Skye Camanachd and Oban Camanachd drew 2-2 in their Marine Harvest Premiership match at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 19 March 2016.
Skye Camanachd first team manager John MacLeod was working so Davie Pringle took charge of the side. Ally “Spod” MacLeod remained on the injury list and Will Cowie was still missing but the Islanders were able to name the same squad, and indeed the same starting line-up, which drew with Lochaber the previous weekend.
Oban Camanachd boss Iain Hay was able to include Aidan MacIntyre, who missed the 3-1 win over Glenurquhart at Blairbeg on the opening day of the shinty season, and he started at wing centre which allowed Willie Neilson to move into the attack. Daniel MacVicar dropped onto the bench.
Throw up was at 2.30pm and the whole match was broadcast LIVE on radio and online on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd LIVE show.
There was a minutes’ silence ahead of throw up to mark the passing of former Skye Camanachd player Alistair Cruickshank.
Skye played towards the Struan Road end of the ground in the first half.
A large crowd gathered for the match but they were silenced after just 27 seconds when Willie Neilson gave the visitors the lead. The Skye defence failed to clear a Lorne Dickie ball into the goal area and Willie Neilson’s low shot from 15 yards was deflected past Jamie Gannon to make it 1-0.
Skye had a flurry of possession without troubling visiting keeper Gavin Stobbart before an Aidan MacIntyre ball into the Skye goal area was chested down and cleared by Jamie Gannon.
Oban Camanachd forced a series of corners. The nearest they came to a second goal was a strike from the speedy Connor Howe which was turned away for a corner by Jamie Gannon on 18 minutes.
Skye defender Ally MacDonald did well to turn an Aidan MacIntyre corner into the D away to safety a couple of minutes later.
A Jordon Murchison shot from the left went across goal and just past Gavin Stobbart’s left post on 23 minutes and his marker James MacMillan suffered a blow to the face as he challenged but he was able to continue without treatment.
A great run from Connor Howe on 26 minutes caused panic in the Skye defence and Daniel Cameron’s shot was palmed away for a corner by Jamie Gannon.
Skye’s Gilleasbuig MacDonald was spoken to by referee Graham Cameron for a challenge on Daniel Cameron but the Oban side were unable to get a shot on goal from the subsequent free-hit.
Skye came close to levelling on 28 minutes when Kenny Campbell played the ball forward to Iain Nicolson and he put young forward John Gillies through on goal but Gavin Stobbart came off his line to block the initial effort from Gillies at the edge of the D before the visiting defence pushed the ball out for a corner.
Allan MacKinnon played the resultant corner in from the Skye right. Iain Nicolson chested the ball down at the back post and shot goalwards but Stobbart saved again, only for Jordan Murchison to slam the rebound into the net to make it 1-1 with 29 minutes played.
Jordan Murchison sent a shot rising over the bar on 33 minutes after a Gilleasbuig MacDonald shy found Iain Nicolson.
Lorne Dickie fired past the post after the Skye defence had failed to clear an Andrew McCuish corner from the left on 36 minutes.
Daniel Cameron burst forward and sent the ball wide of target moments later.
Malcolm Clark shot wide of Jamie Gannon’s left post with just 5 first half minutes remaining.
An Iain Nicolson shot from an Allan MacKinnon corner was blocked on 43 minutes before Oban full back Gary McKerracher cleared the ball to safety.
At the other end, Malcolm Clark touched a free-hit to Daniel Cameron but his shot went narrowly wide as the half drew to a close and the teams went into the break on level terms.
Skye made some positional changes at half-time. John Gillies dropped back into defence to mark Connor Howe. Neil MacVicar went to full centre with Gilleasbuig MacDonald going onto the wing and Kenny Campbell pushing forward into the attack.
The Skye defence did well to scramble the ball away for a corner following a free-hit into the middle of the defence on 48 minutes with Lorne Dickie looking to capitalise on any lapse.
Referee Graham Cameron needed treatment from Skye medic Dr Wilson Banks on 51 minutes for a leg muscle injury. However he was able to continue after a short delay.
Gavin Stobbart raced from his line to block a Jordan Murchison effort on 56 minutes. Oban struggled to get the ball away and a Neil MacVicar strike went just over the junction between post and bar.
