Skye Camanachd survived a second half Kilmallie comeback to win their RBS MacTavish Cup first round tie 4-3 at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 2 April 2016.
The tie was postponed the previous weekend because of an unplayable pitch but there were no problems this time around as the field easily passed an 8am Saturday morning inspection despite heavy rain the previous day.
Skye Camanachd boss John MacLeod made a couple of changes to the 14-man squad which was named for the tie last weekend. Allan MacKinnon was on holiday and there were call-ups for Iain Nicolson and Neil John Campbell. Will Cowie remained an absentee as did the injured Ally “Spod” MacLeod whilst Iain MacLeod continued to deputise for Jamie Gannon in goal. A road accident on Loch Ness-side held up Iain Nicolson so he started on the bench.
The Islanders reached the RBS MacTavish Cup semi-final stages last year before losing out to eventual winners Glenurquhart.
Kilmallie boss Mark MacPherson was without Scotland U17 defender Craig MacIsaac who served the second game of a two-match ban for passing the disciplinary points threshold. MacIsaac’s booking against Kingussie in the Marine Harvest Premiership play-off match at the end of last season triggered the suspension. 2015 Kilmallie Player of the Year Liam Cameron was working; Peter Carmichael was on holiday whilst injury ruled out Scotland forward Liam MacDonald although he could make his return to the side sooner than expected.
Throw up was at 2.30pm and there would be extra-time and penalties if necessary. The whole match was broadcast LIVE on radio and online on Cuillin FM’s Camanachd Live show.
Skye played towards the Struan Road end of the ground in the first half.
Kilmallie went on the attack from the throw up and there were just seconds gone when Duncan Rodger slipped the ball to Grant MacKenzie but Iain MacLeod saved MacKenzie’s shot with his feet.
Skye forced a couple of corners and Shane Gillies made a good save with his feet from Jordan Murchison at the expense of a third corner.
Kenny Campbell took advantage of an Allan MacDonald slip on 7 minutes and he broke down the right wing. Robbie MacFadyen did well to chest down and clear Campbell’s cross with Chris MacLennan looking to capitalise on any slip up.
Skye broke forward on 11 minutes and Kenny Campbell slipped in Jordan Murchison but Skye’s top scorer just hesitated for a second which allowed Steven McAllister the chance to clear the ball away.
Skye went close to opening the scoring after 13 minutes. John Gillies won possession and played the ball to Danny Morrison who found Chris MacLennan and he touched the ball back to Neil MacVicar in space in the middle of the park. However Kilmallie keeper Shane Gillies made a spectacular save with his caman from Neil MacVicar’s rising shot.
The Islanders went in front a couple of minutes later. Iain Murray played a terrific shy from the right into the Kilmallie goal area. Martin Stewart batted the ball away and there seemed little danger when Danny Morrison picked up possession wide on the Skye right. However Morrison quickly hit a blistering shot which swerved goalwards and although the keeper got a hand to the ball, the strike beat him at his left post.
Neil MacVicar held off a challenge and fired another shot on target which was saved by Gillies. There was then a scramble inside the D with Chris MacLennan bundled over and referee Innes Wood pointed to the penalty spot. Jordan Murchison sent the spot-hit low into the net to make it 2-0 with 18 minutes played.
Kilmallie fought back though and they had a half-couple of chances before they pulled a goal back on 25 minutes. Ryan Stewart was the scorer as he darted in unmarked at the back post on the Kilmallie left to slot home a Grant MacKenzie cross from the right to make it 2-1.
Iain MacLeod then saved from Grant MacKenzie and the Scotland U21 keeper did really well to get the ball away ahead of the onrushing Duncan Rodger.
Skye regained their two goal advantage on 27 minutes. Danny Morrison, Chris MacLennan and Kenny Campbell all linked up to force a Skye corner on their right side. Iain Murray played the set-piece to Jordan Murchison on the Skye right and he skipped past Steven McAllister and Ryan Stewart before firing a forceful shot over Shane Gilles’ right shoulder into the net to make it 3-1.
Kilmallie again fought back and Grant MacKenzie and Duncan Rodger again combined with the latter’s shot lacking power and Iain MacLeod saved comfortably.
The former Fort William man Rodger sent another strike fizzing past the post seconds later.
Kilmallie suffered a blow when wing centre Ryan Stewart, who had made a good opening to the game, had to go off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem on 33 minutes. Aaron Sandison came on as a direct replacement.
There was a flare-up on 37 minutes when Duncan Rodger was booked by referee Innes Wood for a late challenge on Steven Morrison. Rodger looked to have taken a blow to the hand in the initial challenge with the Skye full back.
Duncan Rodger engineered just enough space to get a shot goalwards on 41 minutes and he drove the ball just past Iain MacLeod’s right post.
A Jordan MacPhee shot through a ruck of players moments later went just wide with Skye keeper MacLeod unsighted.
Kilmallie were closing the first half on the attack but it was Skye who would take a 4-1 lead into the break. The half had just moved into stoppage time when Murchison picked up a clearance out of the visiting defence and he passed to Kenny Campbell who, at the second attempt, sent a back-hand effort bobbling on goal and the ball took an awkward bounce past the keeper and over the line for a fortuitous goal.
Both teams stayed on the field during the break and it was a determined Kilmallie side who started the second period.
