Skye Camanachd 3 Kinlochshiel 4 | |
30 June 2016 The Skye Camanachd first team lost 4-3 to Kinlochshiel in their Artemis MacAulay Cup quarter-final tie at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 25 June 2016. Skye Camanachd boss John MacLeod made four changes to his squad. Keeper Jamie Gannon returned after missing the previous weekend’s Camanachd Cup second round replay win over Glasgow Mid Argyll and he took over from Iain MacLeod in goal. Chris Rose, who started in defence, and Iain Nicolson came into the squad in place of John Gillies, who was on a school trip to Malta, and Allan MacLeod. Shockie MacLennan remained out injured. Kenny Campbell was included in the original squad but he failed a Friday afternoon fitness test on a knock sustained in the GMA game. Ally “Spod” MacLeod returned to the senior squad in his place and he started on the bench. Kinlochshiel boss Colin Fraser had a full squad to choose but he did opt to start with John Don MacKenzie at wing centre with Gordie MacDonald, who had a broken toe, on the bench. Throw up was at 3pm and the match was broadcast LIVE on radio and online on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd LIVE Show. The tie was to be played to a finish and there would be extra-time and penalties if necessary. Skye played towards the Struan Road end of the ground in the first half, with wind advantage, and they made a lively start to the cup tie. The first shot on target came on 3 minutes when Jordan Murchison turned nicely and sent a bouncing effort on goal but Scott Kennedy saved with his chest and the ball was cleared. Moments later, Ally MacDonald, who excellent all afternoon, won possession in the Skye defence and he played the ball to Danny Morrison. He slipped the ball to Jordan Murchison who played the ball back to Danny Morrison on the Skye right and his blistering drive hit the junction between post and bar. Kinlochshiel responded and forced a couple of corners without troubling Jamie Gannon in the Skye goal. The opening goal came on 10 minutes and it was the visitors who went in front. Jordan Fraser drifted the ball into the goal area and Jamie Gannon made a great save from John MacRae’s original shot but the ‘Shiel full forward forced the ball over the line despite the best efforts of Gannon and Neil MacVicar. Skye went on the attack from the restart and Will Cowie picked out Jordan Murchison with a free-hit but Murchison’s shot bounced past the keeper’s right post. The movement from the Skye forwards was excellent and Scott Kennedy saved from Will Cowie with quick lead-up play involving Danny Morrison and Jordan Murchison down the right. Play quickly switched to the other end and Gannon then saved with his feet from following a good shot from Keith MacRae. Skye went back on the attack and they drew level on 18 minutes. Chris MacLennan cut infield and played a one-two with Jordan Murchison before finding James Pringle on the left and he sent a great first-time drive, across the keeper, low into the net, giving keeping Kennedy no chance Kennedy had to look smart to get across his goal to get his mid-rift to the ball to keep out a Jordan Murchison shot by his left post with Danny Morrison setting up the chance. Good defending from Steven Morrison dispossessed Keith MacRae and Morrison was impeded as he tried to clear his lines. Scott Kennedy stretched out a left foot to deny James Pringle at the expense of a corner. The first 25 minutes passed in a flash as both sides served up a feast of fast attacking shinty. A Jordan Murchison shot from distance rose over the top. It was against the run of play that ‘Shiel regained the lead on 28 minutes. A Donald Nixon corner fell for Keith MacRae at the back post and when the ball deflected into the path of John MacRae at the edge of the D, he didn’t quite catch the ball as he would have liked but the strike beat Jamie Gannon on his left side, with the goalie spreading his self to try and keep the ball out. The goal seemed to rock Skye and, moments later, Jordan Fraser shot just past Jamie Gannon’s right post. Skye’s Chris MacLennan took a knock to the hand 10 minutes before the break but he was able to carry on. When Chris Rose stopped a John MacRae cut-back with his feet, Jordan Fraser was quickly in to hit a superb first-time half-volley on his back-hand which flew into the top corner of the net made it 3-1 on 37 minutes. There was a stop for water before Jamie Gannon used his feet to stop a John MacRae shot from distance before putting the ball out of play for a corner on the ‘Shiel right. ‘Shiel kept pressing as the first half moved into the closing stages but the Skye defence stood firm. Skye were forced to make a change at the interval as Iain Nicolson replaced Chris MacLennan and Will Cowie dropped back into midfield. It was