The Shinty Round Up – Saturday 7 September 2019 | |
08 September 2019 Skye Camanachd and Lovat were the big winners at the Mowi Women’s Cup Finals Day whilst the North U21 took the Coal Cup following the shinty action on Saturday 7 September 2019.
Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup Final Skye Camanachd 8 Badenoch 6 2017 winners Skye Camanachd won back the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup with an 8-6 victory over holders Badenoch in their 4.05pm throw up at a sunny Dell. This was a repeat of the 2018 final, at the same venue, which Badenoch won 4-1 and the match, in front of a large crowd, was broadcast live on BBC ALBA for the second successive season. There was an early chance for Badenoch’s Zoe Reid before Caitlin MacLean won possession and found Lorna MacRae who weaved through the defence to give Skye a 3 minute lead. Badenoch skipper Zoe Reid limped off, replaced by Mairi Stewart, before play got back underway although Reid did return midway through the first half. Kirsty Deans equalised on 7 minutes when she got away from her marker on the left before shooting across the keeper into the net from the edge of the D. Skye keeper Sarah Jane Ferguson made a brilliant save with her club to deny Mairi Stewart before Rhona MacIntyre put Badenoch ahead on 12 minutes. MacIntyre took down Mairi Stewart’s ball from the right before scoring from the front of the box. Mairi Stewart blazed over after being slipped in by Kirsty Deans before, at the other end; Elizabeth MacGregor made a great save to deny Sarah Corrigall. Both forward lines were running riot and Kirsty Deans passed up a great chance after running clear and then Ruth Forbes lifted the ball over from the edge of the box. Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved well with her left foot from Kirsty Deans before the Skye keeper then thwarted Mairi Stewart who’d run onto a defence splitting pass from the influential Deans. Skye came right back into it though and they drew level on 32 minutes when Holly MacLean’s corner from the right evaded Jeanette MacGregor and Lorna MacRae, on her back-hand, fired the ball across the keeper from a tight angle to the left of the D. Badenoch responded immediately and Sarah-Jane Ferguson did well, using her club to parry Kirsty Deans shot from distance. Elizabeth MacGregor made a superb stop, tipping over Lorna MacRae’s shot from the right following Abby MacLean’s defence-splitting pass. It was Skye who would take a two-goal cushion into the interval, scoring twice in a couple of minutes. First, on 37 minutes, Lorna MacRae took a pass from Caitlin MacLean before running at the defence. With two defenders drawn to MacRae, Abby MacLean was left unmarked at the front of the D and she had time to take a touch before picking her spot. Elizabeth MacGregor turned away Lorna MacRae’s drive from the left before Abby MacLean ran onto Sarah Corrigall’s bouncing ball forward and she thundered the ball into the net, on her back-hand, from the left of the D and Skye led 4-2 at half-time. With the tireless Rhianna Kirk urging Skye forward from the middle of the park, Lorna MacRae completed her hat-trick a couple of minutes after the restart when Badenoch failed to clear Caitlin MacLean’s ball into the danger-area and MacRae hammered the ball home. Abby MacLean completed her hat-trick on 48 minutes, scoring low into the net after exchanging passes with Lorna MacRae. Skye led 6-2 and Badenoch now had a mountain to climb. Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved with her legs from Megan Ralph however Badenoch grabbed a life-line on 50 minutes when Rhona MacIntyre scored from inside the D following the resultant corner. Skye keeper Ferguson was quickly off her line to foil Kirsty Deans but Deans did get her second goal of the game on 57 minutes when she scrambled to ball home to make it 6-4. Zoe Reid ran onto a great Kirsty Deans pass but shot wide and the next goal was going to be crucial. Megan Ralph passed up a great chance when Kirsty Deans found her in space in front of goal and Lorna MacRae made Badenoch pay on 66 minutes when she gathered the ball in midfield before running at the defence, scoring from inside the D. Kirsty Deans hit the post from the left before scoring on her back-hand to complete her hat-trick on 71 minutes, with Ruth Forbes and Megan Ralph involved in the build-up, to make it 7-5. Skye re-introduced a strapped up Sarah Corrigall and her inspiration steadied the back-line during the closing stages and they restored their three-goal cushion on 74 minutes. Lorna MacRae picked up a stray clearance before again running at the defence. Keeper MacGregor saved with her left foot from MacRae but Abby MacLean sent the rebound high into the net on her back-hand to make it 8-5. Skye lost Ilana Paterson through injury and there was still time for Ruth Forbes to make it 8-6, slotting the ball low to the keeper’s left with a minute remaining following a fine Zoe Reid run from the left. Badenoch’s Mairi Stewart hit the bar from point-blank range in stoppage time and referee Ross Brown blew for time with Skye finishing the final on the attack. This was a second Valerie Fraser success for Skye and a fitting triumph for Head Coach Robbie Gordon who steps down at the end of the season. Skye’s Lorna MacRae was on top form throughout and she was the choice of sponsor Peter Gow as player of the match and few, if any, would argue with his selection. Skye Camanachd captain Ilana Paterson stepped forward to be presented with the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup by Jayne MacKay from sponsors Mowi, with WCA President Lisa MacColl in attendance. The sides are likely to meet again before the season is over; in a play-off for the Mowi National Division title.
