Memory Lane - Skye Camanachd’s 1999/2000 Camanachd Cup Run | |
14 July 2012 Skye Camanachd had a great run in the 1999/2000 Camanachd Cup before eventually going out to Kyles Athletic following a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. The semi-final meeting between Skye Camanachd and Kyles Athletic will live long in the memory of all who were there as Kyles reached the final thanks to an inspired performance by their keeper Kenny MacDonald. Skye’s run in the competition saw them face South opposition on three occasions.
Saturday 19 February 2000 Camanachd Cup – First Round Skye Camanachd 5 Inveraray 4 Skye opened their Camanachd Cup campaign when Inveraray visited Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. Skye got off to a great start when Norman MacLeod set up Somhairle MacDonald to net the opener. Skye went two up when Willie Cowie got on the end of a Dougie Rankin corner but his shot was blocked. However the rebound fell for Somhairle MacDonald who cracked the ball into the net. Inveraray rallied and Euan MacMurdo made it 2-1 on 14 minutes. Skye restored their two goal cushion when Somhairle MacDonald set up Norman MacLeod who shot home to make it 3-1. The visitors again reduced the deficit 3 minutes later when Garry MacPherson fired home. The game continued to swing from end to end and there was some fortune attached to Skye’s next goal when on the half hour mark, Peter Gordon sent a speculative effort goalwards and the ball took a vicious bounce in front of stand-in keeper Andrew MacMurdo and ended up in the back of the net to make it 4-2. A low Garry MacPherson shot made it 4-3 and Skye took this one goal lead into the break. Willie Cowie got on the end of a long free-hit from Ewen MacSween and he sent a blistering drive goalwards only for Andrew MacMurdo to make a fantastic save. Skye went 5-3 up on 74 minutes when Willie Cowie lost his marker to get on the end of a John MacLean free-hit and he crashed the ball home. With 7 minutes remaining, Garry MacPherson swept the ball into the roof of the net to make it 5-4. Inveraray’s Stuart Campbell came within a whisker of earning his side a replay when he shot narrowly past late in the game. However Skye held on to take their place in the next round.
Saturday 18 March 2000 Camanachd Cup – Quarter Final Skye Camanachd 3 Oban Camanachd 3 Skye Camanachd and Oban Camanachd will have to do it all over again after an exciting 3-3 draw at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. Skye had the early pressure but it was the Oban side who took the lead when the unmarked Brian MacCallum fired home after 12 minutes. Indeed MacCallum almost made it 2-0 but he was foiled by a super save from Skye keeper John “Bodach” MacKenzie. Skye levelled 6 minutes before the break when Dougie Rankin played a free hit to Willie Cowie who took the ball down before finding Peter Gordon and he sent a rasping shot into the net to make it 1-1 at half-time. Oban Camanachd went ahead for the second time on 53 minutes when Daniel MacIntyre burst through the home defence and netted with Skye claiming that Aonghas MacDonald was fouled in the build up to the goal. Midway through the second half, a long ball from Peter Gordon was controlled by Willie Cowie and his ball into the D was scrambled over the line by Norman MacLeod to make it 2-2. Skye went in front for the first time in the tie just 3 minutes later. Peter Gordon slipped the ball to Willie Cowie who went on to score a brilliant individual goal to put Skye 3-2 in front. Oban Camanachd earned a draw when youngster John MacKenzie punished slack marking in the Skye defence and he beat Skye keeper MacKenzie to make it 3-3 and set up a replay at Mossfield. The bad news for Skye was that talisman Willie Cowie suffered a broken rib in the tie which would rule him out of the replay.
Saturday 8 April 2000 Camanachd Cup – Quarter Final (Replay) Oban Camanachd 4 Skye Camanachd 4 (Skye won 3-2 on pens) Skye went into this replay at Mossfield without top scorer Willie Cowie who hadn’t recovered from a broken rib suffered in the first tie. Oban Camanachd didn’t allow Skye time to settle and Gussie Campbell put them ahead after just 3 minutes. Skye gradually got into the game and a Peter Gordon snap-shot made it 1-1 after 22 minutes. However the home side were to build up a two goal advantage before the interval. First full centre Fraser Inglis found Iain Hay who made it 2-1. Worse was to follow for Skye as Daniel MacIntyre collected an Iain Hay cross and he blasted home to put his side 3-1 up at the break. An injury to Skye’s John Angus Gillies sparked a reshuffle which was to get the Islanders back in the game. Steven Morrison came on in place of Gillies but he joined the attack with Dougie Rankin dropping back to full centre where he began to get the better of Fraser Inglis. The fightback started when Skye’s Norman MacLeod beat two defenders before netting to make it 3-2 on 66 minutes. Shortly after, Skye were level. John MacLean played the ball to Somhairle MacDonald and he scored to make it 3-3. Skye keeper John “Bodach” MacKenzie made two superb saves to twice deny Daniel MacIntyre as the tie remained on a knife-edge. Skye went ahead for the first time in the replay when Somhairle MacDonald got on the end of a move involving Ally “Stenscholl” MacDonald and Peter Gordon to put the visitors 4-3 ahead. However the Oban side levelled from the throw up when Fraser Inglis pushed forward and scrambled the ball home to make it 4-4. The extra-time period was dull in comparison with few opportunities created and so the tie went to a penalty shoot-out Skye’s Ewen MacSween was first up and he scored whilst Oban’s Daniel MacIntyre saw his effort saved by Skye keeper MacKenzie so Skye led 1-0. Skye’s John MacLean and Oban’s Fraser Inglis both scored to leave Skye went 2-1 up. Next up were Skye’s Somhairle MacDonald and Oban’s Gareth Evans and both saw their attempts saved. Skye stayed 2-1 ahead. Peter Gordon for the visitors and Neil Ross for the home side both scored so Skye went 3-2 to the good. Dougie Rankin had the chance to win it for Skye but his shot was saved. Oban Camanachd’s Norrie MacInnes then had to score with his side’s final penalty but he put his effort over the bar and Skye went into the last four of the completion with a 3-2 penalty shoot-out win. Keeper John “Bodach” MacKenzie and Dougie Rankin were stand-outs in this fine win.