later confirmed that MacLennan had suffered a broken finger, only a matter of weeks after returning from a broken thumb, and he will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Scott Kennedy showed great agility to keep out a deflected Jordan Murchison shot with his left foot following a free-hit in the opening minute of the second half. Skye’s James Pringle made it 3-2 with an opportunist finish from inside the D on 50 minutes. Iain Nicolson played the ball to Danny Morrison who drove it into the D. The ball deflected up and Pringle had darted in and flicked the ball goalwards and although keeper Kennedy got a touch to the ball, he couldn’t keep in out of the net. David Falconer defended well at one end as Jordan Murchison threatened whilst Jamie Gannon used his body to keep out a John MacRae effort and he got the ball away before Keith MacRae could get to it. A super Finlay MacRae run from full centre wasn’t picked up and he got onto a John MacRae cross from the left, took a nice touch to control the ball before firing in a low shot from inside the D which was saved with his feet by Jamie Gannon. However ‘Shiel picked up possession from the clearance and John Don MacKenzie found Oliver MacRae and he sent a firm backhand drive low into the net which made it 4-2 with 58 minutes played. Skye replaced David MacInnes with Iain Murray on 62 minutes. Gilleasbuig MacDonald picked up possession in midfield on 64 minutes and he released James Pringle down the Skye left. Pringle crossed the ball from near the by-line and ‘Shiel defender Mark MacDonald stretched and inadvertently turned the low ball into his own net, under pressure from Jordan Murchison, to make it 4-3. A minute later, Ally “Spod” MacLeod came on for Chris Rose, who had been carrying an injury before the game. Danny Morrison was yellow carded on 74 minutes for something he said to referee to referee Archie Ritchie after the Skye forward was penalised. The players then had a second water stop of the afternoon. ‘Shiel made their first change as Paul MacRae limped off after going over on his ankle. Calum MacLean came on at full centre and Finlay MacRae dropped back to full back. MacLean lined up against Will Cowie who had swapped positions with Gilleasbuig MacDonald. Skye had a period of pressure but the nearest they came to threatening the goal was an Iain Murray corner which Scott Kennedy had to stop with his feet at his post. ‘Shiel broke and Donald Nixon found Jordan Fraser on the left and he cut infield and fed John MacRae who laid the ball off to Oliver MacRae who cut the ball back to Keith MacRae but just as he was going to volley the ball goalwards from 6 yards out, Steven Morrison threw his body in the way to make a brave block and ‘Shiel had to settle for a corner. The visitors made another change on 81 minutes as Gordie MacDonald came on in a straight swap for John Don MacKenzie. When Neil MacVicar mishit a goal-hit, John MacRae crashed the loose ball wide of target. It took a great Scott Kennedy save on 87 minutes to deny Danny Morrison and keep the visitors in front. Iain Nicolson collected an Iain Murray shy and he slipped the ball to Danny Morrison who sent a great drive goalwards. Scott Kennedy got his chest behind the ball to make a fine stop and the keeper then raced from his line to clear the danger’ However there was concern for ‘Shiel as Kennedy needed treatment as he seemed to pull a muscle but he returned between the sticks for the closing minutes. Duncan “DA” MacRae came on for Jordan Fraser as the tie moved into injury time. Skye pushed defender Steven Morrison forward but, unlike the league encounter between the sides, there was to be no late leveller and when the final whistle sounded, it signalled a semi-final appearance for Kinlochshiel and they will play Lovat in the last four of the Artemis MacAulay Cup. This was a really entertaining game for the supporters. It was end-to-end with plenty of goalmouth action on a superb playing surface. Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Neil MacVicar (captain), Ally MacDonald, Steven Morrison, Chris Rose; Chris MacLennan, Gilleasbuig MacDonald, David MacInnes; Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, James Pringle, Jordan Murchison; subs Iain Nicolson, Iain Murray, Ally “Spod” MacLeod Kinlochshiel from: Scott Kennedy; Paul MacRae, Mark MacDonald (captain), David Falconer, Conor Cormack; John Don MacKenzie, Finlay MacRae, Donald Nixon; Keith MacRae, Jordan Fraser, Oliver MacRae, John MacRae; subs Calum MacLean, Gordie MacDonald, Duncan “DA” MacRae, Alasdair Nixon Scorers Skye Camanachd James Pringle (18, 52) Mark MacDonald OG (66) Kinlochshiel John MacRae (10, 28) Jordan Fraser (37) Oliver MacRae (59) Match Referee – Archie Ritchie The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |