Penalty Agony For Islanders - Skye Camanachd 1 Kingussie 1 (Kingussie won 3-2 on penalties) | |
01 April 2013 Skye Camanachd came within a whisker of claiming the scalp of Orion Group Premiership side Kingussie in the Co-operative MacTavish Cup first round at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 30 March 2013. Skye Camanachd manager Willie MacRae was without the services of Chris Rose who will be out for several weeks as he awaits an operation on his injured finger. Iain Nicolson was working but Shaun Hedley returned to take up a place on the bench. Gilleasbuig MacDonald recovered in time after picking up a facial injury last week and he made a dash to Portree after completing his morning work commitments in Glasgow. Kingussie co-manager Russell Jones took charge of the team as Davie Anderson had another appointment. Kings were without Savio Genini who was suspended after collecting a red card in the second team defeat at Beauly last week. Ryan Borthwick and Barrie Dallas were also missing. Ronald Ross made his first appearance of the 2012 shinty season in the first round of the Co-operative MacTavish Cup when he came on as a first half substitute to score a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Kinlochshiel. His first game the previous year also coincided with Kingussie’s opening tie in the same competition when he scored twice in a 3-2 extra-time win, also against Kinlochshiel. However although he did make his first appearance of the season this weekend, it was for the Kingussie second team against Lovat at Balgate. Skye beat Orion Group Premiership side Glenurquhart in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup last season and a few pundits had tipped them to cause a shock in this 3pm throw up. Kingussie started well and pinned the Skye defence back in the opening stages of the game and Rory Borthwick spurned a good shooting chance. Skye’s first real attack came after 6 minutes when Will Cowie got on the end of a low Darryl Macintosh corner from the right but Kingussie keeper Craig Dawson saved his effort. A last gasp challenge from Shockie MacLennan denied Fraser Munro a shooting chance on 13 minutes after the Kings man had broken free. Ally “Spod” MacLeod did well to halt a fine run from Rory MacGregor and but Fraser Munro won the ball from the clearance and he found Lee Bain who fizzed a low shot past Michael Nicolson’s left post although the keeper looked to have the goal covered. Skye came close on 23 minutes when Danny Morrison got on the end of a Neil MacVicar flick and he engineered a shooting chance before firing wide at the second attempt in what was Skye’s closest effort of the game so far. Shockie MacLennan deflected a Lee Bain shot for a corner a couple of minutes later as the game continued to swing from end to end. Danny Morrison was played in by Jordan Murchison but Craig Dawson scrambled the ball clear for a corner. Skye had a let-off on the half hour mark when Michael Nicolson made a really good save at his right hand post from Thomas Borthwick and the rebound came quickly to Rory Borthwick but he was unable to steer the ball into the net. Lee Bain hit the frame of the Skye goal from a tight and as Kingussie cranked up the pressure. A last-gasp challenge from Ally “Spod” MacLeod halted a Lee Bain run on 36 minutes after the striker had evaded a couple of challenges. Craig Dawson saved with his feet from Will Cowie a minute later. The young Skye forward showed a great touch to control a long ball from Darryl Macintosh but the keeper was equal to his effort. Kingussie enjoyed the bulk of the remainder of the half but the Skye defence stood firm. Craig Dawson was the first keeper called into second half action and he did well to make a first time clearance as a ball into the D from Neil MacVicar took a wicked bounce. Rory MacGregor created space before shooting wide moments later. Skye made the first change of the game after 54 minutes when Shaun Hedley replaced wing centre Kenny MacLeod. Louis Munro did well to prevent Danny Morrison pulling the trigger on 62 minutes and Will Cowie’s shot was deflected wide for a corner. Shaun Hedley was withdrawn on 75 minutes with Aonghas MacDonald coming on at full forward and Jordan Murchison dropping to wing centre. A minute later Will Cowie burst forward and Craig Dawson did will to palm away his effort from a tight angle. Aonghas MacDonald latched onto the loose ball and he fired the rebound across goal but Danny Morrison was just unable to get on the end of it. Skye looked lively and a combination of Craig Dawson and Garry Munro thwarted Danny Morrison after a good ball from Will Cowie. Skye made the breakthrough on 79 minutes and it was Neil MacVicar, who scored a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Caberfeidh the previous weekend, who did the damage. Gilleasbuig MacDonald won the ball for Skye and fed MacVicar who played and one-two with Will Cowie before running at the heart of the visiting defence. Keeper Dawson came off his line to block MacVicar’s initial effort but the young Skye forward stroked the rebound into the net to put the Islanders 1-0 in front. A swing from Skye’s Allan MacKinnon caught Thomas Borthwick just above the eye on 80 minutes. Borthwick was forced to leave the field for treatment and he was replaced by Rory MacKeachan who had protection on an injured finger. Referee Graham Cameron booked Allan MacKinnon for his part in the incident. The inevitable Kingussie