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Skye Camanachd U17 2 Fort William U17 1 | |
15 June 2016 Skye Camanachd U17 lifted the RBS MacTavish Juvenile Cup after they beat Fort William U17 2-1 in the final at the Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 11 June 2016. Skye Youth Coach Davie Pringle had a full squad to choose with Jack Henderson, Angus MacDonald and Ryan MacAskill all returning to the pool of players which beat Caberfeidh U17 10-0 in their London Shield meeting at Castle Leod earlier in the week. Fort William U17 fielded a number of players with second team experience including Dean Williamson, Ryan Boyle and Seumas Gall and they were captained by Padraig McNeil. The players and officials were piped onto the field for this 1pm throw up before being introduced to Kimberly Forsyth from sponsors RBS and Camanachd Association Directors Keith Loades and Willie MacDonald. It was a wet afternoon in Inverness and Skye started well, pinning Fort William back from the throw up. There was early action around the Fort William goal area and keeper Jordan Morrison saved a bouncing John Gillies shot before scrambled the ball away for a corner on the Skye right Fort William made their first attack when Padraig McNeil took a pass from Grant Disher but shot wide of goal. Skye Camanachd went in front after 10 minutes. Ryan Boyle was penalised by referee Andy MacLean for a push in the back on James Pringle on the Skye left. John Gillies took the free-hit and played the ball to Ross Gordon and his shot was well saved by Jordan Morrison on his left side but James Pringle ran in on the Skye right to smash the rebound high into the net to make it 1-0. Fort William attacked from the restart and Skye goalie Jack Henderson had to race from his line to get to the ball ahead of Grant Disher before clearing the danger. Skye conjured up a chance down the right side. Ruaraidh MacLeod released Martin Pringle down the wing. Pringle cut the ball back to MacLeod but his shot was deflected wide for a corner on the Skye left. The Skye midfield of Sam MacPhee, John Gillies and Angus MacDonald was providing plenty possession for their forwards and a good Skye passing move, which started in midfield, ended with a Ross Gordon shot which was saved with feet by Jordan Morrison and cleared by Duncan Stevenson. Fort William passed up a great chance to level when a swift attack saw Grant Disher weave into the D but he was tripped by Ross Nicolson so referee Andy MacLean pointed to the penalty spot. However Padraig McNeil sent the spot-hit rising over the bar. A Ruaraidh MacLeod shot was well saved with his feet by Jordan Morrison and Fort couldn’t get the ball away and MacLeod was onto it again but this time his effort went just past the keeper’s right post. Morrison was by far the busier of the two keepers and James Pringle lofted the ball into the Fort goal area from wide on the right. Morrison stopped the ball with his feet and some-how got it away under pressure from Ruaraidh MacLeod and Ross Gordon. A terrific Ruaraidh MacLeod run across goal from the left wing ended with Morrison saving again with his feet, this time at his left post A rare Fort William first half attack saw a combination of Connor Gilpin and Jamie Gillies kept out Lewis Clark and Ally MacRae. Fort William came more into the game as an attacking force towards the end of the first half but the Skye defence was strong, with James Morrison dealing well with any play down the Fort right. Skye took their one goal advantage into the break but they knew that they could have and should have built up a bigger interval lead. Skye defender James Morrison used his strength to hold off Lewis Clark as the Fort man looked set to break clean through on goal early in the second half. Padraig McNeil then shot wide after a Grant Disher strike was deflected into his path. Skye withstood a period of pressure without keeper Jack Henderson being troubled. When they went back on the offensive, substitute Calum Robertson picked up a loose ball in midfield and he played it down the middle to Ruaraidh MacLeod. The Skye full forward turned Ryan Boyle, now playing at full back, before Boyle recovered to play the ball out for a corner on the Skye Right. Martin Pringle sent in a low corner which Ruaraidh MacLeod played on and Ross Gordon took