Mowi Challenge Cup Final Inverness 1 Lovat 7 Lovat are Mowi Challenge Cup winners, defeating Inverness 7-1 in their 1.45pm throw up at the Dell. Lovat were favourites going into the final having beaten Inverness twice in the league and they took early control with Fiona Urquhart getting the opener, scrambling a Laura Gallacher ball from the right past the keeper. Scottish international Laura Gallacher added a hat-trick to make it 4-0. First Gallacher held off her marker to score with a fizzing shot from the right. Gallacher then turned her marker to score from the front of the D before completing her hat-trick after playing a one-two with Fiona Urquhart. Aisling Healy pulled a goal back for Inverness when her snap-shot went just inside the keeper’s right post to make it 4-1. However Fiona Urquhart added two more Lovat goals to complete her hat-trick. Urquhart’s second was a low shot from the right which deceived the keeper to make it 5-1 at half-time. Fiona Urquhart then ran through on goal before calmly finishing to add a sixth. A fourth from Lovat captain Laura Gallacher, from around the penalty spot which went low to the keeper’s right, rounded off the scoring to make it 7-1. Lovat skipper Laura Gallacher collected the Mowi Challenge Cup from the sponsors.
Caol Cup Success For The North South U21 0 North U21 3 All the goals came in the first half as North U21 beat South U21 3-0 in their Annual Caol Cup clash at the Jubilee, Ballachulish on Saturday 7 September 2019. The match was originally scheduled for the Taynuilt Sports Field but an unplayable pitch lead to a switch to Ballachulish. Kenny Wotherspoon led the South and he was missing Glasgow Mid Argyll’s Calum McLay so Inveraray’s Hamish MacLellan was a late call-up. The North, managed by Kilmallie’s Mark MacPherson, went into the match without Kilmallie’s Innes Blackhall and Lochaber’s Findlay MacDonald who were both taking part in the Ben Nevis Race. Skye’s John Gillies and Newtonmore pair Iain Robinson and Craig Ritchie were also unavailable. The North took the lead on 12 minutes when Duncan Matheson turned home a rebound off the keeper and it was Matheson again who scored the North’s second on 25 minutes; this time with a rocket-shot on the angle from the left. Roddy Young showed great composure to add a third on the stroke of half-time when he took on the full back before thumping the ball high into the net. The South went on to dominate the second half and it took some great goalkeeping from Stuart Disher, and good defending from Lachie Smith, Danny Kelly, Cameron MacIntosh and Calum Grant, to keep them out. Steven MacKenzie and Euan McMurdo were on hand as North captain Calum Grant was presented with the Caol Cup. The match is part of the selection process ahead of November’s shinty / hurling international between Scotland U21 and Ireland U21 at Abbotstown. Scotland U21 Head Coach Alan MacRae was in attendance and he has plenty to think about before finalising his squad. South U21 from: Cameron Sutherland (Oban Camanachd), Daniel Sloss (Oban Camanachd), Craig Easton (Oban Camanachd), Lewis MacPhee (Oban Celtic), Hamish MacLellan (Inveraray), Ryan Craig (Bute), Daniel MacVicar (Oban Camanachd), Jonny MacAskill (Glasgow Mid Argyll) (captain), Ross MacMillan (Oban Celtic), Fraser Watt (Inveraray), Conor Kennedy (Kyles Athletic), Daniel MacCuish (Oban Camanachd), Scott MacLachlan (Inveraray), Blair MacFarlane (Oban Camanachd), Michael MacKinnon (Oban Celtic), Ruaraidh Graham (Kyles Athletic), Scott MacDonald (Kyles Athletic) Manager: Kenny Wotherspoon Coaches: Daniel Cameron & Calum Fox North U21 from: Stuart Disher (Fort William), Lachlan Smith (Glenurquhart), Cameron MacIntosh (Glenurquhart), Calum Grant (Kingussie) (captain), Danny Kelly (Lovat), William MacKinnon (Skye Camanachd), Calum MacDougall (Kilmallie), Kieran MacPherson (Kingussie), Ruaridh Anderson (Kingussie), Lachie Shaw (Fort William), Roddy Young (Kingussie), Duncan Matheson (Kinlochshiel), Oliver Black (Glenurquhart), Ryan Boyle (Fort William), Martin Pringle (Skye Camanachd), Alexander Michie (Kingussie) Manager: Mark MacPherson Assistants: John Wallace & Davie Anderson Match Referee - Des McNulty
Mowi North Division 1 Newtonmore P Aberdeen University P The meeting between the Newtonmore second team and Aberdeen University was postponed as the Students were unable to raise a team. The postponement prevented Newtonmore giving valuable game time to Michael Russell and Glen MacKintosh ahead of this weekend’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final against Oban Camanachd at An Aird.
