed it to run to Gordie MacKinnon who rifled a shot high into the net to make it 1-0. It was tough on Skye with the goal coming against the run of play. Neil MacVicar came on in defence for the limping Ally “Spod” MacLeod. Gordie MacKinnon came deep to collect possession. His ball forward found Arran MacPhee who ran across the Skye goal but his shot was deflected away for a corner by Ally MacDonald. Fort William tried hard for a second goal. A Gary Innes shot from a Chris Bamber shy was saved with his legs by Jamie Gannon. Arran MacPhee latched onto the rebound but Gannon again got his body in the way to save at the expense of a corner. Skye settled down again after the loss of the opening goal and they forced three quick corners without troubling Paul MacKay. Fort William struck back and, with the first half drawing to a close, Daniel Stewart ran onto a neat Gary Innes ball but Jamie Gannon ran off his line to get his body in the way of the shot and he deflected the ball for a corner. There was still time for two late first half Danny Morrison attempts – one went over the bar and the other past the post so Fort William took their single score advantage into the break. Gary Innes was clearly troubled by his hamstring injury and he moved to full forward for the Fort. Arran MacPhee had the first shot of the second period but he pulled the ball wide of goal. Niall MacPhee received the games’ first booking for a challenge on Gilleasbuig MacDonald. Stevie Stewart ran towards the comer flag on the right to clear the ball from the resultant free-hit but pulled his hamstring. His final was over after 53 minutes and co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson brought James Tangey on in his place. John MacLeod reshuffled his pack after 57 minutes with Jordan Murchison coming on for Iain Murray. Gilleasbuig MacDonald went to full centre, Will Cowie dropped back to wing centre and Murchison joined the forward line. Gary Innes was finding it difficult to run because of his injury and Graham Campbell took over from him after 59 minutes. Arran MacPhee went close from a Gordie MacKinnon free-hit and both Graham Campbell and Daniel Stewart shot wide following a shys on the left as Fort William looked to double their advantage. The heat meant both sets of players were taking every opportunity to take on water and the managers refreshed their sides with Fort William taking on Calum Shepherd at wing centre in place of Alexander MacMillan. Kenny MacLeod came on for Skye with Allan MacKinnon withdrawn and Kenny Campbell dropped back to midfield. Skye levelled on 77 minutes. Shockie MacLennan came deep to win possession. He found Danny Morrison who played the ball on to Jordan Murchison and he cut in from the right and took a touch before blasting the ball high into the net and his spectacular finish made it 1-1. It was game on and Daniel Stewart received the game’s second yellow card for a poor challenge on Chris Rose. The Fort forward was substituted seconds later with Alexander MacMillan coming back on in his place. A Will Cowie cross from the left caused problems in the Fort defence and the ball was scrambled away for a corner on the Skye left. Will Cowie took the resultant corner and Shockie MacLennan was caught on the wrist by Sean Cameron as he tried to get on the end of the cross and the Skye forward required treatment. Jordan Murchison shot wide from wide on the right as Skye continued to press. Graham Campbell juggled the ball before shooting wide as Fort William fought back. Danny Morrison drove wide from a Will Cowie free hit from the left as Skye finished strongly. Fort William forced a corner but Will Cowie volleyed the ball clear and as Skye broke quickly, a Kenny MacLeod cross from the left found Kenny Campbell but he was unable to get a shot in and Sean Cruickshank cleared the danger. As the final went into injury time, Ally MacDonald did superbly well to cut out a Gordie MacDonald ball and Steven Morrison cleared the ball upfield. Jordan Murchison found Kenny MacLeod with a free-hit from the right but Paul MacKay saved with his feet and cleared for a corner. After just over 4 minutes of extra-time, referee Archie Ritchie took the final into an extra time period. Danny Morrison had the first chance of the extra time period when he got a shot in from a Will Cowie free hit but he tugged the ball wide. Fort William went back in front of 95 minutes. Calum Shepherd won possession in midfield and found Alexander MacMillan who played the ball out to the Fort William right where Graham Campbell knocked it on to Chris Bamber. Gordie MacKinnon collected Bamber’s pass infield and he spun his marker before flicking the ball into the net to make it 2-1. It was a soft goal for Skye to lose but Fort William had their noses back in front and they were going to prove difficult to shift. The Islanders responded and Ally MacDonald gathered possession and played the ball out to the Skye right where Jordan Murchison turned his marker and fired goalwards but Paul MacKay made a great save above his head with his caman. A Chris Bamber snap-shot from a corner on the right wasn’t too far away. Kenny Campbell was booked moments into the second period of extra-time for a challenge which left Gordie MacKinnon on the turf. James Tangey was next to be booked for holding Will Cowie back with the Skye player looking for advantage to be played. Daniel Stewart came back on midway through the second half of extra-time. Paul MacKay made another brilliant save on 108 minutes to keeper out a Shockie MacLennan shot which was heading for the top corner of his net after the Skye forward collected an Allan MacKinnon shy. At the other end, Jamie Gannon did just well to save a 20 yard drive from Gordie MacKinnon. Paul MacKay stopped a Will Cowie effort with his feet and put the ball out for a corner as Skye made a final push with 3 minutes remaining. However there was to be no equalising goal as referee Archie Ritchie’s final whistle signalled celebration in the Fort William camp. Fort William had keeper Paul MacKay to thanks for a couple of outstanding saves whilst Sean Cameron, Gordie MacKinnon – who belies his years - and particularly the energetic Arran MacPhee, all stood out. Steven Morrison, Ally MacDonald, Kenny Campbell and Will Cowie were excellent for a Skye team in which nobody played below par. Fort William captain Paul MacKay was presented with the inaugural RBS MacTavish Plate by Martin Girvan from RBS. Camanachd Association Vice President Jim Barr was also on hand as Camanachd Association Chief Operating Officer Torquil MacLeod led the proceedings. Fort William from: Paul MacKay (captain); Lewis Smith, Sean Cruickshank, Sean Cameron, Stevie Stewart; Chris Bamber, Niall MacPhee, Alexander MacMillan; Gordie MacKinnon, Arran MacPhee, Gary Innes, Daniel Stewart subs James Tangey, Graham Campbell, Calum Shepherd, Gregor Cameron, Jamie Cruickshank Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Steven Morrison, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Ally MacDonald, Chris Rose; Allan MacKinnon, Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Iain Murray; Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, Kenny Campbell, Shockie MacLennan; subs Neil MacVicar, Jordan Murchison, Kenny MacLeod, David Grant, Iain MacLellan Match Referee – Archie Ritchie Goal Judges – Billy MacLeod, Russell Ross Scorers Fort William Gordie MacKinnon (33, 95) Skye Camanachd Jordan Murchison (77) Video Footage |