Skye Camanachd 2 Fort William 2 (after extra time – Fort William won 4-3 on penalties) | |
03 June 2015 The Fort William second team edged out the Skye Camanachd second team on penalties following a 2-2 draw in their Strathdearn Cup second round tie at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 30 May 2015. Skye Camanachd second team manager Davie Pringle made four changes to the squad which lost out to the Inveraray second team in the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup last weekend. He was without keeper Ross Graham so Jamie Gannon came in between the sticks. Stewart Grant returned to the squad as did Thomas Wilson. Kyle Pirie was also to return but he was a late call-off so Allan MacLeod made his first appearance of the season in his place whilst Neil John Campbell was also added to the squad. Angie MacDonald, Daniel Morrison and Ryan Morrison were all missing. Fort William second team co-managers Lachie MacDonald and Peter Wood had seen their side make an excellent start to the season and they currently top Marine Harvest North Division 1. Forward Duncan Rodger posed a real threat, having averaged over three goals a game so far this season. However Scott Knox served the second match of a two game ban following his red card against Strathglass a fortnight earlier. Conditions were terrific in Portree although the pitch was a little soft following the heavy rain through the week. This 2.30pm throw up was covered live and online by local radio station Cuillin FM. Fort William shot towards the Viewfield Road end of the ground in the first half and they took the lead within 45 seconds. Full centre Mark Lawrie slipped the ball forward to Duncan Rodger. He was challenged by David Grant and the ball broke to Lewis Morrison on the Fort William left and he thumped the ball high into the net to make it 1-0. A Duncan Rodger shot was deflected for a corner a minute later and Skye goalie Jamie Gannon made a diving save with his feet to deny Duncan Rodger from the resultant corner from the left. There seemed little danger when Skye’s John Angus MacInnes collected a pass from his brother David MacInnes on the Skye left on 4 minutes but he held off a challenge and drilled the ball low into the net off the post to make it 1-1. Duncan Rodger and Lewis Morrison combined again from the restart and Morrison’s effort went wide of goal. The game swung from end-to-end and John Angus MacInnes was causing problems in the Fort defence every time Skye got the ball forward. Referee Martin MacLean awarded Skye a penalty on 11 minutes when Fort defender Dylan Fraser was penalised for a kick after John Angus MacInnes played the ball inside the D. Stewart Grant sent an unstoppable spot-hit into the top right corner of keeper Jamie Savage’s net to put Skye 2-1 in the lead. Fort William’s Cal Brown was booked by referee Martin MacLean for a poor challenge on Ross Nicolson straight after the throw up. Stewart Grant took the free-hit from just left of the centre circle and he found John Angus MacInnes who moved the ball to the left before shooting goalwards but Jamie Savage palmed the ball away for a corner. John Gillies and James Pringle linked up well but Pringle’s shot went well wide of goal on 16 minutes. Jamie Savage stretched to divert a low shot from John Gillies away for a corner with his caman on 18 minutes after good work on the Skye right from John Angus MacInnes. John Gillies shot over the bar from the resultant corner. Duncan Rodger fizzed a shot past Jamie Gannon’s right post seconds later after he was played in by Seamus Gall. Skye were forced to make a change after 21 minutes when Ross Nicolson was replaced by DJ Gilpin. A hospital x-ray later confirmed that Nicolson was suffering from a broken collarbone. Jamie Savage turned a low Alan Palmer shot away for a corner with his caman a minute later. John Gillies just failed to steer a long ball from Iain MacLellan on target on 24 minutes and the ball was cleared for a corner. Jamie Savage watched carefully as a James Pringle effort hit the side-netting a couple of minutes later. It was now mainly Skye pressure although Fort William were always dangerous on the counter-attack. Duncan Rodger got on the end of a Peter Wood free-hit which was played down the middle of the Skye defence on the half hour mark. Jamie Gannon saved well with his feet from Rodger’s shot and Neil John Campbell cleared the ball to safety. Keeper Jamie Savage came off his line to clear an Alan Palmer ball into the D on 36 minutes and his clearance fell for John Angus MacInnes but the ball wouldn’t sit up for him and the danger was cleared. Good defensive play from Stewart Grant dealt with a Fort William attack whilst Mark Grant did like-wise at the other end of the field as the first half drew. Referee Martin MacLean blew his half time whistle just as Skye’s Alan Palmer was just about to shoot at goal - much to Palmer’s frustration. Therefore Skye took the 2-1 lead into the break. James Pringle battled for possession on the Skye left after 48 minutes and he played the ball into the D. Keeper Savage came off his line to clear and the ball fell for Iain MacLellan but his shot was saved with his feet by Savage. Savage did well to keep out a good John Angus MacInnes shot with his feet a couple of minutes later after set-up play by Alan Palmer who took a blow to the leg in the process. Palmer had to be replaced with John MacKenzie coming on in his place. James Pringle played the ball back for Iain MacLellan who set a shot past the post on 58 minutes. With the sun breaking through, Ryan Boyle came on for Fort