Skye Camanachd 3 Kingussie 1 | |
10 March 2013 Skye Camanachd beat Kingussie 3-1 in their Marine Harvest North Division 2 meeting at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 9 March 2013. Skye Camanachd second team manager Murdo Morrison was working so Donnie Martin and David Grant looked after the side. This is the Islanders lost 6-0 to Lovat in their opening match of the new season so Martin and Grant were looking for an improved performance this week. Defender Jack Latton missed out through injury for the Islanders whilst Ally MacCrimmon dropped out of the squad. Iain Murray and Shaun Hedley came in and there was a return for Angie MacDonald who hadn’t featured for some time. Keeper Aonghas MacDonald was a late call-off because of a family bereavement so Iain “Spod” MacLeod started in goal. Michael Falconer’s Kingussie side drew 3-3 with Kinlochshiel last weekend with danger-man Rory Borthwick scoring twice. The experienced Ally MacLeod started at full centre but they were missing the experience of Michael Clark and Greg MacRae. Indeed it was a much changed Kings side with only two players featuring from the side which lifted the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup at the end of last season. Skye got off to a great start in this 2.30pm throw up and they took the lead after just 2 minutes. Iain MacLellan was involved on the Skye right and Angie MacDonald got on the end of a cross but his mid-air effort was saved by Kingussie keeper Russell Menzies. However the rebound came to Paul MacKinnon on the edge of the D and he tucked the ball into the net with a controlled backhand strike. Kingussie full forward Jeby Remegio required treatment after getting on the wrong end of a David Grant clearance. He required the attention of Skye medic Dr Wilson Banks for several minutes before being replaced by Brian Mabon. Kingussie levelled on 20 minutes when Rory Borthwick was allowed too much space 20 yards from goal and he drifted to the right before firing the ball past Iain MacLeod into the net to make it 1-1. Kingussie came closest to taking the lead when a blistering drive from Rory Borthwick came off the keeper’s left post and rebound to safety. Skye acting manager Donnie Martin made the first change of the afternoon with John MacKenzie replacing Iain MacLellan at wing forward. Skye made a positional change at the break with Shaun Hedley and Stewart Grant swapping their full centre and wing centre roles. Play continued to flow from end to end in the second half. A combination of Skye keeper Iain MacLeod and defenders DJ Gilpin and Magnus Burd did well to scramble one effort off the home goal line when Kingussie seemed certain to score. At the other end, Angie MacDonald worked himself into a couple of promising positions but his shooting was wide of target. Skye acting manager Donnie Martin withdrew John MacKenzie and pushed Chris MacLennan forward with David MacInnes coming on at wing centre and it wasn’t long before the switch paid dividends. Kingussie suffered a blow when Ally MacLeod was forced off through injury following a collision with Shaun Hedley in the middle of the park. Kingussie boss Michael Falconer moved Rory Borthwick back to take over the full centre role. Young James Falconer came on for the Kings and one of the features of the last quarter of the game was his tremendous tussle with another youngster; Skye wing back DJ Gilpin with no quarter asked nor given. Skye took the lead on 75 minutes when Iain Murray, who had been pushed forward into the full centre role, took possession and played the ball forward to Chris MacLennan who controlled the ball before quickly hitting a great shot into the top corner of the Kingussie net which gave keeper Menzies no chance. Skye made their final change on 80 minutes when Ally “Burgers” MacLeod came on in place of the tiring Angie MacDonald. With just seconds remaining, this substitution also came up trumps as MacLeod came deep to gain possession before dribbling in towards the visiting goal and slipping the ball past the onrushing Menzies to make it 3-1. Skye just about deserved the win although Kingussie will point to the loss of Ally MacLeod as a significant moment in the match. This was a work-man-like performance from Skye with Stewart Grant the Islander’s stand-out player. Skye will be tested to the max next weekend when champions and league leaders Newtonmore visit Portree and the men from the Eilan have already made a phenomenal start to the season with 5-0 and 7-0 wins over Glenurquhart and Lovat respectively. Skye Camanachd from; Iain MacLeod, David Grant, DJ Gilpin, Magnus Burd, Iain Murray, Chris MacLennan, Shaun Hedley, Stewart Grant, Paul MacKinnon, Iain MacLellan, John Angus MacInnes, Angie MacDonald, subs John MacKenzie, Ally “Burgers” MacLeod, David MacInnes, Ally “Cloudy” MacLeod Kingussie from; Russell Menzies, Scott MacIntyre, Robert Mabon, Owen Reid, Ryan MacWilliam, Lewis Falconer, Ally MacLeod, Darren Hanlon, Rory Borthwick, Fachie Grant, Chris Hollysong, Jeby Remegio, subs Brian Mabon, James Falconer, Callum Grant Match Referee – Ronnie Campbell The match balls will be sponsored by Nor-Dan |