The Saturday Shinty Snapshot – Saturday 12 October 2013 | |
16 October 2013 Lovat rounded off a very successful season with a 1-1 draw with Kyles Athletic following the shinty action on Saturday 12 October 2013.
Orion Group Premiership Lovat 1 Kyles Athletic 1 Lovat completed a very successful 2013 season with a 1-1 draw with Kyles Athletic at Balgate. Lovat were 2-1 winners when the sides met in the corresponding fixture at Tighnabruaich in early May. Throw up for that match was delayed until 5pm as Lovat had travel difficulties because of a couple of road accidents led to temporary road closures. Therefore it was ironic that a Kyles should be held up on their journey north, again because of a road accident and subsequent road closure so throw up was delayed until 4pm. Lovat manager Allan MacRae was a couple of regulars short of his recognised starting line-up whilst the visitors were without eight players from their Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final squad. Indeed resources were stretched to the point the first team coach James Perlich made a substitute appearance. The Kyles absentees included the influential Roddy MacDonald and captain Robbie MacLeod. Lovat started with recently named Scotland U21 captain Greg Matheson at full centre. Lovat had the best of a largely uneventful first half but they saw any attempt to get near the Kyles goal thwarted by full back Donald Irvine who was easily the best and most composed player on the pitch. Kyles moved up a couple of gears in the second half and their centre line eventually took control and supplied the forwards with plenty of the ball. Some nice link up play between the Kyles’ midfield and attack kept the Lovat defence under spells of sustained pressure with home defenders Drew Howie and Michael MacKenzie doing just enough to prevent any serious goal scoring opportunities. With Kyles looking the more likely to open the scoring, it was Lovat who went in front when the pacy Graeme MacMillan, celebrating his call-up to the Scotland U21 squad, reacted quickly to make the most of a chance which came his way to beat Kenny MacDonald with 81 minutes played. The goal seemed to stun Kyles and they poured forward in search of an equaliser which came just a couple of minutes later. John Whyte, who scored a hat-trick as the Kyles reserves beat Ballachulish to clinch the Marine Harvest South Division 2 title last weekend, knocked the ball over Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald from just a couple of yards out on 83 minutes to make it 1-1. Lovat almost won it at the death when substitute Jamie Matheson looked sure to score only for his brother Greg Matheson to get in his way and the chance was gone. The game was well-handled by referee Deek Cameron although he was forced to book Lovat’s Callum Cruden for kicking the ball away after he had already being warned for committing a series of niggly fouls. Lovat finish runners up in the league with their best ever tally in the national top division and they have of course won the Co-operative MacTavish Cup. Kyles can still finish third if they can at least three points from their final two points against Newtonmore and Kingussie.
Marine Harvest North Division 2 Beauly 1 Newtonmore 2 Beauly and Newtonmore completed the Marine Harvest North Division 2 programme with champions Newtonmore running out 2-1 winners at Braeview Park. There was a youthful look about the scorers list with Newtonmore youngster Craig MacLeod putting his side ahead after just a couple of minutes. That’s the way it remained until 10 minutes into the second half when Beauly’s North U17 player Calum Morrison equalised. The winning goal was scored by Newtonmore’s North U14 player Ian Robinson on 70 minutes. Champions Newtonmore finish the season four points clear of second place Lovat. Beauly finish fifth despite being docked two points for fielding an ineligible player against Glengarry a fortnight earlier. Beauly won the game 4-2 but Glengarry were awarded the points and finish seventh. |