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Skye Camanachd 1 Glenurquhart 3 | |
21 August 2014 Skye Camanachd’s Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup run ended when they lost 3-1 to Glenurquhart in their semi-final tie at An Aird on Saturday 16 August 2014. Skye Camanachd boss John MacLeod named a 17 man squad for the club’s biggest match since 2000. Jamie Gannon and Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod were added to the squad which beat Inverness 9-0 a fortnight earlier. Kenny Campbell was Skye’s only absentee and his broken finger – suffered in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup quarter-final victory over Kilmallie – and he is around a couple of weeks away from a return. Glenurquhart co-managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies had a full squad to choose from with the exception of the injured Ally MacKintosh who is getting close to a return. Defender Andrew Corrigan took holidays from his oil-based job to ensure his availability but he only arrived back in Scotland 48 hours before throw up so he started on the bench. John Barr demonstrated his fitness following a hamstring injury and he started at buckshee back with Lewis MacLennan at full back. Lewis MacLennan and James MacPherson made scoring appearances for the Glen’s second string the previous weekend. Throw up was at 4.05pm and the whole match was featured live on Cuillin FM and shown live on BBC Alba. Club mascots Archie Millar from Skye Camanachd and Glenurquhart’s Angus MacIntosh led the teams out onto the field. Skye won the toss of the coin and played with the wind at their backs in the first half and they immediately pinned back the Glen. Glen goalie Stuart MacKintosh saved a Danny Morrison ball into the D from the right with his feet and cleared for a corner after a couple of minutes. Stuart MacKintosh then did well to both stop and bat away an attempted Lewis MacLennan clearance which deflected off John Barr and dropped almost on his goal line. Shockie MacLennan made a mazy run at the heart of the defence following a free-hit on 8 minutes before playing the ball to Danny Morrison on the right but Stuart MacKintosh turned away his with his caman. Shockie MacLennan then shot wide from an Allan MacKinnon shy on the right as Skye continued to press. Skye forced three free-hits in quick succession and they took the lead after 12 minutes. Danny Morrison lost his marker and got on the end of Jordan Murchison free-hit and he crashed the ball high into the net on his backhand for what was a terrific opening goal. Glenurquhart responded well and Eddie Tembo ran at the Skye defence. Skye keeper Jamie Gannon saved from Neale Reid and Eddie Tembo put the rebound wide. Jamie Gannon then stopped a James MacPherson shot from wide on the left with his foot and Ally MacDonald did really well to juggle the ball off the line from the resulting corner with 16 minutes played. Glenurquhart equalised on 20 minutes with a contender for goal of the season. David MacLennan played in a shy from the left and Fraser Heath hit the bouncing ball first time on his backhand from a central position into the corner of the net from around 18 yards out. Both teams were enjoying short periods of pressure and Shockie MacLennan turned Lewis MacLennan and moved down the left before shooting across goal on 24 minutes. Glen lost wing centre David MacLennan a couple of minutes later when he took a knock just below the knee. Andrew Corrigan came on in his place and proved to be an able replacement. Skye were shooting on sight and Shockie MacLennan tugged a 22 yard shot wide on the half hour mark. Lewis MacLennan was booked on 32 minutes for impeding Shockie who was clean through on goal. Skye were unable to create anything from the free-hit. Stuart MacKintosh saved a Jordan Murchison shot with his feet following an Allan free-hit on the right on 34 minutes. Stuart MacKintosh swept away a dangerous Shockie MacLennan ball from the left on 32 minutes with Will Cowie closing in to try in an attempt to pick up any scraps Play switched to the other end and some good one-touch shinty from the Blairbeg side saw Neale Reid find Fraser Heath who slipped the ball to David Smart but he pulled his shot from the right harmlessly wide of goal. Jamie Gannon got a foot to an Andrew Corrigan effort after the midfielder had burst forward to get on the end of a ball after Neale Reid and Fraser Heath combined well. Glenurquhart went in front for the first time from the resulting corner. There were just 3 first half minutes remaining when David Smart shot through a ruck of players after Skye passed up a couple of chances to clear their lines. Skye came close to getting back on level terms but Glen had keeper Stuart MacKintosh to thank for a fantastic save from a 20 yard Shockie MacLennan effort. The shooting chance opened up for MacLennan and the ball was heading for the top corner of the net following a huge Steven Morrison clearance out