Kilmallie defeat Mid Argyll to lift the Balliemore Cup
Newtonmore reached the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semifinal, Lovat made progress in the Marine Harvest Premiership and Kilmallie lifted the Liberty British Aluminium Balliemore Cup following the shinty action on Saturday July 14.
Liberty British Aluminium Balliemore Cup final Glasgow Mid Argyll 2 Kilmallie 3
Kilmallie lifted the Liberty British Aluminium Balliemore Cup with a 3-2 victory over Glasgow Mid Argyll at An Aird.
Kilmallie took the lead on 37 minutes. An Innes Blackhall corner from the Kilmallie right came in on goal and GMA keeper Robert Dunnings turned the ball away with his caman. The ball fell for Michael Rodger on the Kilmallie left and he struck the ball on the half volley. Keeper Dunnings made a magnificent save, diving full-length to his left but the GMA defence were unable to scramble the rebound away and Calum MacDougall took advantage to score from close in.
However, Calum Mclay ensured the sides would go into the break on level terms when he equalised on 43 minutes. Mclay was played in by Garry Luke, just on the edge of the D, and he stroked the ball low past Shane Gillies, beating the keeper on his left side.
Innes Blackhall put Kilmallie back in front on 55 minutes when his shot from the right took a bounce, deceiving the keeper.
Calum MacDougall got his second on 64 minutes. Liam MacDonald battled for possession against three GMA defenders wide on the Kilmallie left. The ball broke to Innes Blackhall who swept it into the D. Keeper Dunnings came off his line to save with his legs but MacDougall was quickly in to send the rebound into the net on his left side.
It was an important goal as Garry Luke turned home a rebound on 71 minutes to make it 3-2.
As GMA pressed hard for a leveller, veteran Iain Robertson was excellent at the back for Kilmallie.
Kilmallie captain Liam MacDonald was presented with the Balliemore Cup in front of a delighted Kilmallie support.
Iain Kennedy was the match referee.
Speaking after the final, Kilmallie manager Mark MacPherson said: ‘We are just all over the moon following the win. The players deserve this for all the hard work they put in, sacrificing time away from their families to train and play.
‘I must also say that the sponsor Liberty British Aluminium did us all proud with the evening reception. It was first class with the players from both sides all mixing well.
‘Our focus now will just be on this Saturday’s league game with Inveraray so I don’t want to hear any talk of the Camanachd Cup tie against Newtonmore or anyone else. We’ll need to be at our best to beat Inveraray and that match will get our full attention.’
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup – quarter-finals Kinlochshiel 2 Newtonmore 4
Newtonmore secured the remaining Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final spot when they beat Kinlochshiel 4-2 at Kirkton.
Newtonmore got off to a good start and they looked in control from when Drew MacDonald gave them a 15th minute lead. MacDonald hit a low drive from 15 yards out which evaded keeper Scott Kennedy.
Glen MacKintosh made it 2-0 on 29 minutes and he followed that up four minutes later with a contender for goal of the season. With the ball bouncing towards MacKintosh, he knocked it round full back Paul MacRae before spinning the other way and then rounding the keeper and hitting the ball into the empty net to make it 3-0 half-time.
Michael Russell added a fourth on 66 minutes. Russell had by this time moved back to full centre. A ball was crossed in to the danger area and with Evan Menzies having tucked it to the full forward position, which left the back post area completely clear and Russell had plenty of time to set himself up before shooting goalwards. Keeper Kennedy got a touch but the pace of the ball took it into the net.
That made it 4-0 and the game was over as a contest.
Newtonmore made a few changes and perhaps took their eye off the ball on a couple of occasions and ’Shiel took advantage with Oliver MacRae on 70 minutes and John MacRae on 83 minutes making the final score 4-2.
Newtonmore will now face Kilmallie in the first Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final at An Aird on Saturday July 28. Lovat and Kingussie meet in the second semi-final at the Bught Park a fortnight later. Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on BBC Alba.
Marine Harvest Premiership Lovat 2
Oban Camanachd 1
Lovat drew level on points with league leaders Newtonmore and second placed Kinlochshiel after a double from substitute Lewis Tawse gave them a 2-1 win over Oban Camanachd at Balgate.
Lovat are proving to be a bit of a bogey team for the Oban side, winning a number of recent games by a 2-1 margin with their opponents deserving of at least a point but there was little sign of that when Andrew MacCuish gave Camanachd a ninth minute lead. They were playing against the wind when the ball broke to MacCuish, who took on a defender before sending a back-hand strike into the corner of the net.
Lovat’s best chance of a leveller came when Marc MacLachlan anticipated that the high ball would go over Scott MacKillop and he ran goalwards but was unable to connect with the ball properly.
The first real threat on goal in the second half came from Malcolm Clark who struck a powerful shot from distance but Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald did really well to save with his hand and he got the ball away before the lurking Andrew MacCuish could profit.
Lovat brought on Lewis Tawse for Thomas Fraser early in the second half and his introduction helped change the game. Tawse levelled on 54 minutes but there was an element of fortune about the goal as a Lovat shy from around 40 yards out dropped into the danger area. There was a melee and Tawse hit a bouncing shot goalwards with his effort taking a deflection. Oban Camanachd keeper Cameron Sutherland stretched low to try to keep the ball out with his hand but missed it. The keeper turned to try to stop the ball going into the net but was unable to get it away and the ball seemed to cross the line in slow motion.
Lovat’s Greg Matheson had the ball in the net on the hour but play was brought back as referee Archie Ritchie had just blown for an infringement in Lovat’s favour.
Lewis Tawse looked really lively and he put Lovat ahead on 64 minutes, hitting the ball home on the run. The goal came from an Oban Camanachd shy taken by Garry Lord who had been marking Tawse. The shy sliced away to Greg Matheson and he played in the unmarked Tawse whose shot went high into the net with the keeper getting a touch with his caman but the ball skimmed into the net.
For all Oban Camanachd had dominated the first half and the opening minutes of the second half, Lovat were now right back in it.
Stuart MacDonald made a good save a couple of minutes later, using his body to keep out a point-blank Andrew MacCuish effort.
The Scotland goalie also did well to keep out a Daniel MacCuish effort, getting his hand to the ball and he also thwarted Willie Neilson.
A booking for Oban Camanachd’s Scott MacMillan means he will likely miss the forthcoming league meeting with Kingussie. However, Craig MacDougall should return this week.
So it stays tight at the top of the table although Lovat have now played 12 matches while both Newtonmore and Kinlochshiel have completed 10 games.
Skye Camanachd 3 Lochaber 3
Lochaber came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Skye Camanachd in their relegation four-pointer at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Skye got off to a great start, taking the lead after just three minutes. Skye won possession from a Lochaber shy and Ruaraidh MacLeod collected the ball on the left before surging forward and sending it across goal where James Pringle hit the ball on the run into the net.
Stuart Callison, Shaun Nicolson and Callison again had efforts on the Skye goal with home keeper Iain MacLeod equal to anything on target.
Lochaber keeper Alistair MacDonald just got his right thigh to a James Pringle effort, turning the ball around the post and Skye’s Ally ‘Cleodi’ MacLeod went close from the resultant for a corner.
Despite Lochaber’s pressure, it was Skye who extended their lead a