Moments later, Oban Camanachd took the opportunity to make a change during the break in play with Scott MacMillan coming on for Andrew MacCuish.
It was all hands to the pump for the Skye defence as the Oban side mounted another attack on the home goal. The Skye defence survived though with Steven Morrison suffering a blow to the hand but he was able to continue.
Iain Murray came on in midfield for Allan MacKinnon as Skye made their first change of the afternoon.
Although Oban Camanachd had created the better chances, it was Skye who went in front on 73 minutes. Jordan Murchison picked up possession in midfield following a Gilleasbuig MacDonald clearance and he played the ball to Kenny Campbell on the Skye left. Campbell returned the ball to Murchison who held off Garry Lord and went on a mazy run on the Skye right before driving the ball low into the net for what was a terrific individual goal.
The goal was tough on Oban and boss Iain Hay threw full centre Daniel Cameron into attack in a bid to get back on level terms.
Oban Camanachd had a chance from a free-hit in a dangerous area with 10 minutes remaining but Neil MacVicar and Ally MacDonald combined to get the ball away.
Daniel MacVicar replaced Connor Howe in the Oban attack a minute later.
Skye then replaced full forward Iain Nicolson with Danny Morrison.
Oban Camanachd reintroduced Andrew McCuish, this time up front, with Lorne Dickie withdrawn.
The substitute made an immediate impact 4 minutes from time when he slipped in Daniel Cameron and he rolled an effort just past Jamie Gannon’s left post from the edge of the D.
Oban then used their final substitute as Iain MacMillan took over from Malcolm Clark who had played very well in the forward line.
Oban were getting closer to an equalising goal and Jamie Gannon saved from Daniel Cameron and Shockie MacLennan prevented substitute Ian MacMillan from getting to the rebound by playing the ball out for a corner.
Gannon cleared the resultant corner from Willie Neilson for another corner on the Oban left.
However Neilson’s next corner was more profitable as Daniel Cameron eventually collected the ball to the left of the goal and he turned and sent an unstoppable shoulder-high shot into the net to make it 2-2.
Oban made a late appeal for a penalty, claiming Skye defender Ally MacDonald had kicked the ball inside the D, but referee Cameron waved away their claims.
As the match moved into stoppage time, Allan MacKinnon came back on for Skye, replacing Chris MacLennan in attack.
After 3 minutes stoppage time, referee Graham Cameron’s final whistle signalled a share of the points.
Whilst Skye will be disappointed to lose the late goal, Oban Camanachd had most of the pressure and deserved at least a point.
The draw gives Skye two points from two close opening matches. They could have had more points but they could also have had less as both matches could have gone either way. Another pleasing factor for Skye boss John MacLeod is the emergence of young John Gillies as a regular first team player. Next up for Skye is a RBS MacTavish Cup first round meeting with Kilmallie this coming weekend.
This is a third point of the season from two fixtures for Oban Camanachd. This is in comparison to the eight matches – by Saturday 4 July 2015 - it took then to reach the same tally last season. Oban Camanachd don’t have a fixture this coming weekend but they play league leaders Kingussie at Mossfield the following weekend which will be an interesting tussle.
Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Steven Morrison, Shockie MacLennan, Ally MacDonald, Neil MacVicar (captain); Allan MacKinnon, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Kenneth Campbell; Jordan Murchison, John Gillies, Chris MacLennan, Iain Nicolson; subs Iain Murray, David MacInnes, Danny Morrison
Oban Camanachd from: Gavin Stobbart; Gary McKerracher, Jamie MacMillan (captain), Scott McKillop, Garry Lord; Aidan MacIntyre, Daniel Cameron, Andrew McCuish; Lorne Dickie, Malcolm Clark, Connor Howe, Willie Neilson; subs Scott MacMillan, Daniel MacVicar, Iain MacMillan
Match Referee – Graham Cameron
Scorers
Skye Camanachd
Jordan Murchison (29, 73)
Oban Camanachd
Willie Neilson 1
Daniel Cameron 89
The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan
(Picture of Iain Nicolson & Gary McKerracher Courtesy of Moreen Pringle)