Camanachd Cup takes centre stage this weekend
ONLY three points separate the top four sides in the Marine Harvest Premiership following the shinty action on Saturday May 26 2018.
Marine Harvest Premiership Oban Camanachd 1 Kyles Athletic 1
Oban Camanachd and Kyles Athletic shared the points in a 1-1 draw in their noon throw up at Mossfield.
Oban Camanachd manager Ian Hay was without Willie Neilson and Chrissie MacMillan but Keith MacMillan was available again and he started on the bench alongside youngster Lewis Buchanan.
Kyles Athletic boss James Perlich was able to start Andrew King, who had sufficiently recovered from a shoulder injury.
The opening goal came from a corner on nine minutes. Garry Lord’s clearance went to Robbie MacLeod, wide on the Kyles Athletic left, and his shot took a vicious bounce in front of ’keeper Cameron Sutherland and the ball lifted over the goalie’s shoulder and into the net.
Kyles forced a series of corners but they were unable to get what would have been a crucial second goal.
The Oban side had to replace Matt Rippon on 30 minutes after he was hit below the knee and Keith MacMillan came on in his place.
Scott MacMillan equalised on 60 minutes when he drifted the ball goalwards from fully 45 yards out and the ball took an awkward bounce before creeping inside the post.
Oban Camanachd’s Aiden MacIntyre returned to first team action on 70 minutes, replacing Andrew MacCuish.
The home side went for a winner and John Whyte made a good stop with his feet from Lewis Buchanan.
Oban Camanachd had a penalty claim in at the death when Daniel MacVicar went down after going in one-on-one with ’keeper Whyte. The ball was cleared for a shy which immediately preceded the final whistle.
It was a match in which both defences were on top with Kyles edging the first period and Oban Camanachd better after the break.
Oban Camanachd travel to play Kinlochshiel in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup second round this weekend and boss Ian Hay could have Malcolm Clark and David Lafferty, who was excellent against Kyles, amongst his absentees. Matt Rippon and Lorne Dickie are both working in Barra and every effort will be made to get them to Kirkton on time. Willie Neilson and Chrissie MacMillan will both be back.
With this week’s Scottish tie at Glenurquhart on the horizon, Kyles will be concerned that Grant Irvine had to leave the field after suffering a blow to the leg whilst Roddy MacDonald was forced off with five minutes remaining with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.
Kinlochshiel 1 Newtonmore 2
Kinlochshiel’s unbeaten 26 game run ended when they lost 2-1 to Newtonmore at Kirkton.
Kinlochshiel’s Mark MacDonald returned whilst Fraser MacVicar dashed down the road from the noon second team game in Portree to start on the bench.
Newtonmore travelled without influential trio Glen MacKintosh, Norman Campbell and Michael Russell.
There was a minute’s silence ahead of throw up to mark the passing during the week of Newtonmore Chieftain David Cheyne.
Iain Robinson gave Newtonmore a four-minute lead. Fraser MacKintosh won the ball from a throw up and David MacLean sent Iain Robinson racing down the right. ’Shiel tried to clear but Evan Menzies did well to win possession. ’Shiel were unable to clear Menzies’ ball from the right and Robinson pushed the ball over the line from close range.
’More, shooting down the slope, went 2-0 ahead on 19 minutes. Ewen Fraser played in a free-hit from the left and Evan Menzies allowed the ball to run across the face of the goal before beating home keeper Scott Kennedy with a low drive which went just inside the goalie’s left post.
’Shiel introduced Paul MacRae at full centre in a bid to answer Newtonmore’s dominance in midfield. The switch helped, with MacRae playing well, and ’Shiel pulled a goal back on 37 minutes. Duncan ‘DA’ MacRae prevented ’More from clearing a Donald Nixon shy from the left and Paul MacRae threaded a pass to John MacRae in a central position. MacRae took a touch before finding the net with a firm, low shot.
Newtonmore introduced Steven MacDonald at half time and he played the second half at full centre.
The ’Shiel forwards had plenty of possession in the second half but they struggled to hit the target and the Newtonmore defence, expertly marshalled by Rory Kennedy, was outstanding and they protected keeper Kenny Ross.
The hosts did have the ball in the net in the second period but the whistle had already gone for an infringement in Kinlochshiel’s favour.
Newtonmore threatened on the counter but the home defence, with Finlay MacRae to the fore, thwarted the threat.
Kinlochshiel stay top of the league, ahead of Lovat on goal difference whilst third place Newtonmore are ahead of Kyles Athletic, also on goal difference.
Skye Camanachd 3 Glenurquhart 2
Skye Camanachd notched their first win of the season, beating Glenurquhart 3-2 in their 3pm throw up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Skye’s Jordan Murchison and Stewart Grant both returned to the starting line-up but Iain Murray and Iain Nicolson joined Ally MacDonald on the injury list whilst Danny Morrison and Gilleasbuig MacDonald were unavailable.
Glen’s Lachie Smith remained sidelined whilst the Glen also travelled without Andrew Corrigan, John Peteranna, Arran MacDonald, Daniel MacKintosh and Finlay Robertson.
’Keeper Stuart MacKintosh was playing with his band at a wedding in Lewis so second team keeper Tommy Ellis took over between the sticks. Lewis MacLennan made his first appearance of the season in attack.
Glenurquhart created the early chances with Skye ’keeper Iain MacLeod making a diving save to deny James MacPherson, using his caman to keep out a Michael Fraser snap-shot and stretching his right foot to keep out a James MacPherson shot which was heading for the bottom corner of the goal.
However, Skye took the lead on 40 minutes when a low Jordan Murchison ball down the middle was missed by everyone and the ball ended up in the net.
The goal shocked Glenurquhart and they fell further behind a minute later when a Jordan Murchison shot from the right went across the ’keeper, nestling inside the far post.
Glenurquhart were awarded the first of two penalties a minute before the break. Skye’s Ally ‘Cleodi’ MacLeod, who dropped back into defence after Connor Gilpin went off injured, went into the D to clear a high ball from the Glen right.
MacLeod lost the flight of the ball in the bright sun and the ball hit him on the top of the head.
Glen claimed for a penalty and referee Archie Ritchie pointed to the spot. Skye were furious and two of their players were booked in the aftermath. James MacPherson kept his cool to send the penalty low into the net.
Skye manager John MacLeod refocused his side at the break and they scored again just 45 seconds into the second half. A terrific Ruaraidh MacLeod run up the right wing set up a chance for Jordan Murchison and he fired the ball low into the net to complete his hat-trick.
Glen tried to get back into the game but the Skye defence, with John Gillies outstanding at buckshee back and U17 player Jamie Gillies giving a great account of himself at full back, stayed firm.
Glenurquhart were thrown a lifeline with six minutes remaining.
Fraser Heath, who by now had been pushed forward from defence to attack, cut across the Skye D and as he tried to shoot goalwards, the goal judge signalled a hand ball by a Skye defender. Again the decision was hotly contested but James MacPherson blasted the spothit over Iain MacLeod’s right shoulder to make it 3-2.
Skye managed the closing stages well and the win takes them to within a point of second bottom Glenurquhart with Lochaber two points away from the relegation zone.
Lovat 3 Caberfeidh 0
Lovat go level on points with league leaders Kinlochshiel but their 3-0 win over Caberfeidh in their 3pm throw up at Balgate was much closer than the final scoreline suggests.
Lovat’s Callum Cruden failed to recover from a knock picked up in the previous week’s defeat to Newtonmore so Craig Mainland dropped into a defensive role with Duncan Davidson starting in midfield. The bench was made up of Martin Mainland, Chris Johnston and Graeme MacMillan.
Caberfeidh’s Liam Symonds was free of his one-match suspension. However, there were a number of absences with ’keeper Ewen Picher, Martin MacDonald, Jack Pilcher and Kevin Bartlett all unavailable.
There were starting places for Ian MacColl in goal, Scott MacPhail and Calum MacKinnon with Jamie Matheson on the bench alongside Graham MacGregor and manager Jodi Gorski.
Lovat got off to the perfect start, taking the lead after just four minutes. Referee John Angus Gillies awarded the hosts a free-hit on the right, 18 yards from goal. The ball was played to Greg Matheson on the Lovat left and he slipped a good ball to Marc MacLachlan who unleashed a powerful drive which gave Ian MacColl no chance.
Caberfeidh almost pulled level on 10 minutes when Craig Morrison peeled away from Drew Howie before striking a screamer but Lovat goalie Stuart MacDonald pulled off a great save to keep his side in front.
Caberfeidh full centre Ally MacLennan had a commanding match in the middle of the park and he almost got his name on the scoresheet when he drilled in a shot which forced another outstanding save from Scotland ’keeper Stuart MacDonald, on the ground, and he scrambled the ball away to safety.
Both teams played to their strengths and Caberfeidh’s Blair Morrison was given a marking job on Lovat danger-man Greg Matheson whilst, at the other end, there was another good contest between Craig Mainland and Caberfeidh’s Ryan MacKay who was deployed as a forward.
Lovat extended their lead on 42 minutes when Lewis Tawse found Marc MacLachlan free on the left and he cut inside, past two defenders, before hitting a low shot into the keeper’s left hand corner of the net.
The second half turned into the Stuart MacDonald show as the Lovat custodian continually denied Caberfeidh the goal that would get them back into the game. Cabers threw everything at the Lovat goal and a sign of what was to come came four minutes after the restart when MacDonald made a point-blank save from a Craig Morrison piledriver, turning the ball away for a corner.
Stuart MacDonald made a great reflex save on 51 minutes, turning a Craig Morrison shot which took a bounce off the fiery surface, away for the safety of a corner.
Next up, MacDonald somehow got his club to what looked like a goal-bound Ally MacLennan effort and the ball was cleared.
MacDonald then twice foiled Caberfeidh forwards from inside the D as the visitor’s onslaught continued.
With 73 minutes played, Cabers were hit with a sucker-punch as Lovat extended their lead. A Lovat shy from the right fell to Greg Matheson who got away from Blair Morrison’s clutches and, without taking a touch, Matheson, from right of centre, bulleted an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net to make it 3-0.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of Caberfeidh and there were few chances during the final 15 minutes although there was still time for Stuart MacDonald to save again, this time from Ally MacLennan, following a free-hit outside the D.
Both teams produced a display of fast flowing shinty and, in a game with no bookings, and as well as Stuart MacDonald’s obvious contribution, there were fine performances from Lovat’s Drew Howie, who was given a hard time from Caberfeidh’s Craig Morrison, as well as Lovat’s Lewis Tawse and Cabers’ Ally MacLennan in the middle of the park.
Blair Morrison did well against Greg Matheson whilst young Ben MacDonald caught the eye in the Caberfeidh defence against the busy Lorne MacKay.
With the league approaching the halfway stage, Lovat have shown themselves to be genuine title contenders.
Kingussie 4 Lochaber 3
Kingussie came from 3-1 down to eventually beat Lochaber 4-3 in their 3pm throw up at The Dell.
Ahead of the match, Kingussie stalwart Tommy Wade officially opened the club’s new £200,000 facility which includes grandstand seating for 100 supporters and a hospitality area.
And it started well for the hosts when Roddy Young gave them a six-minute lead.
Lochaber looked set to spoil the celebrations as Finlay MacDonald capitalised on a defensive error to level on nine minutes. Conor Sweeney put the visitors in front a minute last and Danny Delaney made it 3-1 with 20 minutes played.
With relegation rivals Skye and Glenurquhart meeting in Portree, a couple of points would have been a welcome addition to the Lochaber cause.
However, Fraser Munro started the fight-back a couple of minutes before when he turned home a rebound, after a Roddy Young effort had been saved by Lochaber keeper Alistair MacDonald, to make it 3-2 at the break.
Roddy Young got his second on 53 minutes to leave the outcome in the balance.
Kingussie suffered a blow when full back Robert Mabon was forced off injured so James Hutchison dropped back into defence.
The winning goal came on 73 minutes. Roddy Young brought down a long ball forward from midfield. Young drew a defender before finding Ruaridh Anderson and he found the net to the delight of the home support.
Balliemore Cup – quarter finals Oban Celtic 1 Fort William 3
Oban Celtic and Fort William met for the second successive Saturday; this time in a 3pm throw up at Mossfield.
Fort William were 3-0 winners in the league a week earlier and they ran out 3-1 winners in this one.
Fort William’s Alexander MacMillan was free of suspension but Oban Celtic’s Craig MacMillan was unavailable as his yellow card in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup tie against Strathglass two weeks earlier forced a one-match ban.
The first half ended goalless but Lewis Clark gave Fort William the lead just three minutes into the second half.
A Ross MacMillan goal drew Oban Camanachd level on 56 minutes.
However, Victor Smith proved to be the match winner with goals on 63 and 88 minutes.
Remarkably, the sides meet again, on a third consecutive occasion, this coming Saturday in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd second round at An Aird.
Kilmallie 5 Ballachulish 1
Kilmallie recovered from the loss of an early goal to defeat Ballachulish 5-1 in their 3pm throw up at The Canal Parks
Kilmallie had a massive 14-0 win when the sides met a fortnight earlier but the scoreline was much closer this time.
Indeed Lorne Brown gave Balla’ a nine-minute lead but Liam MacDonald levelled with 20 minutes played.
Liam MacDonald got his second a couple of minutes after the restart and Liam Cameron made it 3-1 on 50 minutes.
Daniel Stewart on 65 minutes and Craig MacIsaac five minutes from time gave Kilmallie a 5-1 win and a place in the quarter-final draw.
The sides also contested the 2018 Iain Aitchison Trophy which Kilmallie retained.