a touch before giving Jordan Morrison no chance with a powerful drive from the edge of the D which made it 2-0 with 53 minutes played. Skye went for a third and James Pringle collected possession from a goal-hit before running forward and shooting past the keeper’s left post. However it was Fort William who would reduce the deficit with a move which started from the resultant goal-hit. Fort worked the ball up the right side and Padraig McNeil picked out substitute Victor Smith and his low 18 yard shot beat Skye keeper Jack Henderson to make it 2-1 with on 55 minutes. James Pringle shot past the post as Skye looked to reassert their hold on the game. Jordan Morrison saved well with his foot from a low Ruaraidh MacLeod shot from a tight angle on the right. When James Pringle was fouled by Ally MacRae, John Gillies chipped in the free-hit which James Pringle knocked on to Ross Gordon on the Skye left but his strike flew wide of target. A James Pringle ball into the D was stopped with his feet by Jordan Morrison who got the ball away just ahead of the onrushing Ruaraidh MacLeod. Ruaraidh MacLeod then sent a drive past the keeper’s left post following a James Pringle cross from the right as Skye kept the pressure on. The Skye pressure didn’t let up and Jordan Morrison got his body behind a James Pringle shot from the left and substitute Stewart Taylor then played a one-two with Ross Gordon before shooting into the side-netting on the Skye right. Fort William fought back and Ross Nicolson did well to hold off Victor Smith as the two players jostled for the ball at the edge of the D. Fort kept pressing but the Skye defenders denied them any shots on goal. Mark MacQueen, now on for Skye, battled for possession on the Skye right before finding James Pringle who beat his man and crossed to Ross Gordon in space. Gordon had time to control the ball but his shot was deflected for a corner. Ross Gordon got onto the resultant corner but keeper Morrison made a great save from Gordon’s shot, stopping the ball above his head with his caman at his left post. John Gillies fired a low shot past the keeper’s right post after good play from Ross Gordon on the Skye left. Ruaraidh MacLeod controlled a superb long ball from Angus MacDonald and he turned his marker before forcing his way into the D. With the keeper coming off his line, MacLeod slipped the ball just the wrong side of the keeper’s left post. For all Skye’s dominance, they were still only a goal ahead and they were almost made to pay as Fort William created three late chances. First, a shy by the corner flag fell for Lewis Clark but he swept the ball past the keeper’s left post from close range. Jack Henderson then used his feet to stop a long Padraig McNeil ball in from the right, under pressure from Lewis Clark, and Connor Gilpin was on hand to scoop the ball to safety at the expense of a corner. McNeil sent took the resultant corner from the right and Seamus Gall ran in but he sent a shot from the right of the D wide of the far post. It was the last chance of the match and referee Andy MacLean’s final whistle sparked celebration in the Skye camp. Kimberly Forsyth from sponsors RBS presented the RBS MacTavish Juvenile Cup to Skye captain James Pringle in front of his delighted team-mates and a large and noisy Skye support. Skye full centre John Gillies was deservedly named man of the match and he was presented with the coveted Sandy MacKay Medal. Skye defender Connor Gilpin and Fort William goalie Jordan Morrison also caught the selectors’ eye. Skye Camanachd U17 from: Jack Henderson; Ross Nicolson, Jamie Gillies, James Morrison, Connor Gilpin; Sam MacPhee, John Gillies, Angus MacDonald; James Pringle (captain), Martin Pringle, Ross Gordon, Ruaraidh MacLeod; subs Stewart Taylor, Calum Robertson, Mark MacQueen, Ryan Macaskill Fort William U17 from: Jordan Morrison; Dean Williamson, Ruaraidh Shaw, Duncan Stevenson, Ryan Boyle; Lachie Shaw, Seamus Gall, Robbie Hall; Ally MacRae, Padraig McNeil (captain), Grant Disher, Lewis Clark; subs Victor Smith, Keir Gibson, Jamie Duncan, Lewis Cameron, Stuart Disher Match Referee – Andy MacLean Goal Judges – Roddy Gillies, Iain Petrie
Click on the link to watch a video of the match
(Picture of Skye Camanachd U17 Winning Captain James Pringle With The MacTavish Juvenile Cup Courtesy of Donald Cameron) |