William in place of Grant Disher with 65 minutes played. Skye had a let-off a minute later when a Seumus Gall shot was saved by Jamie Gannon and Duncan Rodger put the rebound wide with David Grant guarding the goal. Mark Lawrie was booked for a late swing which caught Iain MacLellan on the hand with 20 minutes remaining. Jamie Gannon saved a Duncan Rodger shot with his chest on 72 minutes. Skye’s John MacKenzie had the ball in the net at the back post on 75 minutes but the goal was ruled out for offside and Skye had to settle for their 2-1 lead. A James Pringle shot deflected wide for a corner a minute later and John Gillies shot into the side-netting from the resultant corner. A John MacKenzie shot went wide with Jamie Savage scrambling across his line with 12 minutes remaining Thomas Wilson replaced DJ Gilpin for Skye seconds later. Skye had a great chance to extend their lead on 79 minutes when a poor Jamie Savage goal-hit was stopped by John Angus MacInnes who lost his marker and with keeper Savage racing from his line; MacInnes set the ball wide of goal. As much as Skye dominated, Fort William defended well and the home side were made to pay for being wasteful in front of goal as, with 10 minutes remaining, Duncan Rodger picked up a Seumus Gall ball on the Fort William left and he sent a low, firm shot into the net at the second attempt to make it 2-2. Peter Wood became the third Fort William player to be booked for a wild swing which hit Iain MacLellan on the ankle on 82 minutes. Duncan Rodger went close in the closing stages but with no further scoring, referee Martin McLean took the tie into an extra-time period. Skye played towards the Struan Road end of the ground from the restart but at the other end, Duncan Rodger shot wide from 15 yards out with the first chance of the extra-time period. Jamie Savage made a good save from a waste-high John MacKenzie shot on 96 minutes. As the first half of extra-time drew to a close, a penalty shoot-out seemed more and more the likely outcome. Fort William continued to make Duncan Rodger the focus of their attacks and when Jamie Gannon saved a Rodger shot, Ryan Boyle put the rebound wide although referee Martin MacLean signalled for offside. There were no takers as John Angus MacInnes played a dangerous ball across goal moments later. There were some feisty challenges with John MacKenzie requiring treatment from Skye medics Dr Wilson Banks and Helen Gilpin after taking a blow to the leg. Iain MacLellan did well to create a shooting opportunity following a shy on the left but MacLellan sent his shot just by the post. There was a flash-point in midfield with 7 minutes remaining when Mark Lawrie took his stick down on David MacInnes’ head. Lawrie, who had already been booked, was shown a straight red card by referee Martin MacLean. MacInnes went off for treatment but returned to the field after having his head bandaged up. DJ Gilpin had to come back on for a hobbling John MacKenzie a minute later. Fort William’s Dylan Fraser came off injured with Grant Disher returning to the field of play. Skye defended a couple of late Fort William set-pieces. Neither team were able to grab their elusive third goal so the tie went to a penalty shoot-out at the Viewfield end of the ground. Skye’s Stewart Grant, who scored from the spot during the game, stepped up first but he didn’t get any power behind his shot and Savage saved comfortably with his foot. Duncan Rodger bulleted his penalty into the net to give Fort William a 1-0 lead. John MacKenzie scored low to the keeper’s right to make it 1-1. Jamie Gannon stretched to his right to make a splendid save from Bobby MacMillan’s well struck effort so it was all-square after two penalties apiece. David Grant sent a well-hit penalty low into the net to put Skye 2-1 ahead. Cal Brown also scored to make it 2-2 although Jamie Gannon did get his legs to the ball. Skye’s John Gillies was next up but he didn’t catch the ball the way he would have liked and Savage saved with his feet. Peter Wood saw his penalty saved with his feet by Jamie Gannon so it remained 2-2. It was now effectively sudden-death and Iain MacLellan cracked the ball home to make it 3-2. Fort William’s Lewis Morrison had to score, and he did, although Gannon got a touch to the ball. The tie went to sudden-death and Stewart Grant’s well-struck effort was superbly saved by Jamie Savage If you wanted a penalty-taker to score when it matters then Duncan Rodger would be high on your list and he sent an unsavable shot, low into the net to put Fort William through. Skye had several good performers with Neil John Campbell and Iain MacLellan in excellent form. David Grant kept Duncan Rodger relatively quiet and the battle between Skye full forward John Angus MacInnes and Fort William full back Mark Grant was one of the features of the tie. Fort William will now travel to Balgownie to face Aberdeen University in the Strathdearn Cup quarter-finals. Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon: David Grant, Neil John Campbell, Allan MacLeod, Stewart Grant: Iain MacLellan, David MacInnes (captain), Ross Nicolson: John Gillies, Alan Palmer, James Pringle: John Angus MacInnes: subs DJ Gilpin, John MacKenzie, Thomas Wilson, Calum Gibb Fort William from: Jamie Savage: Mark Grant, Dylan Fraser, David Wright, Bobby MacMillan: Cal Brown, Mark Lawrie, Peter Wood (captain), Seamus Gall, Grant Disher, Lewis Morrison, Duncan Rodger: subs Ryan Boyle, Bradley Cameron, Padraig McNeil Match Referee – Martin MacLean Goal Judges – Donnie Martin, Charlie Gibb The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |