Skye Camanachd 3 Lochaber 3 | |
16 July 2018 Skye Camanachd drew 3-3 with Lochaber in their Marine Harvest Premiership match at a wet Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 14 July 2018. Skye first team manager John MacLeod has was without Jordan Murchison who failed to recover from an injury sustained against Oban Camanachd seven days earlier. Ally “Spod” MacLeod and Ross Gordon were added to the previous week’s fourteen-man squad and both started on the bench. Kenny Campbell came in at wing centre with James Pringle going to full forward. With Brennan MacDonald at full back, former Lochaber first team manager’s Michael Delaney and Robert Johnstone looked after the side from the touchline. They were missing Barry MacDonald who served the second game of a two-match suspension. John MacKenzie didn’t travel and Donald MacRae was also unavailable with injury limiting James MacRae to a place on the bench. Throw up was at 2.30pm and the whole match was broadcast LIVE online and on radio on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd LIVE show. Skye got off to a great start, taking the lead after just 3 minutes. The Islanders won possession from a Lochaber shy and when the ball was played to Ruaraidh MacLeod, he surged forward on the left before crossing low for James Pringle who hit the ball on the run into the net at the back post. Some nice Lochaber passing saw Shaun Nicolson set up a chance for Stuart Callison but his effort went wide of goal. Shaun Nicolson tested Iain MacLeod witch a low shot to the near post after he cut in from the left but the Skye keeper saved with his feet at the expense of a corner. Pat Toal then sent an effort wide as Lochaber stayed in search of a leveller. Danny Delany set up a chance for Stuart Callison but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. Lochaber tried to turn their pressure into a goal and Stuart Callison again went close as the Skye defence lived dangerously. Skye responded and Lochaber keeper Alistair MacDonald just got his right thigh to a James Pringle effort, turning the ball around the post and Skye’s Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod went close from the resultant for a corner. Lochaber’s Martin Johnstone and Skye’s Ruaraidh MacLeod bother needed treatment for knocks following separate incidents but both were able to carry on. A patient Lochaber build up gave Findlay MacDonald a shooting chance but Iain MacLeod saved well with his feet and Connor Gilpin pushed the ball out for a corner. Despite Lochaber’s pressure, it was Skye who extended their lead a minute before the break. Ruaraidh MacLeod sent the ball high into the net from a central position, over the keeper’s left shoulder. The goal came following Stewart Grant’s shy with Will Cowie playing the ball on to MacLeod who finished well. Ruaraidh MacLeod was back in the thick of it as he sent a drive across the face of goal with what was the final chance of the first half. Lochaber made a change at the interval with Ben Delaney, making his first senior appearance of the season, taking over from his brother Danny Delaney at full forward. The visitors made a lively start to the second period and they pulled a goal back on 48 minutes. Ryan Johnstone did well to get the ball forward to Ben Delaney and he found Shaun Nicolson who made just enough space to turn the ball home. Lochaber had their tails up and both Ben Delaney and Shaun Nicolson struck shots past the post. Skye weathered the storm though and they had the chance to regain their two-goal cushion on 55 minutes when referee Martin MacLean penalised a “kick” inside the D after Lochaber failed to clear Stewart Grant’s free-hit which went low into the danger area. Will Cowie stepped up to send the penalty low into the net to make it 3-1. A Kevin Ferguson shot came off a Skye defender and went just past the post. Referee Martin MacLean had a word with Brennan MacDonald after he caught James Pringle with a wild swing. Skye introduced Ross Gordon for Ruaraidh MacLeod on 65 minutes. Shaun Nicolson played a one-two with Ben Delaney but a sliding Connor Gilpin challenge was enough to put Nicolson off as he went for goal. A Pat Toal free-hit fell to Ben Delaney who turned and fired the ball goalwards. Iain MacLeod saved with his feet and James Morrison swept the rebound up the park. At the other end, a Ross Gordon strike from the left dipped just over the junction between post and bar. Shaun Nicolson did well to control a ball into the goal area and his effort went just the wrong side of the post. Stuart Callison set up a grandstand finish when he made it 3-2 on 77 minutes. Findlay MacDonald won possession and sent the ball down the right to Ben Delaney. Shaun Nicolson gathered Delaney’s low pass and he slipped the ball to Callison who thumped the ball home from a central position at the edge of the D. Moments later, Findlay MacDonald fired a shot from wide on the right past the keeper’s far post after a clever dummy from Ben Delaney. John Sweeney drove the ball forward to Ben Delaney but Iain MacLeod saved with his legs. Lochaber brought Conor Sweeney on for Duncan MacKinnon with Ryan Johnstone dropping back to wing back. Kevin Ferguson lofted a dangerous ball into the Skye goal area from wide on the left of midfield and Iain MacLeod had to palm the ball away to safety. Skye Ruaraidh MacLeod came back on and Lochaber pushed Martin Johnstone forward into full centre. Brennan MacDonald brought down Will Cowie with 5 minutes remaining as the Skye attacker seemed set to peel away for goal. When MacDonald brought Cowie down again as he got away 20 yards from goal, the Lochaber man was shown the game’s only yellow card. Skye lost possession from the free-hit and Lochaber broke forward. Passes flowed from Findlay MacDonald to Ben Delaney who picked out Conor Sweeney and he crossed from the right to Shaun Nicolson. Iain MacLeod looked to have made a great save with his foot from Nicolson’s shot but the goal judged flagged, signalling that the keeper’s foot was of the ground and referee pointed to the spot. Shaun Nicolson sent the penalty over the keeper’s right shoulder to make it 3-3. There was just enough time to restart the game and the Lochaber camp were the happier with the outcome. The point was enough to take Skye off the bottom of the table on goal difference at Glenurquhart’s expense with the Glen having played three games more than the Islanders. Lochaber were the main beneficiaries though as they move four points above the relegation zone having played two games more than Skye. After the match, Michael Delaney felt his side were worthy of the point. He said: “Even in the first half, we played some nice shinty, moving the ball forward but Skye are a good young team and when they break, they break at pace and we are not the quickest at the back. Both teams are at the wrong end of the table and, although there was some good stuff today, you can see why that is the case. We were missing Barry MacDonald so had Martin Johnstone in defence but we’ll look to get Martin further forward on Barry’s return.” Skye manager John MacLeod said: “The late goal was a killer blow. I didn’t think either were penalties and I’m disappointed for the boys as they put so much into the game. Lochaber were always a threat with Stuart Callison and Shaun Nicolson but I was disappointed with the goals we lost but our young defence is on a learning curve.” Skye Camanachd from; Iain MacLeod; Jamie Gillies, Connor Gilpin, James Morrison, John Gillies; Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, Stewart Grant, Kenny Campbell (captain); Martin Pringle, Will Cowie, Ruaraidh MacLeod James Pringle; subs Ross Gordon, Allan MacLeod, Ally “Spod” MacLeod Lochaber from: Alister MacDonald; Brennan MacDonald, Duncan MacKinnon, John Sweeney, Martin Johnstone (captain); Ryan Johnstone, Kevin Ferguson, Patrick Toal; Findlay MacDonald, Stuart Callison, Shaun Nicolson, Danny Delaney; subs Ben Delaney, Conor Sweeney, James MacRae Match Referee – Martin MacLean Scorers Skye Camanachd James Pringle (3) Ruaraidh MacLeod (44) Will Cowie (55 pen) Lochaber Shaun Nicolson (48, 90 pen) Stuart Callison (77) The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan |