The Shinty Round Up - Saturday 22 May 2021 | |
23 May 2021 With covid restrictions relaxed in a move to Level 2 in most of the country from Monday 17 May 2021, shinty clubs wasted no time in arranging a series of pre-season friendlies with most taking place on Saturday 22 May 2021.
Ballachulish 0 Kilmallie 5 Kilmallie defeated Ballachulish 5-0 in their 1pm throw up at Jubilee Park. Kilmallie manager Martin Stewart is without Liam MacDonald this season with the Scottish international announcing his retirement. However Michael Rodger was back in the senior side. Innes Blackhall gave Kilmallie a 24 minute lead, scoring the only goal of the first half. Blackhall got his and Kilmallie’s second a couple of minutes after the restart and Calum MacDougall added a third on 56 minutes. Lewis Birrell scored on the hour and repeated the feat on 83 minutes, making the score 5-0 when referee Deek Cameron brought proceedings to an end. Kilmallie were restricted to five goals by the excellent Kenny Michie between the sticks for Balla’ The teams competed for the Iain Aitchison Memorial Cup which was presented to Kilmallie skipper Innes Blackhall by Iain’s Grandson, Lewis.
Inveraray 4 Kyles Athletic 3 Inveraray were 4-3 winners in their match against Kyles Athletic at the Winterton on Wednesday 19 May 2021.
Fort William 1 Kingussie 6 The Kingussie second team were 6-1 victors in their 1.30pm throw up against the Fort William second team at An Aird. Graham Campbell gave the hosts an early lead and they stayed in front until midway through the first half. However the Kings went on to turn in a strong performance scoring six times without reply. Dylan Borthwick grabbed a hat-trick whilst Ewan Baker, Peter Dickson and Finn Anderson got the others.
Glenurquhart 1 Newtonmore 7 Newtonmore bounced back from their midweek defeat to Fort William as they beat Glenurquhart 7-1 at Blairbeg. Glenurquhart co-managers Stuart MacKintosh and Eddie Tembo were without Andy Corrigan, Connor Golabek and Michael Brady. Newtonmore boss Orsten Gardener was missing Glen MacKintosh, Evan Menzies but fielded new signing Max Campbell from Lochaber whilst Paul MacArthur was back in the blue and white hoops after a spell with Kyles Athletic. Both players made an early impression as MacArthur on 17 minutes and Campbell on 19 minutes gave ‘More a 2-0 lead. Max Campbell got his second on 31 minutes and it remained 3-0 until the break. Charlie MacLeod pulled a goal back on 67 minutes but the Newtonmore finished with a flourish, scoring four times during the final 21 minutes. Drew MacDonald made it 4-1 on 69 minutes whilst Iain Robinson added his name to the score sheet a minute later. A second from Paul MacArthur on 75 minutes and a Declan Brannan effort a couple of minutes from time rounded off the scoring. A suspected hamstring injury during the match is likely to rule Conor Jones out of Newtonmore’s opening league fixtures with the start of the new season less than two weeks away.
Kingussie 3 Fort William 2 Kingussie made a blistering start in their match against Fort William at the Dell, racing into a 3-0 lead. The goals came from Roddy Young twice and Ruaridh Anderson. Late strikes during the final 6 minutes from Lachie Shaw and Victor Smith reduced the deficit to a single goal but the winning margin would have been greater but for some fine goalkeeping from Fort custodian Paul MacKay. Fort William co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson suffered a blow ahead of the new season when substitute Ryan Boyle dislocated his knee shortly before halt-time. The teams observed a minutes silence before the game in memory of Tommy Wade, Bobby Nield, Jack Maxwell, Jim McDonald and Bill Dey.
Kinlochshiel 4 Skye Camanachd 0 John MacRae’s hat-trick helped Kinlochshiel overcome Skye Camanachd 4-0 in their 1.30pm throw up at Rèaraig. Kinlochshiel were missing defenders Conor Cormack and David Falconer so Duncan Matheson slotted in at the back. This was Skye’s first trip to ‘Shiel’s new Rèaraig Park and they started with John Gillies at full back and James Pringle, William MacKinnon and Ross MacKinnon across the midfield. Kinlochshiel opened with the wind advantage and they scored three times in quick succession just after the midway point in the first half. John MacRae fired home the opener and skipper Keith MacRae, who has returned to fitness following a knee injury, made it 2-0. Another form John MacRae made it 3-0 with Ross Gordon coming closest for the visitors, hitting the post before at the break. Skye played with the wind in the second half although it did seem to drop as the game went on. John MacRae completed his hat-trick soon after the restart to make it 4-0. Daniel Morrison twice went close for Skye but his brother Ryan Morrison did well to stop the home side adding to their tally.