Saturday 6 May 2000 Camanachd Cup – Semi Final Skye Camanachd 3 Kyles Athletic 3 (Kyles won 3-2 on pens) It was a case of so near, and yet so far for Skye Camanachd in this Camanachd Cup semi-final against Kyles Athletic at Jubilee Park, Ballachulish as the Islanders came within 8 minutes of victory and a place in the Camanachd Cup Final. Skye were first to threaten and a neat turn from Willie Cowie saw him about to head clean through on goal before he was brought down by Kyles full back Fraser MacDonald who was yellow carded for the challenge. Skye took the lead on 10 minutes. Willie Cowie controlled a long ball from Dougie Rankin. Cowie’s shot seemed to be going wide before it deflected off Fraser MacDonald’s stick, into the net. Cowie got Skye’s second on 36 minutes when he bundled home a John MacLean corner at the second attempt. However Skye had a lapse in concentration a couple of minutes later when Dan MacRae was given time and space to fire past Skye keeper John “Bodach” MacKenzie to make it 2-1. Disaster struck the Islanders a minute before the interval when an attempted clearance from keeper MacKenzie cannoned off Skye full back Ewen MacSween and bobbled into the net to make it 2-2 at the interval. Skye made a quick start to the second half and they went 3-2 ahead within 60 seconds of the restart and it was Cowie again on target from another Skye corner. Skye were on the ascendancy but Kyles keeper Kenny MacDonald was in inspired form as he turned away goal-bound efforts from Somhairle MacDonald and Willie Cowie. Kyles made it 3-3 on 82 minutes when a Dallas Turner shot was deflected past Skye keeper MacKenzie. Skye dominated the closing minutes but Kyles keeper Kenny MacDonald stood between them and a place in the final as he denied John MacLean, Peter Gordon and Willie Cowie to take the game into extra-time. Skye had the best chance of the extra-time period when referee Donnie Fraser awarded them a penalty on 95 minutes. Up stepped Dougie Rankin, normally deadly from the spot, but his strike was saved by Kyles’ hero MacDonald. Both keepers made good saves in the closing minutes and the game went to the dreaded penalty shoot-out. Both Skye keeper MacKenzie and Kyles keeper MacDonald had saved two penalties each before Dougie Rankin sent Skye’s crucial final penalty wide of target so it was Kyles Athletic who were through to face Kingussie in the Camanachd Cup Final. The penalty misses were harsh on Dougie Rankin who was excellent throughout the game. Skye’s Willie MacRae in defence and Willie Cowie, who was back from injury in attack, were top performers. Fraser MacDonald, Dallas Turner and the irrepressible Kenny MacDonald were outstanding for Kyles.
Saturday 28 May 2000 Camanachd Cup – Final Kingussie 3 Kyles Athletic 1 Kingussie won the 2000 Camanachd Cup with a 3-1 win over Kyles Athletic at Fort William. Kyles made a bright start and Neil Nicolson gave them a 13 minute lead. Kyles keeper Kenny MacDonald made some great saves to keep his side in front. However Kevin Thain equalised on 32 minutes to make it 1-1 at half-time. Kings Ronald Ross had a goal disallowed 4 minutes into the second half. Kevin Thain hit the post as Kingussie continued to press and Ronald Ross eventually fired home to put his side in front for the first time in the final. Kyles Ewen MacDonald hit the post on 77 minutes as the final could have gone either way. However Kingussie were awarded a penalty 3 minutes from time which Ronald Ross converted to take shinty’s most famous trophy back to the Dell. Kyles keeper Kenny MacDonald won the coveted Albert Smith medal as man of the match although 21 year old Tighnabruaich defender Colin MacColl must have run him close. The Kyles keeper rounded off a good season when he was named Marine Harvest National Player of the Year with 52 votes. Skye’s Willie Cowie was second with 35 votes and Fraser Inglis of Oban Camanachd was third. It was another accolade for keeper MacDonald who plays against Skye Camanachd in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup quarter-finals at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 14 July 2012. He has packed in a lot since his debut season for the Kyles first team in 1983, when his team-mates included shinty legends Scott Turner and Kerr Crawford, and he won a Camanachd Cup winners medal with a win over Strachur & District at Fort William in what was the competition’s first open draw. |