This Coming Saturday Whilst the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final is the main event this coming Saturday, there are also three rearranged fixtures scheduled for Saturday 14 September 2019. Mowi Premiership Lochaber v Kyles Athletic Relegation-threatened Lochaber have two matches left to save their season starting with an 11.30am throw up against Kyles Athletic at Spean Bridge. Lochaber’s final fixture at home to Oban Camanachd is set for Saturday 19 October 2019. Kingussie v Caberfeidh Kingussie and Caberfeidh meet in an 11am throw up at the Dell. Kingussie know a win will take them level on points with Lovat at the top of the table. Mowi National Division Glasgow Mid Argyll v Strathglass Promotion hopefuls Glasgow Mid Argyll meet Strathglass in a noon throw up at Yoker. GMA, who are without suspended South U21 captain Jonny MacAskill, will go two points clear of third placed Skye with a game in hand if they win.
Youth Shinty Mowi London Shield Semi-Finals Skye Camanachd U17 will play either Newtonmore U17 or Oban Camanachd U17 in this year’s Mowi London Shield Final. This year’s semi-finals were played on a home and away basis. Beauly visited Skye in their first leg with the Islanders winning 6-1. Taylor Matheson scored four times with Angus Gilpin and Ross MacKinnon getting the others. Duncan Anderson netted for Beauly. Skye then won 6-2 at Braeview Park a week later with Taylor Matheson again the start of the show, scoring all six visiting goals. Finlay MacLennan and Duncan Anderson countered for the hosts. Newtonmore had to beat Kingussie in a play-off to reach the last-four where they encountered Oban Camanachd. ‘More were 2-1 winners in the first leg at the Eilan, as goals from Sorley Thomson and Struan Ross cancelled out Ross Campbell’s effort for the Oban side. The second leg at Ganavan was called off because of a waterlogged pitch and has to be rescheduled.
Mowi MacMaster Cup Final – Preview Oban Camanachd U14 and Kinlochshiel U14 meet at An Aird to contest the coveted MacMaster Cup ahead of Saturday’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final. MacMaster Cup Semi-Finals Kinlochshiel U14 4 Beauly U14 2 Kinlochshiel U14 reached the MacMaster Cup Final with a 4-2 victory over Beauly U14 at Blairbeg on Friday 30 August 2019. Archie MacRae gave ‘Shiel an 11 minute lead but Marcus MacRae on 21 minutes and Finlay MacLennan just 3 minutes later turned the semi-final Beauly’s way. However Archie MacRae was becoming a key player in this tie and he made it 2-2 at the interval with a goal on 31 minutes. Archie MacRae completed his hat-trick with a strike on 36 minutes and he took his tally to four goals on 66 minutes. Fort William U14 3 Oban Camanachd U14 4 Fort William U14 and Oban Camanachd U14 were to meet at the Jubilee Park on Friday 30 August 2019 but the tie was rescheduled to Wednesday 4 September 2019 because of an unplayable field. Gabriel Tidser put Oban Camanachd ahead but Fort William quickly levelled and it remained 1-1 until the break. Fort William took the lead only for Joe MacVicar to equalise. The Fort went ahead for the second time but an own goal made it 3-3 with 10 minutes remaining. Matthew Sloss was the Oban Camanachd hero, scoring a late winner to send Oban Camanachd through to the MacMaster Cup Final on Tulloch Camanachd Cup Final day at An Aird where they will play Kinlochshiel U14. Throw up is at 11am. |