The Saturday Shinty Snapshot – Saturday 21 September 2013 | |
22 September 2013 After the excitement of last weekend’s Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final, Newtonmore were presented with the Orion Group Premiership trophy as relegation from the Orion Group Premiership and the Marine Harvest South Division 2 title race are the outstanding issues following the shinty action on Saturday 21 September 2013.
Orion Group Premiership Fort William 0 Newtonmore 2 There were contrasting fortunes at An Aird as Newtonmore were presented with the Orion Group Premiership trophy for the fourth year in a row whilst Fort William’s relegation from top flight shinty was all but confirmed following the champions’ 2-0 win. Fort William co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson were hit with a mini suspension crisis as forwards Bryan Simpson and Ryan Campbell sat this one out as they served one match bans racking up three bookings. Steven Stewart also missed out as he served a one game ban, again for a points accumulation, with two of his bookings coming in the last two matches against Newtonmore. Visiting manager Paul John MacKintosh had Cameron Binnie available but he will miss next weekend’s trip to Tighnabruaich to play Kyles Athletic because his booking in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final took him over the points threshold. However Steven MacDonald was out because of work commitments. A brilliant goal from Fraser MacKintosh after 22 minutes gave Newtonmore a one goal advantage at the break. Danny MacRae added a second after 63 minutes to take his tally to 37 goals for the season. Fort William require a massive win against Lovat at Balgate in their final game next week to beat the drop as Kyles Athletic, the only other team who could be relegated but who have four matches remaining, have a goal difference of plus 3 whilst the Fort’s goal difference is currently minus 20. Newtonmore will complete their season with a double-header against Kyles Athletic.
Kyles Athletic 1 Glenurquhart 1 Kyles Athletic and Glenurquhart shared the points following a 1-1 draw at Tighnabruaich. Kyles had veteran keeper Kenny MacDonald in goal as they looked to get the last couple of points to confirm their top division status. The Glen, with Drew McNeill in sole charge after co-manager Fraser MacKenzie stepped down, hadn’t been in action since mid-August but they travelled south in good spirits for their final match of the season. Fraser Heath celebrated his inclusion in this week’s Scotland U21 preparation squad with the opening goal on 20 minutes. However Thomas Whyte made it 1-1 on the hour mark to ensure the sides took a point apiece. Kyles still technically need a point to finish outwith the relegation zone but their goal difference is such that they are probably already safe.
Kinlochshiel 3 Inveraray 3 Kinlochshiel secured their top flight status with a 3-3 draw against Inveraray in their 3pm throw up at Kirkton. Davie Glass was still missing for Kinlochshiel ahead of his forth-coming wedding, Graham Morrison was also out whilst long-term injury victims Gordie MacDonald and Fraser MacVicar remained sidelined. Donald Nixon started at wing back with Jordan Fraser at wing centre and Finlay MacRae in attack. Inveraray travelled north without defender Douglas Dando, forward Euan McMurdo and the injured Chris Crawford. David Robertson travelled with the squad despite being unable to play because of a hamstring injury. Inveraray player / co-manager Garry MacPherson started at full centre and he was joined in midfield by former Kilmallie player Peter McIntyre whilst some of Inveraray’s more accustomed midfield players such as Stuart Robertson got a start in attack. Kinlochshiel played down the slope in the first half and visiting keeper / co-manager Graham MacPherson made a wonderful save when he kept out a Finlay MacRae shot which was heading for the top right corner of the net. As the action turned to the other end of the park, home keeper Scott Kennedy pulled up with the recurrence of a thigh injury and he was forced to leave the field with defender John Don MacKenzie coming on in goal. Inveraray immediately tested, the stand-in keeper and he made a fantastic save within seconds of taking the field, turning away a blistering drive with his caman. Just when it looked as if the first half would end goalless, ‘Shiel got their noses in front. They broke forward with 44 minutes on the clock and Duncan “Ach” MacRae fed the ball to Conall Fraser who sent a sweet drive into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Kinlochshiel were able to re-introduce Scott Kenned y between the sticks at the start of the second half. ‘Shiel started the second period brightly and they doubled their advantage on 58 minutes with the goal of the match. A superb passing move involving all the Kinlochshiel forwards ended when Finlay MacRae released a perfectly weighted pass to Jordan Fraser who made a great run across the D and Fraser sent a low reverse shot into the corner of the net to make it 2-0 with MacPherson in the Inveraray goal helpless. Inveraray got themselves back in the game on 62 minutes. Scott Kennedy had done well to deflect a shot onto the post but Neil Campbell was on hand to knock the rebound into the net to make it 2-1. Inveraray now had David MacPherson and Stuart Robertson being very influential in their wing centre roles and they had pushed Peter McIntyre further forward after the interval and McIntyre was on hand to send a great drive into the net to square the game at 2-2 on 67 minutes. The end-to-end nature of the contest continued and Kinlochshiel regained the lead on 74 minutes when Duncan "Ach” MacRae darted in at the back post to get on the end of an Oliver MacRae corner from the right and MacRae bundled the ball over the line to make it 3-2. However just a couple of minutes later, the match was level again at 3-3 as Peter McIntyre notched his second goal of the afternoon and Lewis MacNicol dived in with an unusual goal celebration. Both keepers made good saves to keep their respective teams on level terms and both managers made late substitutions with Grant Griffin coming on for Inveraray in place of Lewis MacNicol. Griffin had been in Australia for the last couple of years and this was his first outing on his return. Youngster Fraser Watt also came on in place of Garry MacPherson. Kinlochshiel took John Don MacKenzie back on in place of Jordan Fraser who was suffering from cramp whilst Alasdair Nixon was a straight swap for Conall Fraser in attack. Inveraray are the only side that Kinlochshiel have not beaten in their three year stay in top flight shinty and ‘Shiel went all-out for a winner. They thought they had that winning goal in the closing stages when John MacRae knocked the ball home following a set-piece but joy turned to despair when the effort was correctly ruled out by referee John Angus Gillies as MacRae was in an offside position. A share of the points was probably just about right. It was a match that neither team deserved to lose and both sets of players put on a great show for the supporters despite some difficult under-foot conditions.
