Fort William 2 Skye Camanachd 2 | |
04 July 2016 Skye Camanachd recorded their sixth draw in their seven league fixtures so far this season when they drew 2-2 in their Marine Harvest Premiership meeting with Fort William at An Aird on Saturday 2 July 2016. Fort William co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson were boosted by Arran MacPhee’s return to the first team squad last weekend after a long injury lay-off but Stevie Stewart was missing. Seamus Gall started for Fort William despite playing for the reserves earlier in the day. Substitutes Ryan Boyle, Padraig McNeil and Lewis Clark also played in the reserve game. Skye Camanachd manager John MacLeod made two changes to his squad. Chris MacLennan was out with a broken finger whilst Neil MacVicar was a late injury call-off so Steven Morrison started at full back. They were replaced by John Gillies and Kenny Campbell. Allan MacKinnon and Shockie MacLennan remained on the injury list. This 3pm throw-up was delayed by around 15 minutes as the goals were repositioned after the earlier match between the Fort William and Kinlochshiel reserves had made for muddy goalmouths. There was an even start to the game and Skye’s Danny Morrison shot past the post from the left wing on 15 minutes before Fort keeper Paul MacKay saved from Morrison just seconds later. Skye took the lead on 17 minutes. James Pringle was fouled inside the D when through on goal and referee Graham Cameron pointed to the penalty spot. Jordan Murchison made no mistake from the resultant spot-hit. Fort William’s Arran MacPhee fired the ball over the bar from 20 yards out on 20 minutes. Jamie Gannon saved well with his feet a minute later before Paul MacKay denied Danny Morrison on 27 minutes, making a good stop from Morrison’s 15 yard shot. The how side equalised on 31 minutes when Bryan Simpson managed to create a bit of space for himself, 20 yards out, and he hit a low drive which evaded Gannon in the Skye goal. Skye pressed again and a 20 yard rocket from Jordan Murchison was deflected for a corner on 33 minutes. Skye made an early change with 5 first half minutes remaining as wing centre David MacInnes was withdrawn and Iain Murray came on in his place. A couple of minutes later, a James Pringle snap-shot drifted wide. A 20 yarder from Bryan Simpson sailed over the bar on 44 minutes and it remained 1-1 at the break. Fort William made the better start to the second half with Stewart going close on 47 and 49 minutes. Arran MacPhee needed treatment after taking a knock to the side of the head and he was only able to continue for a couple of minutes before being replaced by Ryan Boyle. A Skye free-hit fell to Danny Morrison and he screwed the ball past Paul MacKay's right hand post. Gannon made a great save with his stick on 50 minutes as he dived to his right to keep out a waist-high Bryan Simpson shot which was heading for the corner of the net. Jordan Murchison, who was man-marked by James Tangney, had a chance on 57 minutes when he drifted in on goal but keeper MacKay saved with his legs. Ally "Spod" MacLeod came on for Chris Rose after an hour and, shortly after, Arran MacPhee returned to the field of play. Jordan Murchison cut in from the right before shooting wide and, before play restarted, James Tangney was booked for persistent fouling after catching Will Cowie in the build-up play ahead of Murchison’s shot. Fort William’s Seamus Gall put the Fort in front. An unmarked Gall collected a short pass from Bryan Simpson and he sent a lofted ball from 15 yards out on the left, which deceived Skye keeper Jamie Gannon to make it 2-1 with 64 minutes played. A Bryan Simpson shot from wide on the right flashed across the goal a minute later. Iain Nicolson came on at full forward for Skye on 66 minutes. Gilleasbuig MacDonald came off with Will Cowie dropping into the centre line. Skye began to control the game and a Jordan Murchison shot deflected off a defender for a corner. Murchison then slipped the ball inside to Pringle but he shot wide of goal with MacKay saving from Murchison moments later. A Fort William shot from the left flew wide following a set-piece. Skye again shuffled the pack on 78 minutes as Gilleasbuig MacDonald returned at full centre with Kenny Campbell pushed into the forward line and James Pringle withdrawn. A Fort corner from the right deflected just past Jamie Gannon’s right post of a corner on the other side. Skye equalised with just 3 minutes remaining when a Kenny Campbell drive from the left was deflected for a corner. Iain Murray’s corner from the left fell at the feet of Jordan Murchison at the edge of the D and he blasted the ball past a helpless Paul MacKay in the Fort goal to make it 2-2. There was a late bookings for Jack Fraser and Arran MacPhee. This was a below-par performance from Skye and they fell well short of the showing against Kinlochshiel a week earlier. However they at least came away with a point. The only stand-out for the Islanders was full back Steven Morrison. Fort William from: Paul MacKay; Mark Grant, James Tangney, Sean Cruickshank, Niall MacPhee; Calum Shepherd, Jack Fraser, Seamus Gall; Bryan Simpson, Dean Williamson, Arran MacPhee, Daniel Stewart; subs Ryan Boyle, Padraig McNeil, Lewis Clark Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Steven Morrison, John Gillies, Ally MacDonald, Chris Rose; David MacInnes, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, James Pringle; Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Kenny Campbell; subs Iain Murray, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Iain Nicolson Match Referee – Graham Cameron Scorers Fort William Bryan Simpson (31) Seamus Gall (64) Skye Camanachd Jordan Murchison (17 pen, 87)
Click on the following links to watch Jim Clark's video action from the game: |