Marine Harvest Premiership
Skye Camanachd 1 Kinlochshiel 1
An injury time goal from Jordan Murchison earned Skye Camanachd a 1-1 draw with Kinlochshiel in their 3pm throw up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Skye Camanachd boss John MacLeod made three changes to the squad which drew 0- 0 with Lovat in the league the previous weekend as Danny Morrison, Iain Nicolson and Chris Rose were all unavailable. There were call ups for David MacInnes and James Pringle, who both started and Ally ‘Cleodi’ MacLeod and Chris MacLennan who were on the bench. Iain Murray and Allan MacKinnon were both still out injured.
Kinlochshiel manager Colin Fraser has been able to field a settled side in recent weeks but he was without John MacRae for this west coast derby as he served a one match ban for exceeding the disciplinary points threshold. Gordie MacDonald returned to the midfield after missing the previous weekend’s 2-1 league win over Oban Camanachd. A tight hamstring meant David Falconer started on the bench with John Don MacKenzie taking his role at wing back.
The teams also played for the 2015 Thomas Ferguson Memo- rial Cup which was held over from last year.
Skye youngster James Pringle went on a great early run, skipping past two defenders to run clean through on goal. But he was tripped by Paul MacRae which earned the ’Shiel full back a yellow card from referee Graham Cameron.
Kinlochshiel had made the better start though and a turn and shot on his right side by Duncan ‘DA’ MacRae, after collecting a Donald Nixon ball forward, put his side ahead on 13 minutes.
Both keepers – Jamie Gannon for Skye from Jordan Fraser twice and Scott Kennedy for Kinlochshiel from Jordan Murchison and Shockie MacLennan – made fantastic saves and the visitors stayed in front until second half stoppage time.
’Shiel looked to have done enough to take both points but there was late drama as Gilleasbuig MacDonald sent a corner from the Skye left to the back post. Skye defender Steven Morrison had pushed forward, tracked by Gordie MacDonald, as the home side went for broke. The ball fell for Jordan Murchison who fired a forceful shot through a ruck of players into the net to give Skye an equaliser.
The large crowd were well- entertained and the sides meet again in Portree in the Artemis Macaulay Cup quarter-finals next month.
Another draw – their fourth in five league outings – means Skye move up to seventh place in the league on goal difference.
Kinlochshiel are now Marine Harvest Premiership leaders and become the first top division side to have fulfilled half their league fixtures.
The teams had a penalty shootout to determine the outcome of the Thomas Ferguson Memorial Cup and converted spot-hits from Gordie MacDonald and Finlay MacRae cancelled out Shockie MacLennan’s effort to give Kinlochshiel a 2-1 win so their captain David Falconer lifted the trophy.
Speaking after the game, Skye Camanachd boss John MacLeod said: ‘It has to be a point gained for us given we were behind so late in the game. I’m absolutely delighted for the boys for the effort they put into the game today. We changed things about a bit towards the end and we just needed that wee break. Our keeper Jamie Gannon had an outstanding save which kept us in the game and Scott Kennedy was excellent in the ’Shiel goal. We’re delighted with the point.’
Kinlochshiel assistant manager Duncan MacLeod added: ‘For us, it’s a point dropped. We started off really well before Skye came back into it. Skye keeper Jamie Gannon made two excellent saves but our problem in some games this season is that we can’t get that second goal to finish teams off. Fair play to Skye, they never gave up and if you are 1- 0 down, you always have the chance of coming back into the match and they did that.’
Kingussie 1 Lovat 3
Fifth-placed Lovat are now just two points off the top of the table after they beat Kingussie 3-1 in their 3pm throw up at the Dell.
Kingussie co-managers Russell Jones and Davie Anderson had a number of absences including the suspended Fraser Munro who started a three-match ban following his red card against Lochaber a week earlier.
Lovat manager John MacRitchie was still without the injured Drew Howie, Callum Cruden, Martin Mainland and Graeme MacMillan.
Both teams played nice shinty at various stages during the match and the Dell surface was in excellent condition.
The Lovat forwards moved the ball about really well in the opening stages of the game, with Kevin Bartlett at the centre of things.
It was Bartlett who gave Lovat the lead on 23 minutes when he sped up the left wing and checked back. His low shot that followed was so forceful it went through the legs of Kings’ keeper Craig Dawson to make it 1- 0.
Kingussie also had their spells of pressure and Lovat goalie Stuart MacDonald saved well from Thomas Borthwick twice before saving low to deny Savio Genini a first-half leveller.
Kingussie dominated the early part of the second half and Thomas Borthwick equalised on 50 minutes when he took possession and jinked to make just enough space before sending the ball low into the bottom left
corner of the goal to make it 1-1. Young Scott MacKenzie and Craig Mainland were impressive at the back for Lovat as they defended the Kingussie attacks.
Greg Matheson put Lovat back in front on 74 minutes, against the run of play. Matheson seemed to be impeded at the edge of the ‘D’ but referee Innes Wood allowed advantage and Matheson stretched as he was falling to steer the ball into the net with just one hand on his caman.
Kingussie starlets Alexander Michie and Roddy Young both made their first team debuts as late substitutes.
Lovat introduced Euan Ferguson and Mark Kelly for Calum MacAulay and Greg Matheson and the substitutes combined to make it 3-1. Kelly won possession and picked out Ferguson with a good pass and he sent the ball over the keeper’s head at the second attempt to make it 3-1 on the stroke of full-time.
Glenurquhart 2 Lochaber 0
Glenurquhart edged out Lochaber 2- 0 in a close encounter at Blairbeg.
Glenurquhart co-managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies had Fraser Heath and Andrew Corrigan back although the latter started on the bench. Michael Brady was still out and Euan Lloyd made a failed attempt at a comeback from injury in the day’s earlier reserve match against Kingussie.
Lochaber boss Ally Ferguson was without the injured Neil MacDonald and Jack Dignan.
The first-half was goal-less with the ‘Glen’ having the better of the first quarter before Lochaber came back into it without really testing Stuart MacKintosh in the home goal.
This was a tight game and there was a touch of fortune about the ‘Glen’s’ opening goal when David Smart latched onto a long David MacLennan shy and his first-time drive ended up in the net to make it 1- 0.
Lochaber fought hard for a leveller but the Glenurquhart defence, with the experienced Lewis MacLennan and John Barr in the central positions and youngsters James Hurwood and Lachie Smith on the wings, protected their keeper well, although one terrific reflex save by MacKintosh caught the eye.
The outcome remained in the balance until four minutes from time when Connor Golabeck, who had been pushed forward into attack, took a David Smart pass and beat Lochaber goalie Callum MacDonald to make it 2- 0.
Seventh-placed Skye, eighth placed Glenurquhart and ninth placed Lochaber are all now on four points with Fort William at the foot of the table with one point.