Marine Harvest North Division 1 The Marine Harvest North Division 1 league programme is complete.
Marine Harvest South Division 1 Taynuilt 2 Lochside Rovers 4 Taynuilt and Lochside Rovers completed the Marine Harvest South Division 1 programme with the visitors winning 4-2 at the Playing Fields. Scott Dempster on 7 minutes and Sean Morgan just 4 minutes later gave Lochside the early advantage. Marc Beaton pulled a goal back for Taynuilt on 15 minutes and it remained 2-1 to the visitors at the break. Marc Beaton got his and Taynuilt’s second goal of the game to make it 2-2 just 10 minutes into the second half. However Lochside were not to be denied and Sean Morgan, whose good form for Lochside earned him some recent outings in the Oban Camanachd first team, put his side back in front on 59 minutes. Brian MacCallum rounded off the scoring with a goal on 74 minutes to make it 4-2. Lochside now draw level on points with third place Glenorchy but they sit fourth on goal difference. The match doubled up as a contest for the JC Memorial Cup which was presented to Lochside Rovers after the game.
Marine Harvest North Division 2 Lovat 5 Kinlochshiel 0 Lovat rounded off their league season and cemented their second place finish with a 5-0 win over Kinlochshiel at Balgate. Alan MacPherson missed out for Lovat as he started a two match ban for his red card against Beauly in his last outing. ‘Shiel were without youngsters Jordan Fraser, Conall Fraser and Alasdair Nixon who were on first team duty whilst Colin MacDiarmid was injured. Martin Bell was back in the Lovat starting line-up and he game his side a 6 minute lead. Former Skye Camanachd player Ian Nicolson scored on 32 and 43 minutes to make it 3-0 at the interval. Rory Campbell made it 4-0 on the hour mark and Jimmy MacKenzie took advantage of being relieved of his defensive duties to make it 6-0 just 3 minutes later. The win rounds off a successful season for the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup holders – they beat yesterday’s opponents Kinlochshiel in that final – in what was Graeme MacMillan’s first season in charge. Kinlochshiel complete their season with a derby meeting with Skye Camanachd at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree next weekend.
Beauly P Newtonmore P The match between Beauly and three-in-a-row champions Newtonmore at Braeview Park has been rearranged for Saturday 12 October 2013. This allowed the full Newtonmore squad to join in the celebrations as their first team were presented with the Orion Group Premiership trophy following their match with Fort William at An Aird.
Marine Harvest South Division 2 Aberdour 1 Ballachulish 6 Ballachulish are on the verge of forcing a Marine Harvest South Division 2 title play-off against Kyles Athletic after they beat Aberdour 6-1 at Silver Sands. Ballachulish full back David Campbell was unavailable as he began a two match suspension for a points accumulation. Balla’ got off to a great start when Lorne Brown put them two up with early goals on 2 and 4 minutes. Lorne Brown completed a first half hat-trick with a 32 minute strike and it remained 3-0 at half time. Lorne Brown took his tally to four on 64 minutes and Craig Munro on 72 minutes and captain Alan Cark a couple of minutes later gave Balla’ an unassailable 6-0 lead. Darren Coyle’s 84 minute strike was just consolation for Aberdour who finish fifth in the table after a good start to the season. Ballachulish must now beat Inveraray at Jubilee Park next weekend to ensure a title play-off.
Marine Harvest North Division 3 The Marine Harvest North Division 3 league programme is complete. |