of defence. With almost 90 seconds injury time played, referee Innes Wood blew for half time and Glenurquhart took a 2-1 advantage into the break. Glenurquhart now had the elements in their favour as the second half got underway and they pressed Skye without troubling Jamie Gannon. As the rain started to fall, the first chance of the second period fell to Neale Reid on 54 minutes after Jamie Gannon came off his line to clear a ball down the middle from Fraser Heath. However the ball bobbled and Gannon was unable to clear his lines but Reid put the chance over the top. Play was scrappy and Neale Reid shot over the junction between pot and bar on 59 minutes. Skye’s first real chance of the second half came after 63 minutes when Allan MacKinnon intercepted a Euan Lloyd ball forward and set a long pass to Shockie MacLennan on the Skye right. MacLennan held off the challenge from Lewis MacLennan and dragged the ball inside to Allan MacKinnon who had continued his run forward and MacKinnon’s shot dipped just over the bar. Chances were few and far between at this stage in the game and Danny Morrison fired a shot into the side-netting from the right on 69 minutes following a Will Cowie free-hit after Shockie MacLennan had been fouled by John Barr. Just seconds later, Fraser Heath should have made it 3-1. David Smart played the ball in form the left which Steven Morrison was unable to control. James MacPherson took advantage and slipped in Fraser Heath who rounded keeper Jamie Gannon but Steven Morrison recovered to make a goal-saving block and Gannon swept the ball away to safety. Lewis MacLennan tried to clear a Murchison shot into the D on 73 minutes but Shockie MacLennan closed down his clearance and the ball deflected high into the air but Stuart MacKintosh batted the ball away. Play quickly switched to the other end of the park as the Skye defence struggled to cope with a huge Eddie Tambo shy. James MacPherson played the ball to Neale Reid on the right but Jamie Gannon made a fantastic stop above his head from Reid’s shot. David Smart latched onto the loose ball on the Glen left and cut it back to James MacPherson who won a challenge with Steven Morrison before giving Gannon no chance with a low hard shot into the net to make it 3-1 with 74 minutes played. Skye responded and Shockie MacLennan collected a Gilleasbuig MacDonald ball through the middle on 76 minutes but his back-hand effort went just by Stuart MacKintosh’s right post. A couple of minutes later, Eddie Tambo played a dangerous bouncing ball down the middle of the Skye defence and Jamie Gannon did well to stop James MacPherson adding to Glenurquhart’s tally. Steven Morrison took a knock in the melee but was able to carry on. Skye manager John MacLeod made his first change of the afternoon with Kenny MacLeod replaced Danny Morrison in attack on 80 minutes. Glenurquhart co-managers Billy MacLeod and Dave Menzies made their second change on 84 minutes with Euan Lloyd limping off with a calf muscle problem and James Hurwood came on in his place. Kenny MacLeod held off Andrew Corrigan and fired over after 85 minutes. Billy Urquhart replaced James MacPherson for the Glen with just over just over 3 minutes remaining and Ally “Spod” MacLeod took over from Gilleasbuig MacDonald for Skye with Will Cowie dropping back to wing centre. A Kenny MacLeod shot from distance rose over with just under a couple of minutes remaining. Glenurquhart have a good squad of players and their top flight experience and physical edge gave them the advantage and they deserved the win. Referee Innes Wood’s final whistle signalled the celebrations in the Glenurquhart camp and they can now look forward to their first Scottish final since 1988 when they lost out to next month’s opponents Kingussie. Michael Brady was named BBC Alba man of the match and he must have been run close by Fraser Heath and keeper Stuart MacKintosh. Glenurquhart will now face Kingussie in the 2014 Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final at the Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 13 September 2014. Steven Morrison and Shockie MacLennan were best for Skye with Allan MacKinnon close behind and he was very busy down the right side of the park. Skye Camanachd from: Jamie Gannon; Steven Morrison, Neil MacVicar, Ally MacDonald, Chris Rose; Gilleasbuig MacDonald (captain), Iain Murray, Allan MacKinnon; Will Cowie, Danny Morrison, Jordan Murchison, Shockie MacLennan; subs Kenny MacLeod, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, David Grant, Aonghas MacDonald, Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod Glenurquhart from: Stuart MacKintosh; Lewis MacLennan, Euan Lloyd, Michael Brady, John Barr; Arran MacDonald, Eddie Tembo, David MacLennan; David Smart, Neale Reid, James MacPherson, Fraser Heath; subs Andrew Corrigan, James Hurwood, Billy Urquhart, Stuart Reid Match Referee – Innes Wood (Photograph od Arran MacDonald and Gilleasbuig MacDonald courtesy of Neil G Paterson) |