Memory Lane - Skye Camanachd & Kyles Athletic | |
13 July 2012 Skye Camanachd play their biggest game of the season when Kyles Athletic visit Pairc nan Laoch, Portree in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup on Saturday 14 July 2012. The sides have not met for some years now but they did meet twice during the 2000/01 National Premier Division campaign. It was a season when Skye, newly promoted to shinty’s top flight, finished sixth in the table but Kyles Athletic finished bottom and were relegated. It was a close thing though as the Tighnabruaich men finished the season with seven points with Glenorchy and Skye only a point better off. Indeed Skye would be relegated the following season to end their only two seasons in shinty’s top national league.
Saturday 16 September 2000 Skye Camanachd 6 Kyles Athletic 1 Skye produced their best league performance of the season to beat Kyles Athletic 6-1 at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree as the newly promoted Islanders won their first points in the National Premier Division. Kyles went into the game after finishing Camanachd Cup runners up to Kingussie, when they lost 3-1 in the final, only three months earlier so this was a tough challenge for Ross Cowie’s side. Skye got off to a great start when Steven Morrison came deep to win possession in midfield. He fed the ball to Willie Cowie who passed to Peter Gordon and he fired past Kenny MacDonald to make it 1-0. Skye extended their lead on 29 minutes when Steven Morrison got on the end of a Somhairle MacDonald free-hit and his shot was deflected into the net of a visiting defender. A couple of minutes later it was 3-1. Steven Morrison won the ball and found Somhairle MacDonald. He lobbed a delightful diagonal ball to Willie Cowie who scored despite being impeded in the process. Skye went further ahead just 5 minutes into the second half when Willie Cowie knocked on an Ally “Stenscholl” MacDonald corner and Somhairle MacDonald nipped in to score his second goal of the game which make it 4-0. Somhairle MacDonald got his second just 5 minutes later with a replica of his first goal and this gave Skye a comfortable 5-0 advantage. Skye thought they had a sixth when Willie Cowie got on the end of a long ball from John Angus Gillies and beat his marker to score. However referee Finlay Ross brought the play back for a foul on Cowie and he awarded the Islanders a penalty. Peter Gordon stepped up to finish from the spot to make it 6-0. Kyles got some consolation when Fraser MacDonald took a Dunkie Kerr pass and beat Skye keeper John “Podge” Macleod to make it 6-1.
Saturday 21 April 2001 Kyles Athletic 3 Skye Camanachd 2 Skye Camanachd went down by the odd goal in five when they lost 3-2 to Kyles Athletic in the National Premier Division at Tighnabruaich. Skye were to suffer heart-ache as Kyles keeper Kenny MacDonald denied them with a series of super saves to give the home side both points. Kyles took the lead on 6 minutes when David Martin got on the end of a free-hit to fire home. Kenny MacDonald then made a great stop from a John MacLean rocket. MacDonald wasn’t finished there as he saved a Peter Gordon thunder-bolt and then on 27 minutes he stopped a Somhairle MacDonald shot under the crossbar soon after. To make matters worse for Skye, Ronnie MacVicar got away from his marker on 36 minutes and tucked the ball home to make it 2-0. Skye were given hope when they finally scored with a minute of the half remaining. Somhairle MacDonald got on the end of a Dougie Rankin free-hit and he fired into the top corner of the net. It was a special finish and it needed to be to beat MacDonald. Kenny MacDonald then went on to thwart Somhairle MacDonald and Willie Cowie before the Islanders got a 59 minute leveller. Willie Cowie collected a Dougie Rankin free-hit and he dummied past Colin MacColl before shooting home. Kyles scored what proved to be the winner 3 minutes later when David Martin latched on to a poor clearance out of the Skye defence to get his second goal of the game to make it 3-2. Skye threw everything at the Kyles goals with Kenny MacDonald saving from Willie Cowie, Peter Gordon, Somhairle MacDonald and John MacLean before the end as his side took the points.
Skye Camanachd and Kyles Athletic renew rivalries in their Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup quarter-final meeting at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. Throw up is at 1pm and Graham Cameron is the match referee. |