Skye Camanachd 1 Kinlochshiel 1 | |
26 May 2016 A Jordan Murchison goal in stoppage time earned Skye Camanachd a 1-1 draw with Kinlochshiel in their Marine Harvest Premiership meeting at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 21 May 2016. This was a first meeting between the sides in the Marine Harvest Premiership and Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod made three changes to the squad which drew 0-0 with Lovat in the league a week earlier. Danny Morrison, Iain Nicolson and Chris Rose were all unavailable but Aonghas MacDonald was added to the squad after the noon Marine Harvest North Division 1 meeting between the Skye and Lovat second teams was postponed. There were call ups for David MacInnes and James Pringle who both started and Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod and Chris MacLennan who were on the bench. Iain Murray and Allan MacKinnon were still out. Kinlochshiel manager Colin Fraser has been able to field a settled side in recent weeks but he was without John MacRae for this one as he served a one match ban for exceeding the disciplinary points threshold. However Gordie MacDonald returned to the midfield after missing last weekend’s 2-1 league win over Oban Camanachd. John Don MacKenzie was given a starting spot in defence with concerns over David Falconer’s hamstring which meant he started on the bench. The heavy overnight rain cast doubt on this 3pm throw up but the match, which was broadcast LIVE on radio and online on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd LIVE Show, survived two early morning pitch inspections and the verti-draining working carried out by Scott Martin immediately after the previous weekend’s draw with Lovat making a significant difference on a day when a number of west coast matches were postponed. The teams also played for the 2015 Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup, carried forward from last year, and they agreed that penalties would decide the outcome if the sides were level after 90 minutes. Skye played towards the Struan Road end of the ground in the first half and a Keith MacRae shot went wide of target within seconds of the throw up. Skye weathered some early pressure but they broke forward on 9 minutes when James Pringle showed a nice touch as he controlled a long ball from Danny Morrison. Pringle evaded challenges from Conor Cormack and Paul MacRae before the latter tripped him up just outside the D, earning a booking. Skye failed to create a shooting chance from the resultant free-hit. A fine double-save from Jamie Gannon at the expense of a corner kept the visitors at bay but an opening goal seemed imminent. ‘Shiel kept pressing and a turn and shot on his right side from Duncan “DA” MacRae, after he’d collected a Donald Nixon ball forward, put his side ahead on 13 minutes. Kinlochshiel had a real grip of the midfield area and Keith MacRae cut in from the ‘Shiel right on 18 minutes but he tugged his low shot wide of goal. Skye made a positional change in the middle of the park with Kenny Campbell going to full centre against Finlay MacRae and Gilleasbuig MacDonald going onto the wing. A long ball into the Skye goal area from Gordie MacDonald on 21 minutes was stopped with his legs by Jamie Gannon but he could only push the ball away as far as Jordan Fraser who shot wide of target. Kinlochshiel suffered a blow on 33 minutes when they lost Oliver MacRae after a head knock. MacRae fell backwards as Skye’s Steven Morrison was clearing the ball forward and the Skye defender’s caman accidently caught the ‘Shiel front man on the top of the head, causing a cut which later required eight stitches Alasdair Nixon came on in MacRae’s place. After a period of treatment, initially from ‘Shiel medic Sarah Jane Reid and later on the touchline from Skye boss John MacLeod, referee Graham Cameron restarted the game with crossed-camans. Some great play between James Pringle and Jordan Murchison drew applause from the crowd as Pringle shot just past Scott Kennedy’s left post. Jordan Murchison had a shot blocked on 39 minutes and the rebound spun just too far away from Shockie MacLennan for him to get a shot on target. Skye forced their first corner of the match on 42 minutes but ‘Shiel’s Paul MacRae got the ball away to safety. Skye were now looking more threatening as the half went on and Jordan Murchison played a ball from Kenny Campbell to Shockie MacLennan who picked out James Pringle and his first touch wrong-footed two defenders but his shot went just over the junction between post and bar. Skye finished the half strongly and Jordan Murchison forced a save from Scott Kennedy on 42 minutes with a low shot and the rebound fell kindly for the ‘Shiel defence. ‘Shiel finished the first half with a free-hit in the Skye half but the Islanders defended it well and after three and a half minutes of first half stoppage time, referee Graham Cameron blew for half time. Skye made a bright start to the second half and there was an early yellow card for ‘Shiel’s Gordie MacDonald for a sliding tackle on Jordan Murchison as he broke down the Skye left. Scott Kennedy did well to scoop a dangerous James Pringle ball into the D away for a corner on 48 minutes. Chris MacLennan replaced David MacInnes on 52 minutes as Skye looked to freshen up the midfield area. Shockie MacLennan sent a shot over the ball as Skye again tried for a leveller. Kinlochshiel responded with a direct approach as Duncan “DA” MacRae got a shot towards goal which went just past the post. David Falconer came on for the visitors, replacing Alasdair Nixon. Gordie MacDonald went from midfield to attack; John Don MacKenzie went to midfield with Falconer coming on in defence. The pace of the game had dropped in the second half and with both sides having good defensive records so far this season; this was never going to be a high scoring encounter. A Keith MacRae run and pass set up a shooting chance for Jordan Fraser on 63 minutes but Jamie Gannon made a superb stop with his foot from Fraser’s low shot and the ball deflected up and over the bar. Calum MacLean came on in the Kinlochshiel forward line, replacing scorer Duncan “DA” MacRae with Jordan Fraser going to full forward. A low shot at the back post from Jordan Fraser forced Jamie Gannon to make another good save with his foot on 69 minutes. Jordan Fraser and John Gillies clashed in the midfield area when challenging for possession but referee Graham Cameron defused the situation. The Skye defence lived dangerously when Calum MacLean steered the ball into Keith MacRae’s path but Jamie Gannon came off his line to clear. John Don MacKenzie was booked for kicking the ball away after Skye had been awarded a free-hit. A following Skye move saw Shockie MacLennan find Jordan Murchison and he flicked the ball into the goal area however Scott Kennedy cleared for a corner ahead of the onrushing Chris MacLennan and James Pringle. The Kirkton side had keeper Scott Kennedy to thanks as he made a superb double-save to deny Jordan Murchison and then Shockie MacLennan from the rebound on 76 minutes. Both sides had set-piece chances which were defended well by their respective defences. James Pringle, Shockie MacLennan and Jordan Murchison combined on 84 minutes and in the end, Murchison’s snap-shot went over the top. Skye’s John Gillies was booked for dissent after he was penalised for a challenge on Jordan Fraser a minute later. A good challenge from Paul MacRae foiled Jordan Murchison’s route to goal as the game moved into the closing stages. Keith MacRae played a ball just too far ahead of Jordan Fraser and John Gillies, under pressure, was forced to concede a corner with 3 minutes remaining. There was late drama as the match moved into stoppage time. Skye were awarded a corner on their left when Paul MacRae put a Shockie MacLennan cross behind. Skye defender Steven Morrison pushed forward for the set-piece with Gordie MacDonald tracking him. Gilleasbuig MacDonald sent the corner from the Skye left to the back post where Jordan Murchison fired a forceful shot from the right through a ruck of players into the net to give Skye an equaliser. Skye attacked from the restart and Shockie MacLennan’s cross looked for Jordan Murchison but the ball was deflected away for another corner but ‘Shiel defended it well and the final whistle blew before the goal hit could be taken. Both sets of players had given their all and the large crowd were well-entertained. The sides meet again in Portree in the Artemis MacAulay Cup quarter-finals at the end of June. The teams took part in a penalty shoot-out would take place to decide the destination of the 2015 Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup. Will Cowie went first for Skye but his effort was saved with his feet by Scott Kennedy. Gordie MacDonald then sent an unstoppable penalty high into the net to put ‘Shiel 1-0 ahead. Shockie MacLennan expertly sent a well-struck penalty, waist-high to the left of the keeper to make it 1-1. Keith MacRae didn’t get hold of his spot-hit and Gannon made a straight-forward save. Steven Morrison saw his low shot saved by Kennedy. Jordan Fraser put his penalty over the bar so in was 1-1 after three penalties each. Neil MacVicar tugged his attempt wide of goal. Finlay MacRae was next up and, crucially, he beat Jamie Gannon with his effort coming off the back stanchion. Jordan Murchison now had to score but Scott Kennedy went to his right to make a save worthy of winning any match and there was no need for Kinlochshiel to take their final penalty. The Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup was presented to Kinlochshiel captain David Falconer by Alasdair MacKinnon, a former Skye player and good friend of Thomas Ferguson. Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Neil MacVicar (captain), John Gillies, Steven Morrison, Ally MacDonald; David MacInnes, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Kenny Campbell; Will Cowie, James Pringle, Jordan Murchison, Shockie MacLennan; subs Chris MacLennan Neil John Campbell, Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, Aonghas MacDonald Kinlochshiel from: Scott Kennedy; Paul MacRae, Mark MacDonald, John Don MacKenzie, Conor Cormack; Gordie MacDonald, Finlay MacRae, Donald Nixon; Keith MacRae, Jordan Fraser, Oliver MacRae, Duncan “DA” MacRae; subs Alasdair Nixon, David Falconer (captain), Calum MacLean Match Referee – Graham Cameron The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan Scorers Skye Camanachd Jordon Murchison (90) Kinlochshiel Duncan “DA” MacRae (13) |