Macaulay Cup exit for Newtonmore
BALLACHULISH, Glenurquhart, Kingussie, Kinlochshiel, Kyles Athletic, Lovat, Oban Camanachd and Oban Celtic made it through to the Artemis Macaulay Cup quarter finals, whilst Beauly made Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup progress following the shinty action on Saturday May 5.
Artemis Macaulay Cup – first round Kinlochshiel 2 Newtonmore 1
Newtonmore, beaten by Kyles Athletic in last year’s final, have been knocked out of this year’s competition, going down 2-1 to Kinlochshiel at Braeview Park.
The match was switched from Kirkton which was ruled unplayable on Friday morning.
Kinlochshiel were unchanged from the side which drew with Oban Camanachd a week earlier and their bench was made up of Paul MacRae, Scott MacLean, Duncan WD MacRae and Duncan Matheson.
Newtonmore’s Evan Menzies was free of a two-match ban and started in attack. Norman Campbell also returned and joined Ewen Fraser and Conor Jones on the bench. Stuart Mitchell retained his place in defence, however, Jamie Robinson, Paul MacArthur and Craig Ritchie were missing.
Newtonmore won the toss and, with a strong wind behind them in the first half, got off to the best possible start. Newtonmore were awarded a free hit on the right hand side of the forward line when David Falconer impeded Evan Menzies. Glen MacKintosh hovered over the ball before spotting Drew MacDonald peeling away from his marker. He found MacDonald on the left who ran towards goal before slotting a bouncing shot past Scott Kennedy to make it 1-0.
On 21 minutes, Neil Stewart hit a speculative lob and, with the wind behind the shot, the ball almost caught out Scott Kennedy and he was thankful to see the ball go past for a goal-hit.
The wind was causing problems for both teams and the ball was being over-hit on a number of occasions by Newtonmore.
Glen MacKintosh almost put Newtonmore further ahead with a shot that hit the side-netting.
Kinlochshiel drew level on 34 minutes. Referee John Angus Gillies penalised David MacLean for a push in the back on Keith MacRae. Conor Cormack floated a perfect free-hit from the left wing into the heart of the Newtonmore defence where the ball fell kindly for Keith MacRae who drilled a shot past Kenny Ross to make it 1-1 at the break.
Kinlochshiel had the wind advantage in the second half and immediately pressed the Newtonmore defence.
Ali Nixon found John MacRae on the Kinlochshiel right and his shot just went by the right-hand post.
The west coast side went in front for the first time on 54 minutes. Duncan ‘DA’ MacRae took a shy from the left, finding Jordan Fraser in the penalty area. Fraser’s shot was saved with his feet by Kenny Ross but the keeper couldn’t get the ball away and Ali Nixon darted into the box and tapped the ball over the line to make it 2-1.
Kinlochshiel mounted more pressure on the Newtonmore defence and a long ball forward from Oliver MacRae, who by this time had swapped midfield positions with Donald Nixon, found Keith MacRae on the Kinlochshiel left, but his shot went wide of the post.
Newtonmore could have levelled on 70 minutes. Fraser Macintosh sent the ball into the Kinlochshiel defence. Glen MacKintosh turned his marker and played an inch-perfect ball to Iain Robinson who had the goal at his mercy from inside the ‘D’. But Robinson’s strike flew high over the bar.
Newtonmore introduced Norman Campbell for Iain Robinson to try and get the equaliser but Kinlochshiel held on for a deserved victory.
Both teams contributed to an exciting match played in difficult, windy conditions.
The Kinlochshiel defence worked well as a unit with Conor Cormack excellent at buckshee back. Oliver MacRae and Donald Nixon combined well on the centre line, whilst Ali Nixon was a thorn in the flesh of the Newtonmore defence, creating several openings for his teammates.
Newtonmore had Rory Kennedy to thank for his control and effectiveness at full back. He played very well against a strong John MacRae. Fraser MacKintosh had terrific dual with Donald Nixon in the second half. The Newtonmore forward line struggled to get anything from the well-organised Kinlochshiel defence.
Oban Camanachd 5 Glasgow Mid Argyll 1
Oban Camanachd came from a goal down to beat Glasgow Mid Argyll 5-1 in their noon throwup at Mossfield.
This was the first of four consecutive home matches for Oban Camanachd. Daniel Sloss returned following suspension and took a place on the bench in the 16-man squad. Scott MacMillan was working and Malcolm Clark started at full centre.
GMA travelled north minus former Aberdeen University player Brian Slattery.
Oban Camanachd’s Andrew MacCuish hit the post before GMA broke forward to take the lead. Craig Anderson produced a good finish from outside the ‘D’ to give the Glasgow side the lead on 24 minutes.
