Kyles Athletic Clinch SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final Place - UPDATED! | |
20 August 2015 Kyles Athletic will play Lovat in the 2015 SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final after they beat Newtonmore 3-2 following extra-time in their 4.05pm throw up at the Taynuilt Sports Field on Saturday 15 August 2015. Newtonmore’s Michael Russell missed out as he served a one-game ban for exceeding the disciplinary points threshold. Captain Cameron Binnie was late arriving to the game as he was held up in a queue of traffic following a road accident so he started on the bench. There was a starting spot for Scott Campbell with Jamie Robinson going to full centre whilst they were joined in midfield by Paul MacArthur who returned from injury. Chris Sellar missed out. Kyles Athletic have had to re-adjust their defence this season since Zac Coley and Donald Irvine have moved abroad to work. Callum Miller and Andrew King were joined at the back by Cammy Keith and Thomas Whyte. Innes MacDonald started at wing centre. The match was televised live by BBC ALBA and it was ideal conditions for shinty at Taynuilt’s excellent home pitch. Robbie MacLeod chipped a ball in on goal after 3 minutes but ‘More keeper palmed his effort away before the danger was cleared. Jamie Robinson took a sore one to the head when he was accidently caught by Andrew King’s trailing stick after 8 minutes but Robinson continued after treatment. Evan Menzies pulled a shot wide of goal on 14 minutes. Kyles’ John Whyte then did well to stop a Glen MacKintosh shot from distance which dropped in front of his feet just a couple of minutes later. Roddy MacDonald was the game’s first booking, cautioned for bad language with almost 20 minutes played. John Whyte palmed away a Paul MacArthur shy from the left and cleared for a corner on 26 minutes and Whyte saved with his feet from a Glen MacKintosh drive following Scott Campbell’s corner on the right. Glen MacKintosh required treatment after an accidental clash with Callum Miller on 29 minutes. Kyles started to enjoy a period of pressure and Dunkie Kerr sent a shot through a ruck of players but just wide of Michael Ritchie’s right post on 34 minutes. Cameron Binnie replaced Evan Menzies who limped off with just under 10 first half minutes remaining. As the semi-final moved into the closing 5 minutes of the first half, Robbie MacLeod broke down the right and checked back before shooting goalwards but Michael Ritchie saved with his feet. Callum Miller hauled down Glen MacKintosh just outside the D but John Whyte cleared the danger from the set-piece. A turn and shot from Roddy MacDonald went wide on 43 minutes. There wasn’t much to report from a subdued first half where both defences were very much on top. It seemed nerves and the magnitude of what was at stake engulfed both sets of players. Kyles made a lively start to the second half and Michael Ritchie had to look lively as he swept a ball into the D away for a corner. Dunkie Kerr was booked for speaking out of turn on 53 minutes. Kyles went in front on 55 minutes. Andy MacKintosh pushed the ball out of defence but only as far as Robbie MacLeod who had the presence of mind to pick out Dunkie Kerr in space and Kerr sent a superb swerving shot high into the ‘More net to make it 1-0. Innes MacDonald sent a shot from distance just wide with almost an hour played. Scott Chisholm replaced a tiring Scott Campbell for Newtonmore on 61 minutes. Glen MacKintosh was yellow-carded for a late swing which caught Andrew King on 64 minutes. Conor Jones replaced Jamie Robinson a minute later with Cameron Binnie going to full centre. Gordon Whyte flashed a shot just over the bar from an Innes MacDonald shy on 70 minutes. Play quickly switched to the other end of the field and Newtonmore had the ball in the net through Cameron Binnie. However referee Innes Wood had already blown for an infringement for David Zavaroni’s challenge on Binnie just before he scored. Referee Wood consulted with goal judge Dougie Cameron before pointing to the penalty spot. Glen MacKintosh’s well-hit penalty was superbly saved by John Whyte but Paul MacArthur was first to the rebound and he kept his cool and controlled the ball before flicking it past Whyte to make it 1-1. There was confusion for a few seconds as the goal judge seemed to indicate offside but referee Wood clarified that the ball had not left the D following the save. There was a clash between Fraser