Kilmallie 1 Lochaber 3 The Lochaber second team beat the Kilmallie second team 3-1 in their 12.30pm throw up at the Canal Parks. Rolands Freimanis and David Langan found the net in the first half to give the Spean Bridge side a 2-0 interval lead. Declan Aitchison added a third in the second half.
Lochcarron 1 Glengarry 3 Glengarry beat Lochcarron 3-1 in their friendly match at Battery Park.
Lochaber 0 Beauly 1 Beauly beat Lochaber 1-0 at Spean Bridge. The only goal of the game came midway through the second half when Conor Ross and David MacLean, back in the side after a spell with Newtonmore, combined with Ross providing the finishing touch.
Newtonmore 1 Fort William 5 Fort William ran out 5-1 winners against an experimental Newtonmore side at the Eilan on Thursday 20 May 2021. Newtonmore started well but goals from Victor Smith and Arran MacPhee put the Fort 2-0 ahead. Newtonmore pulled a goal back but Alexander MacMillan and another from Victor Smith made it 4-1 before referee Deek Cameron awarded Fort William a penalty which was converted by Arran MacPhee for his second goal of the game. Fort William displayed some great forward play, stroking the ball around really nicely but their star man was full back Johnny Foster who was assured throughout.
Oban Camanachd 4 Inveraray 1 Oban Camanachd were forced to change their plans after the friendly with Glasgow Mid Argyll was postponed because of the current covid related Level 3 restrictions in the Glasgow area. A meeting with Inveraray at Mossfield was set up with the Oban side winning 4-1. Oban Camanachd manager Stephen Sloss looks to be without Scottish internationals Andrew MacCuish and Lorne Dickie this season with Garry Lord also missing this one. Inveraray manager Ruaraidh Graham has named defender Ally Munro as his captain for the 2021 shinty season. The Oban goals came courtesy of Daniel MacVicar’s brace and efforts from Malcolm Clark and Daniel Madej.
Skye Camanachd 4 Kinlochshiel 1 The Skye Camanachd second team defeated their Kinlochshiel counterparts 4-1 in their 1.30pm throw up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. There was a minute’s silence ahead of throw up to remember players and supporters from both clubs who have passed away since shinty was last played. There was a return to the Skye line-up for brothers Somhairle MacDonald and Gilleasbuig MacDonald whilst player / manager Allan Macleod also gave youngsters Archie Millar and Callum Gillies a first call up and both started on the bench. Kinlochshiel boss Willie MacRae gave Lewis MacVicar the captaincy on what was his 22nd birthday but keeper Sandy MacDiarmid will skipper the side for the remainder of the season. The teams also competed for the John 'Kaid' Maclean Cup and Skye started the match playing towards the Skeabost end of the ground. Taylor Matheson gave Skye a 7 minute lead. The goal came following good play from James Robertson who ran at the heart of the ‘Shiel defence before slipping the ball to his right and Matheson sent a shin-high shot across keeper MacDiarmid and the ball nestled in the corner of the net. Whilst Skye enjoyed most of the early pressure, ‘Shiel came much more into the game midway through the first half and their pressure paid off when Rory Slaughter blasted home a leveller from the edge of the D on 27 minutes. Full back Andrew MacKenzie played a long ball down the left and Ross MacRae capitalised on a slip in the Skye defence and he crossed for Slaughter who sent an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net, beating keeper Calum Nicolson on his left side. Skye used both keepers in the game with Murphy Henderson taking over in goal at half-time. Ally ‘Spod’ MacLeod replaced James Robertson in the forward line. Skye went straight on the attack with Gilleasbuig MacDonald winning the ball from the restart and Somhairle MacDonald’s fierce shot was well saved with his legs by Sandy MacDiarmid at the expense of a corner. Ally ‘Spod’ MacLeod played in the resultant corner from the left and Somhairle MacDonald won possession before taking a touch at the left of the D to take the ball away from his marker before firing low into the net to make it 2-1 with only 50 seconds of the second half played. Just a couple of minutes later, a terrific Taylor Matheson rocket-shot from the right, after he had exchanged passes with Somhairle MacDonald, flew high into the net at the keeper’s near post and had Skye 3-1 to the good. Skye introduced Archie Millar for a second team debut on the hour. The hosts did get a fourth goal when they were awarded a free-hit on 69 minutes when Ally ‘Spod’ MacLeod was impeded just outside the right of the D. Archie Millar picked out a clever run wide to the right from Somhairle MacDonald who drove the ball home to make it 4-1 with the ball taking a slight deflection to deceive the keeper. Another Skye youngster, Callum Gillies, made his debut, coming on for the final 20 minutes. Ally ‘Spod’ MacLeod was unlucky not to score, twice hitting the frame of the goal as well as being thwarted by keeper MacDiarmid. The sides also contested the John “Kaid” Maclean Cup which was raised by Skye skipper Ian MacPherson. |