Inveraray stun Kyles to reach Macaulay final
Artemis Macaulay Cup semi-final
Inveraray 3 Kyles Athletic 2
INVERARAY will face Kinlochshiel in the 2016 Artemis Macaulay Cup final after a dramatic win over Kyles Athletic in Oban.
The Loch Fyne-side team, competing this season in the National Division, overcame the odds to beat premiership Kyles with a battling performance at Mossfield Park but Kyles will rue missed opportunities.
Kyles were without Grant Irvine, who suffered a broken arm in the Camanachd Cup defeat to Lochaber a week earlier, forward Roddy MacDonald and defender Donald Irvine.
For Inveraray, Andrew McMurdo was serving a ban whilst Grant Griffin was also missing. A strong Inveraray bench featured David Robertson, Lewis MacNicol and David MacPherson.
Kyles took the lead after 18 minutes when some great work from Dunkie Kerr saw him turn Ally Munro and surge towards goal before sending a perfect ball to Robbie MacLeod at the back post, who slotted the ball home.
Just three minutes later, Inveraray captain and defender-turned-attacker Allan MacDonald levelled matters with a screamer into the top corner from 25 yards out.
Gordon Whyte put Kyles back in front on 27 minutes from the penalty spot and that’s the way it stayed until the break.
Kyles had a great chance to extend their lead when referee Lachie Wood awarded them a second penalty. Inveraray keeper Scott MacLachlan and Dunkie Kerr clashed when going for a 50-50 ball and Wood pointed to the spot on the advice of goal judge Robert Baxter. Inveraray disputed the decision but Whyte sent this one the wrong side of the post.
As play swung to and fro, Inveraray levelled for a second time when a terrific move involving all the forwards saw Fraser Watt win the ball in the middle of the park before playing it to substitute David Robertson. Play was switched to Lewis Montgomery who controlled the ball and passed to the unmarked Allan MacDonald at the back post and he coolly fired the ball home to make it 2-2 with 65 minutes gone.
The winning goal came five minutes from time when Allan MacDonald sent a dipping, swerving 25-yard effort past a helpless John Whyte to make it 3-2 and complete his hat-trick.
Kyles pushed Callum Miller up front for the last five minutes in a bid to take the tie to extra time. Man of the match Allan MacDonald tracked back with him.
There was late drama when Kyles were awarded a third penalty. Referee Wood penalised the Winterton side for a kick, again on the advice of the goal judge. Inveraray were unhappy with the decision but Robbie MacLeod hit the penalty straight at MacLachlan, who stopped the ball and played it out for a corner.
Allan MacDonald was sent off by referee Lachie Wood for something said in the aftermath, and now faces missing the final.
Best for Inveraray were defender Nicholas Crawford and forward Allan MacDonald. For the Kyles side, Robbie MacLeod and Thomas Whyte were outstanding on the wings.
Looking ahead to the Macaulay Cup final at Mossfield on September 3, Inveraray face Kinlochshiel, who defeated Lovat 3-0 to reach the club’s first-ever senior final.
Inveraray, on the other hand, will be appearing in their sixth Macaulay final in the past 10 years.