onslaught on the Skye goal came in the closing minutes of the game with the Kings even pushing buckshee forward Louis Munro forward. Michael Nicolson made a great late save to deny the visitors as Kingussie forced a string of corners. With the tie into injury time, Kingussie were awarded a free hit following a corner. The corner had been played to the back post where substitute Rory MacKeachan was impeded. In a move from the training ground, Fraser Munro looked to take the free-hit himself but stepped back at the last minute which allowed Paul Gow to slip the ball to Munro and he sent and unstoppable shot into the roof of the Skye net. There wasn’t enough time left to restart the game. A Will Cowie snap-shot was just a fraction away from putting Skye back in front but the ball went just the wrong side of the post. Darryl Macintosh was forced off with cramp after 94 minutes with Ally MacDonald coming on in his place and Will Cowie dropping back to wing centre. A Fraser Munro ball into the Skye area on 97 minutes was headed away by Shockie MacLennan and Kingussie were awarded a free hit just outside the D. Shockie MacLennan was booked by referee Cameron. Skye’s Ally “Spod” MacLeod required treatment from medic Dr Wilson Banks after he was hit in the face by the ball with only a couple of minutes remaining of the first period of extra time. Kingussie had a great chance to go in front when Paul Gow released Fraser Munro but he snatched at his shot and tugged the ball past the post. Lee Bain had the ball in the Skye net on 109 minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside by goal judge Brian Davis. Neil MacVicar played the ball in to Danny Morrison but Kingussie closed him down and cleared for a corner. The sides slugged out the remaining minutes until a blast from Graham Cameron’s whistle signalled the end of two hours action and took the tie to a penalty shoot-out. Referee Graham Cameron invited both managers to provide a list of their five penalty takers and the teams and their supporters headed for the Struan Road end of the ground to begin the penalty shoot-out. Kingussie captain Fraser Munro was first up and he sent the ball low into the corner of the Skye net - Skye Camanachd 0 Kingussie 1 Aonghas MacDonald was next up and his initial shot hit keeper Craig Dawson. However referee Graham Cameron ruled that Dawson was not on his goal line and MacDonald slammed his second attempt into the net - Skye Camanachd 1 Kingussie 1 The first miss from the spot came when Kingussie’s Paul Gow saw his effort saved with his hand by Michael Nicolson in the Skye goal - Skye Camanachd 1 Kingussie 1 Skye captain Steven Morrison put the Islanders in front when he tucked the ball low into the net - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 1 Garry Munro stepped up next for Kingussie but his effort rose well over the bar - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 1 Kingussie keeper Craig Dawson then made a great save with his caman from a well struck Will Cowie penalty - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 1 With two penalties each remaining, Rory Borthwick confidently put his penalty away to square the shoot-out at two goals each - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 Skye goal scorer Neil MacVicar was next up but he didn’t catch the ball the way he’d have liked and it went past the post - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 Kingussie full back James Hutchison saw his penalty brilliantly saved with his stick by keeper Nicolson - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 Gilleasbuig MacDonald had the chance to put Skye into the next round but he didn’t get any power in his shot and Dawson saved comfortably - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 The tie was now into the sudden death phase and the same penalty takers stepped up again, in the same order. Fraser Munro put his second penalty past the post - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 Skye had another chance to win when Aonghas MacDonald stepped up but Craig Dawson made a terrific save to deny the home side - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 2 Paul Gow put the ball in the roof of the net to give Kingussie the advantage - Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 3 Skye captain Steven Morrison had to score to keep Skye in the tie but his effort went agonisingly past the post – Skye Camanachd 2 Kingussie 3 It was a cruel way to end the tie and both teams were warmly applauded by the supporters for serving up a thrilling afternoon’s shinty. Skye’s best players were at the back again with Ally “Spod” MacLeod and Shockie MacLennan catching the eye once again. Fraser Munro and Louis Munro both made fantastic contributions to the Kingussie cause. Skye Camanachd from; Michael Nicolson, Steven Morrison (captain), Shockie MacLennan, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Allan MacKinnon, Gibbs MacDonald, Darryl Macintosh, Kenny MacLeod, Jordan Murchison, Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, subs Ally MacDonald, Shaun Hedley, Aonghas MacDonald, Iain Murray, Kingussie from; Greg Dawson, James Hutchison, Garry Munro; Jake MacPherson, Louis Munro, Fraser Munro (captain), James MacLean, Paul Gow, Thomas Borthwick, Lee Bain, Rory MacGregor, Rory Borthwick, subs Rory MacKeachan, Scott MacIntyre, Ally Walker Match Referee – Graham Cameron The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |