Skye Camanachd 12 Ballachulish 0 - UPDATED! | |
23 June 2015 Skye Camanachd beat Ballachulish 12-0 in their Marine Harvest National Division match at Pair nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 20 June 2015. Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod made three changes to the squad which beat Beauly 1-0 in the SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup a fortnight earlier. Allan MacKinnon, who got the only goal of the game against Beauly, was suspended whilst Stewart Grant returned to the second team and Neil MacVicar was working. Danny Morrison was due to return but ended up being a late call-off so Aonghas MacDonald was added to the substitute’s bench where he joined Kenny MacLeod and Iain Nicolson who were both back from injury. Ballachulish boss David Wilson had a number of absentees to contend with. He was without Scotland international John MacDonald who has a knee injury. Alan Clark had a hamstring problem and the other players missing included Scott Rodger, David Malcolm, Stuart Robertson, Andrew MacDonald and Grant MacKenzie. To compound matters, Michael Slezas and Scott MacDonald called off on Saturday morning which meant that the Jubilee Park side travelled with Ally Banks as their only substitute. The squad included eight players aged under eighteen and in keeper Cameron Sutherland and defender Cain MacPhee, Wilson possesses two of shinty’s bright young talents. David Campbell was available and he captained the side. However he will miss his side’s next game because of a bookings points accumulation. The match was scheduled for a 2.30pm start but throw up was delayed until 2.50pm as Ballachulish arrived later than expected. The Skye pitch was in great condition, benefiting from the verti-draining work which Groundsman Donnie Martin and second team player Angie MacDonald carried out a week earlier. There was an even start to the game with Skye shooting towards the Viewfield end of the goal, and they went on the offensive straight away. Will Cowie had a shot saved with his foot by Ballachulish keeper Cameron Sutherland following a set-piece after 6 minutes and the goalie cleared the danger. Skye kept pressing and the inevitable opening goal came on 10 minutes. David MacInnes won possession in the Skye midfield and he found Jordan Murchison who played a first time ball to Will Cowie on the Skye left. Cowie broke down the wing and crossed for Kenny MacLeod. Balla’ defender Stewart Carmichael looked to have initially thwarted MacLeod’s route to goal but the Skye forward won back possession and slipped the ball to Kenny Campbell who scored from close range to make it 2-0. Skye doubled their lead on 13 minutes. Gilleasbuig MacDonald played a free-hit over the top of the Balla’ defence and Kenny Campbell gathered the ball on the Skye right. Campbell played a low cross across the face of the goal and Will Cowie swept the ball into the net to make it 2-0. Skye keeper Iain MacLeod was called into action on 17 minutes when Ballachulish full forward Kenny Michie picked up the ball on the left and MacLeod saved Michie’s shot with his feet before turning the ball round the post for Balla’s first corner of the game. Will Cowie made it 3-0 on 19 minutes when he picked up a clearance out of the Balla’ defence and he sent a blistering drive into the net from 20 yards. Will Cowie shot wide on 25 minutes following a Jordan Murchison free-hit from the left towards the back post. Jordan Murchison was given too much space on 34 minutes and he got Skye’s fourth with a great low shot from distance to make it 4-0. Kenny Campbell sent the ball just past the post on 40 minutes after another good passing move. Skye went 5-0 up a minute later with the goal of the game. A quick flowing move by the Islanders saw Iain Murray find Kenny MacLeod on the Skye right. Murray played the ball to Chris MacLennan who knocked it infield to Kenny Campbell. He found Jordan Murchison and the move ended with Will Cowie supplying the finishing touch. Jordan Murchison scored again following a corner on the Skye right on 43 minutes. Murchison controlled MacLennan’s corner and he sent the ball low into the net, with keeper Sutherland getting a foot to the