A Michael Rodger shot whistled past Iain MacLeod’s left post following a corner early in the half.
Play quickly switched to the other end and Jordan Murchison showed superb control to take down a Kenny Campbell lob forward and he took the dropping ball on the volley but his effort flew into the side-netting with 50 minutes played.
Kilmallie, in what was only their second competitive match of the season, had the ball in the Skye net on 56 minutes. Martin Stewart played the ball to Aaron Sandison on the Kilmallie left. He beat his man before finding Grant MacKenzie and his shot was saved with his feet by Iain MacLeod. Mark Graham was first onto the rebound but he was penalised for kicking the ball into the net.
A good challenge from Ally MacDonald denied Grant MacKenzie a shooting opportunity seconds later as the Skye defence lived dangerously.
Duncan Rodger collected a Jordan MacPhee pass and he sent a reverse shot just past Iain MacLeod’s left post.
Skye made their first change on 58 minutes with Iain Nicolson coming on for Iain Murray. Nicolson went to full forward with Kenny Campbell coming back into midfield.
Moments later, Skye made a positional change as they swapped wing centres Kenny Campbell and Gilleasbuig MacDonald.
A Kilmallie goal was coming and it duly arrived on 63 minutes. Grant MacKenzie fed Michael Rodger and he sent a good ball to Mark Graham. A great strike from Graham from a tight angle was well saved by Iain MacLeod but the rebound fell for Duncan Rodger who sent a superb shot past a helpless keeper to make it 4-2.
Skye made another tactical switch at the back as Steven Morrison picked up Duncan Rodger and Ally MacDonald marked Grant MacKenzie.
A Danny Morrison shot was saved with his feet by Shane Gillies and Chris MacLennan was penalised for a push on Robbie MacFadyen as he tried to get onto the rebound.
A Michael Rodger shot from the right side was saved with his feet by Iain MacLeod and cleared for a corner on the Kilmallie right. And there was more to come from the visitors from the resultant corner Michael Rodger found Mark Graham at the back post and he set up Duncan Rodger to crash the ball high into the net for his second goal of the afternoon to make it 4-3 on 71 minutes.
Chris MacLennan sent a shot right across the Kilmallie goal shortly after.
Jordan Murchison disposed Martin Stewart on 74 minutes and he drove forward before leaving the ball for Chris MacLennan to shoot but he couldn’t find the target.
Kilmallie made a double substitution in the wing forward positions with former Fort William and Kyles Athletic player Ewan Campbell and Bryan MacKay replacing Michael Rodger and Mark Graham with 15 minutes remaining
Kilmallie’s Jordan MacPhee was booked for a late swing at Danny Morrison on 76 minutes after the whistle had gone to award the Canal Parks side a free-hit.
A Chris MacLennan shot was deflected for a corner a minute later after good lead-up play from Jordan Murchison followed by an over-head flick from Iain Nicolson.
A Grant MacKenzie strike went just past the post after good pressing from Duncan Rodger and Ewan Campbell with 10 minutes remaining.
Skye made changes on 82 minutes to try and stem the tide towards their goal. They introduced Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod in attack with Chris MacLennan coming off. John Gillies went into midfield with Neil MacVicar dropping back into defence as Gilleasbuig MacDonald took over at full centre.
Shane Gillies made a brilliant save with his caman above his head to deny Jordan Murchison a hat-trick following an Iain Nicolson shot.
Kilmallie’s Michael Rodger came back on for Grant MacKenzie who was feeling his hamstring with just 4 minutes of regulation time to go.
Shane Gillies stretched low to his left to deny Jordan Murchison at the back post after the Skye striker had got on the end of a Kenny Campbell ball from the right. Skye had to settle for a corner on their right with a couple of minutes remaining.
Kilmallie came within a whisker of taking the tie to extra-time when Bryan MacKay tested Iain MacLeod but the Skye goalie did well to save and ten quickly clear the ball for a shy.
A shove on the back saw Iain Nicolson win a free-hit in the Kilmallie half as the tie moved into injury time.
There was one last chance for Kilmallie a couple of minutes into stoppage time when Michael Rodger played the ball to Duncan Rodger but his effort went over the bar in what was the last action of this entertaining contest.
Innes Wood’s final whistle means Skye Camanachd will now host Newtonmore in the quarter-finals at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 16 April 2016.
Skye Camanachd from: Iain MacLeod, Steven Morrison, John Gillies, Ally MacDonald, Shockie MacLennan; Iain Murray, Neil MacVicar (captain), Gilleasbuig MacDonald, Chris MacLennan, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Kenneth Campbell; subs Iain Nicolson, Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, Neil John Campbell
Kilmallie from: Shane Gillies; Allan MacDonald, Robbie MacFadyen, Steven McAllister, Martin Stewart (captain); Jordan MacPhee, Innes Blackhall, Ryan Stewart; Grant MacKenzie, Michael Rodger, Mark Graham; Duncan Rodger; subs Aaron Sandison, Bryan MacKay, Ewan Campbell
Match Referee – Innes Wood
The match balls were sponsored by Nor-Dan
Scorers
Skye Camanachd
Danny Morrison (15)
Jordan Murchison (18, 27)
Kenny Campbell (45)
Kilmallie
Ryan Stewart (25)
Duncan Rodger (63, 71)
(Picture of Skye defender John Gillies courtesy of WJ Urquhart)