Oban Camanachd went in search of an equaliser but Robert Dunnings in the GMA goal made good saves from close range efforts. The hosts made changes after 30 minutes with Daniel MacVicar and Daniel MacCuish replaced by Keith MacMillan and Daniel Sloss.
Their desire to score led to Oban Camanachd losing their shape up front with crowding and bunching inhibiting their chances in front of goal.
Manager Iain Hay made further changes at the break, including moving to a diamond forward formation to use the flanks more profitably.
The changes helped and Willie Neilson, who had come off the bench five minutes earlier, made it 1-1 on 58 minutes, although the goal had a touch of good fortune about it. There was a scramble in the GMA goal area and Neilson stepped in to shoot goalwards. His effort hit a defender and looped up and over Robert Dunnings and into the net.
GMA no longer had something to hold on to and the Oban side looked the more likely to add to their total. They did that with 15 minutes remaining when Craig MacDougall ran in to tuck a rebound into the bottom corner of the net from close in after Robert Dunnings had made another save.
Lorne Dickie added a third a couple of minutes later. Garry Lord played the ball out of defence to Willie Neilson who found Dickie who hit the ball sweetly on the run.
Oban Camanachd pushed Daniel Cameron up front for the final 15 minutes of the game with Daniel Sloss, who had come off the bench in attack, dropping back into his more accustomed defensive role. Cameron ruffled things up before helping himself to a goal on 80 minutes. An Andrew MacCuish strike was saved but with keeper Dunnings on the ground, Cameron poked the ball into the net to make it 4-1.
There was now only going to be one winner and when the ball broke to Daniel MacVicar at the edge of the ‘D’ with three minutes remaining, he steered a shot low into the net to complete the scoring.
Oban Camanachd return to Mossfield this Saturday with Lochaber the visitors in a Marine Harvest Premiership encounter.
Scott MacMillan should return, but Matt Rippon and Keith MacMillan will be missing. John MacKenzie is Lochaber’s main doubt.
Oban Celtic 2 Bute 1
Oban Celtic progress to the next round following their 2-1 win over Bute in their 3pm throw-up at Mossfield.
The islanders have proved to be a bogey team for Kenny Wotherspoon’s side and they came out on top when the sides met earlier in the season in the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup.
Oban Celtic’s Ally McKerracher returned after missing the previous week’s win over Aberdour. However, the hosts were missing captain Daniel Madej, Kieran Gallacher and George MacMillan.
Bute travelled with just 13 players. Oban Celtic had their chances in the first half but they didn’t go ahead until 51 minutes.
Excellent play from Daniel MacMillan saw him find his brother Ross who slipped a through ball forward to Ally McKerracher who took the ball in his stride and thumped it high beyond the keeper to bag the crucial opening goal.
Oban Celtic added a second from the penalty spot on 63 minutes after Ally McKerracher was brought down when clean through on goal.
Ross MacMillan stepped up to blast the spot-hit low and hard to the keeper’s right.
Referee Des McNulty then had to deal with a major flashpoint.
Andy MacDonald’s physical play troubled the Bute defence and a melee involving a number of players ensued following a double swing which caught the Celtic forward on the ankle. This resulted in red cards for Bute pair Chris Lawrence and Arran Dunn with Celtic’s Ally McKerracher extremely fortunate not to join them for retaliation. Despite being down to ten men, Bute halved the deficit with Robert Walker finishing with a great drive on the angle with six minutes remaining.
Oban Celtic deserved the win though and next up for them is a Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup first round tie against Strathglass at Mossfield this Saturday.
Glenurquhart 4 Caberfeidh 4
After extra-time. Glenurquhart won 3-0 on penalties.
Glenurquhart achieved the day’s surprise result, beating onform Caberfeidh on penalties following a thrilling 4-4 draw at Blairbeg.
Glenurquhart full back Ally MacKintosh served a one-match ban for passing through the disciplinary points threshold. John Peteranna was injured playing for the club’s U17 side during the week and Daniel MacKintosh was also unavailable.
Caberfeidh were without the injured Scott MacLachlan and Jamie Matheson, so Scott MacPhail was called up from the second team.
James MacPherson gave the hosts the lead on 25 minutes. After an infringement at the edge of the ‘D’, Michael Fraser took the free hit and, in a routine from the training ground, found James MacPherson who knocked the ball past the on-rushing keeper Ewen Pilcher from the edge of the ‘D’. This was the only goal of the first half and probably came against the run of play.
The Glenurquhart forward line of Fraser Heath, Connor Golabek and Michael Fraser, with James MacPherson and Oliver Black sharing duties through the use of rolling substitutes, was working well and they doubled their lead on 53 minutes. Michael Fraser took an Oliver Black pass before turning and pushing the ball wide of the full back to fire home.
Caberfeidh got themselves back into the game on the hour when Colin MacLennan turned home a rebound following a Kevin Bartlett shot.
Caberfeidh levelled four minutes later when Kevin Bartlett scored after good inter-play.
Caberfeidh were taking a direct route to goal and when Craig Morrison gave his side the lead with 15 minutes remaining, it looked as if the Castle Leod men would take their place in the next round.
Glenurquhart had other ideas though and Connor Golabek’s goal after good play and a smart cross from Michael Fraser in a wide position, with four minutes remaining took the tie into extra time.
Craig Morrison got his second goal of the game four minutes into the additional 30 minutes but Glenurquhart came back again as James MacPherson got his second with five minutes of the first period of extra time remaining. Fraser Heath played the ball out wide to Connor Golabek who sent the ball across the pitch. James MacPherson blocked Ryan MacKay’s attempt at a first time clearance and, with MacKay getting back to his feet, MacPherson let the ball bounce before hitting it low into the bottom corner of the net to make it 4-4.
With no further scoring, referee Graham Cameron took the tie to a penalty shoot-out where the drama continued.
Glenurquhart went first and James MacPherson made his usual efficient job, sending a rasping penalty into the net.
Kevin Bartlett stepped up next but his spot-hit went wide. The goal judge signalled for a re-take, judging Glenurquhart keeper Stuart MacKintosh to have moved his feet before the ball was struck.
Bartlett’s second attempt was saved with his body by MacKintosh, but again the keeper was penalised. Bartlett went again and this time MacKintosh made the stop with his foot but, remarkably, another retake was ordered for the same offence.
Kevin Bartlett, Scotland’s dead-ball expert in the shinty/ hurling internationals, stepped up for a fourth time but MacKintosh’s saves were getting better each time and the keeper made a spectacular stop with his stick and his side led the shoot-out 1-0.
Caberfeidh never recovered and they missed their next two penalties which allowed Fraser Heath to blast home before Connor Golabek kept his nerve to score the decisive third home spot-hit to win the shoot-out.
One concern for Glenurquhart manager Iain MacLeod will be a hand injury to young defender Lachie Smith.
Kyles Athletic 3 Inveraray 0
Artemis Macaulay Cup holders Kyles Athletic beat Inveraray 3-0 in their derby meeting at Strachurmore.
With improvement work at Tighnabruaich, Kyles have yet to play on their home pitch this season and it is likely to be August at the earliest before they return.
Inveraray’s Kieran Kirkhope was free of suspension.
Kyles returned to the field of play after being idle for a couple of Saturdays.
The first goal came on 25 minutes after a period of Kyles pressure which led to the ball being played to an unmarked Roddy MacDonald, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net from 18 yards to make it 1-0.
Kyles added a second three minutes later when space opened up in front of Grant Irvine who crashed the ball home from 20 yards.
The pick of the goals was Grant Irvine’s second on 65 minutes which made it 3-0. The ball was sent up the left wing to Roddy MacDonald who played a square pass inside to his cousin Scott MacDonald. He played a slide rule pass into the path of an onrushing Grant Irvine who drilled the ball into the right hand bottom corner of the net.
Grant Irvine also had the ball in the net midway through the second half when he thought he had completed his hat-trick but his effort was ruled offside by goal judge Dunkie Kerr.
Kyles Athletic keeper John Whyte only had one save of note, when he saved well with his foot from a long-range drive from Lewis MacNicol in the first half.
Kyles’ reward is a trip to Oban Celtic in the quarter-finals.
Kingussie 2 Skye Camanachd 0
After extra-time. Kingussie final broke Skye Camanachd’s resistance, winning 2-0 after extra time as the sides met for the second successive Saturday, this time at The Dell.
Kingussie were 2-0 winners in Portree a week earlier and it took extra time for them to achieve the same outcome this time around.
Kingussie’s Ryan MacWilliam was free of suspension and took over from Kieran MacPherson in defence. Lee Bain was back from injury and started on the bench, whilst the game came too soon for the injured Louis Munro.
Skye’s squad was unchanged from the previous week with Ally MacDonald and Iain Nicolson still injured. Will Cowie started at full centre, with Danny Morrison up front.
Skye’s Iain MacLeod was the busier of the two keepers during the 90 minutes but Kingussie were almost made to pay in the closing stages when Ruaraidh MacLeod passed up a late chance to win it for Skye.
Iain MacLeod again denied Kingussie when he used his body