MacKintosh and Callum Miller on 77 minutes and MacKintosh was booked by referee Innes Wood, with Miller requiring treatment to a cut nose. Newtonmore brought Evan Menzies back on in place of Craig Ritchie before play restarted. When the ball broke to Grant Irvine with 6 minutes remaining, he sent a shot a whisker wide of target. Roberto Zavaroni replaced Gordon Whyte with just over a minute of the regulation 90 minutes remaining. Newtonmore had a great chance to win it in the closing seconds when Fraser MacKintosh held off his marker Cammy Keith to get on the end of a long ball from Connor Jones, but his point-blank shot was superbly saved by John Whyte with an out-stretched left leg. Seconds later, referee Innes Wood took the tie into extra-time The first period of extra-time was only seconds old when Grant Irvine launched a beautifully weighted ball from the middle of the park onto Michael Ritchie’s goal and the keeper did well to follow the flight of the ball before tipping it away for a corner. Grant Irvine then missed his hit at the back post - the ball seemed to take a bobble at the worst time - and although Irvine regained possession, there were no takers for his low cross from the tight. Gordon Whyte came back on for Innes MacDonald who had cramp with 5 minutes of extra-time played. Cameron Binnie required treatment after getting a knock to the knee from David Zavaroni on 97 minutes. Fraser MacKintosh had the ball in the net from a corner on the right on 100 minutes but the goal was ruled out for offside. Seconds later, a wild David Zavaroni swing caught Andy MacKintosh and earned the Kyles’ man a booking. John Whyte came off his line to bravely foil a Connor Jones run on 102 minutes and the keeper required treatment before continuing. Roberto Zavaroni and Glen MacKintosh clashed in midfield as the first half of extra-time drew to a close with Zavaroni perhaps fortunate that the incident took place behind the referee’s back. The half ended with Newtonmore looking the likelier to go in front but the sides remained deadlocked at 1-1. Kyles got themselves back in front on 107 minutes. Grant Irvine broke down the right and cut the ball inside to David Zavaroni who shot goalwards under a challenge from Andy MacKintosh and the spinning ball looped high into the net to make it 2-1. Newtonmore felt that Norman Campbell had been fouled earlier in the move but Innes Wood waved away their protests. ‘More’s Fraser MacKintosh was replaced by Jamie Robinson with 10 minutes remaining. Steven MacDonald moved into attack, Robinson slotted into midfield and Cameron Binnie dropped back into defence. Kyles took Roddy MacDonald back into midfield as the Tighnabruaich men looked to protect their lead. However they did better than that on 112 minutes. A Dunkie Kerr shy from the right fell for David Zavaroni who played a one-two with Roberto Zavaroni before picking out Gordon Whyte at the back post and he had time to stop the ball with his feet before striking it high past Michael Ritchie to make it 3-1. Newtonmore went for broke and they pushed Norman Campbell into attack whilst Kyles were always danger-out on the counter-attack. Ross MacRae replaced Gordon Whyte with just under 3 minutes remaining. Newtonmore forced some late corners and, as the tie moved a minute into stoppage time, Evan Menzies sent the ball high into the net on his back-hand following a corner on the right. There was time for one more Newtonmore attack but it was fitting that the excellent Callum Miller cleared the danger. Kyles saw out the closing seconds to seal the win and their captain Callum Miller was correctly named BBC ALBA man of the match by match summeriser Stewart MacKenzie for an outstanding performance in defence. Kyles Athletic will now play Lovat in the 2015 SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final at Mossfield on Saturday 19 September 2015. Newtonmore from: Michael Ritchie; Norman Campbell, Steven MacDonald, Andy MacKintosh, Rory Kennedy: Scott Campbell, Jamie Robinson, Paul MacArthur; Craig Ritchie, Fraser MacKintosh, Evan Menzies, Glen MacKintosh; subs Cameron Binnie (captain), Scott Chisholm, Conor Jones Kyles Athletic: John Whyte; Callum Miller (captain), Cameron Keith, Andrew King, Thomas Whyte; Innes MacDonald, David Zavaroni, Robbie MacLeod; Grant Irvine, Roddy MacDonald, Dunkie Kerr, Gordon Whyte; subs Roberto Zavaroni, Ross MacRae, Matthew MacColl Match Referee: Innes Wood Goal Judges: Jon Gallagher, Dougie Cameron |