ball, to give Skye a 6-0 lead. Cameron Sutherland made an excellent save above his head from Kenny Campbell seconds before the break and Eoin Fyfe got the ball away so Skye took their six goal cushion into the interval. The pattern of play continued into the second half with Skye on the front foot. Balla’ made a change at the interval as Scott Henderson went to buckshee back with Cain MacPhee moving forward to full centre. Will Cowie notched his fourth goal of the afternoon on 47 minutes. Gilleasbuig MacDonald spotted Cowie in space, wide on the Skye right, and Cowie found the merest of gaps to drive the ball into the net to make it 7-0. Balla’ replaced Eoin Fyfe with Ally Banks and Iain Brown went to full centre in an attempt to stem the tide. Skye reshuffled their pack with Kenny MacLeod, who was returning from injury, replaced by Iain Nicolson in attack and John Gillies on in a straight swap for wing back Ally “Spod” MacLeod who had been suffering from flu. Skye were relentless and another rocket from Jordan Murchison on 49 minutes went in off the thigh of keeper Sutherland to make it 8-0 with the ball sticking in the roof of the net with Murchison now completing his hat-trick. Ballachulish David Campbell was booked for tugging back Kenny Campbell as the Skye forward broke for goal. Gilleasbuig MacDonald found Jordan Murchison on the Skye left on 52 minutes. Murchison kept the ball away from Ally Banks before firing in a great drive which Cameron Sutherland brilliantly turned away above his head with his caman at the expense of a Skye corner on the right. Jordan Murchison took a Kenny Campbell pass and shot over on 54 minutes. Eoin Fyfe came back on in place of Stuart Carmichael for Balla’ on 61 minutes. Iain Nicolson open his account on 62 minutes when Jordan Murchison played some one-touch passes as he waltzed his way through the visiting defence and he unselfishly squared the ball to Nicolson to fire into the empty net which made it 9-0. Another great strike from Jordan Murchison made it 10-0 on 66 minutes. Will Cowie collected a Chris MacLennan shy on the right and he found Murchison on the far side of the park. Murchison cut infield before beating keeper Sutherland at his right post. Skye’s third substitute, Aonghas MacDonald, came on for David MacInnes on 70 minutes. Iain Nicolson took a Will Cowie pass on 73 minutes and he found Aonghas MacDonald in space in front of goal but MacDonald blasted the ball wide. Kenny MacLeod was re-introduced for Will Cowie on 74 minutes and he made an instant impact with a low 20 yard drive into the corner of the net a minute later to make it 11-0. Iain Nicolson rounded off the scoring on 82 minutes when he took a Kenny MacLeod pass from the left and he produced a fine 20 yard strike which flew into the top corner of a helpless Cameron Sutherland’s net and Skye led 12-0. Referee Ron Kennedy brought proceedings to a sharp end from the restart and the win lifts Skye into second place in the Marine Harvest National Division. Best for Skye were forwards Will Cowie and Jordan Murchison with four goals apiece whilst Kenny Campbell put in a good shift against Balla stalwart David Campbell. Gilleasbuig MacDonald and Chris MacLennan kept the forwards well supplied whilst at the other end of the field; the Skye defence was rarely troubled. It was a difficult afternoon for Ballachulish. Cameron Sutherland continued to enhance his reputation in goal whilst David Campbell, Scott Henderson and Iain Brown gave their all against the odds. Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod, Steven Morrison, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Ally MacDonald, Iain Murray: David MacInnes, Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Chris MacLennan: Will Cowie, Kenny MacLeod, Jordan Murchison, Kenny Campbell: subs Iain Nicolson, John Gillies, Aonghas MacDonald Ballachulish from: Cameron Sutherland: David Campbell (captain), Eoin Fyfe, Stuart Carmichael, Cain MacPhee: Jack MacLean, Scott Henderson, Craig MacLachlan: Lorne Brown, Glenn Campbell, Pat MacLean, Kenny Michie: subs Ally Banks Match Referee – Ron Kennedy Goal Judges – Donnie Martin, Ryan Morrison The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |