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North Uist show grit and guile to defeat auspicious Eriskay side

July 25, 2015

Uist and Barra Football League

North Uist 5 Eriskay 3

– Home team too strong for visitors in high scoring affair

– Eriskay concede five goals despite taking an early lead

Keith MacDonald was a towering presence for North Uist (Blue)

North Uist United recovered from the concession of an early goal to earn all three points after a stylish and stubborn performance against Eriskay.

Both sides came into the game on a poor run of results, with North Uist looking for their first victory since the middle of June, while Eriskay where hoping to add to their one solitary win against Benbecula at the end of May.

The hosts, who were fifth going into the game, were looking to extend their six-point lead over bottom side Eriskay, with a victory in front of their own fans.

That plan, however, looked to be in jeopardy from as early as the 6th minute, when the visitors opened the scoring with a fantastic volleyed effort from Ali MacDonald. North Uist protested vigorously that the goal was offside, but the officials were unconvinced by their pleas and awarded the goal.

Despite their obvious anger at the decision, the hosts managed to hone their sense of injustice into positive action with a couple of chances they should have equalised from. Angus MacIntosh spurned a decent chance to test the Eriskay goalkeeper following pass from Peter Shaw, before Keith MacDonald put his header over the bar.

John MacIssac of Eriskay trying to evade the attentions of the North Uist players

Stuart Menzies made a spectacular save at the opposite end to thwart MacDonald from doubling his and Eriskay’s tally, as the away team looked to exploit the pace and trickery of Jack Walker and Dominic Macaulay on the break.

Sensing that his team was lacking a sense of urgency and punch in attack, North Uist’s manager, John Docherty, reshuffled his pack to move Angus MacIntosh up front alongside Peter Shaw, with Sam MacDonald moving to wide right of midfield.

The move appeared to make a difference as MacIntosh tested Duncan MacKinnon soon after with an effort on goal.

With 27 minutes on the clock, North Uist’s revamped approach found its rewards. The equaliser, however, originated from the more unorthodox route of Menzies in the home goal. The goalkeeper’s forceful goal kick caught his opposite number off guard and the ball looped over MacKinnon to leave Shaw with an easy tap-in to draw his team level at 1-1.

North Uist, now galvanised by their goal, grew in confidence and the partnership between Shaw and MacIntosh in attack seemed to give them a greater threat going forward. Indeed, Shaw should have put his team ahead after some intelligent build-up play. Keith MacDonald, found the now revitalised MacIntosh on the left, who flicked the ball around his marker and played a fantastic pass towards the back post, but Shaw placed his effort over the bar.

At the other end, Eriskay’s tidy passing game was enabling them to pick passes through the home team’s defence and they almost regained the lead. John MacIssac was just shy of connecting to a cross, as the visitors continued to exhibit an aesthetically pleasing brand of football.

Both teams challenging for the ball in an action-packed encounter

With half-time approaching it was North Uist who made the breakthrough. Donnie MacLean found room inside the Eriskay box and placed his header beyond the reach of MacKinnon, following a free-kick from Peter Shaw

Shaw was involved a minute later, as United grabbed a third before the break. The striker found Dave Darcy, who played a fine pass over the Eriskay defence to pick out the run of Keith MacDonald, who then flicked the ball over MacKinnon and into the net to make it 3-1.

The match was placed firmly in North Uist’s favour just a few minutes after the restart, as the home team added a fourth. Substitute Kevin Gregory, on for Angus MacIntosh, showed great skill to flick the ball into his stride, after Shaw played a pass slightly behind him, enabling the striker time to pick his spot to further increase his team’s lead.

Eriskay’s showed tenacity to reduce the deficit with a goal shortly after. Neil MacDonald side-stepped his way past the North Uist defence to hit a fine shot from a tight angle past Menzies.

Callum Campbell went on a good run and shot wide as the away team looked to further reduced the difference between the sides.

It was North Uist, however, that found the net as Peter Shaw scored his second of the game. The forward, who had displayed great close control and strength in attack throughout the game, scored a fantastic curled effort effort to make the score 5-2 to the home team.

Eriskay hit back from the penalty spot just as North Uist looked to be in control of the game. Menzies received and yellow card for a late challenge and Neil MacDonald put the spot kick away to claw back another goal for the visitors.

Morrison and Macaulay worked hard to test Menzies for Eriskay, with the away team still keen to attack the home goal.

North Uist enjoyed the bulk of the ball in latter stages, as the visitors fought hard to get back into the game. In the end though the home team proved too strong. North Uist combination of strong determined play and well-worked attacks earned them a valuable win. Eriskay are very much a work in progress, Martin Macaulay has instilled an attacking ethos in his side, and while this year has proven a tough season, his side showed great promise once more despite their defeat.

Man of the match: Peter Shaw

The striker put in a solid, skillful and hardworking performance and was a reliable outlet for his team. His brace and assists made the difference for his team.

Post-match reaction

John Docherty, North Uist manager: ‘We are always a bit sluggish in the start, once we made a change in midfield we dominated the game. It is all a confidence thing, North Uist have a lot of good players, we have been underperforming, the guys know that. Peter Shaw was outstanding, we wished we had him every week, he lives away, but when he comes home he is a great addition to the squad.

‘The guys, once they got a hold of the game they played really well. We work really hard on that, the guys that come in know that we try to get the ball down the flanks, the guys on the ball in the middle of the park, we try to play football, we try to play it the right way.

‘We have to bring young boys through, you have to be brave enough to play them. I was really pleased with the result today, I think in previous weeks, our play hasn’t merited the results we have had.’

Martin Macaulay, Eriskay manager: ‘The first half hour I thought we played really good football, I thought we were very good actually. That was our game, to keep everything on the deck, because we know North Uist are a big, physical team. I thought keep the ball out wide and get it into the box early, it worked for the first half hour and it worked again in the last twenty minutes of the game, we are getting there.

‘We had three boys home from the mainland, they steadied the ship for us. It is good for them, it is good for the young boys, when they come home they can learn from them.

‘It is very frustrating for me, but the young boys are keeping me going, we have some players who would walk into any of the other teams in the Uist and Barra League.

‘I think we are playing very nice football, the team need time to develop. It is a team effort, we win, we lose and we celebrate together.’

Starting Elevens

North Uist: S Menzies, S Brady, A MacQuarrie, D MacLean, D Macilwraith, S MacDonald, J MacDonald, K MacDonald, A MacIntosh, D Darcy, P Shaw

Eriskay: D MacKinnon, M Campbell, S Macpherson, N MacDonald, J MacIssac, J Walker, S Campbell, A MacDonald, C Campbell, D Macaulay, N Revol

Referee: J MacIssac

Benbecula manager praises team after narrow defeat

July 9, 2015

Benbecula lost out to Saints in a closely fought semi-final.

Iain MacDonald praised the efforts of his team following their 3-2 defeat to Saints after extra time, in Tuesday’s Summer Cup Semi-final.

The Benbecula manager paid credit to the whole team, including goalkeeper Kenny Macaulay, who was making his first start in three years and he also picked out Hector Macphee’s performance in particular as his team narrowly lost to the reigning champions.

“It was a thoroughly intriguing and entertaining match for the fans, but certainly not for management, but I was delighted with our performance considering we were missing a host of regulars and had to draft in Kenny MacAulay who hasn’t played for 3 years but he did a superb job. We had a plan which worked a treat which was to stifle Saints and it took a wicked deflection to break us down.

“Also, John Alex Skinner and Donald MacKay would not have started if we had a full squad, but we had no option, and for them to play 120 minutes was admirable. I was delighted with the whole team and never like to praise individuals but on this occasion I thought Hector MacPhee was the standout player on the park. At least we know we can match Saints now and look forward to our next league match against them.

“Congratulations go to Saints from Benbecula Football Club and we wish them well in the final in what promises to be an epic tussle of the top two teams in Uist and Barra.”

Barra wear down North Uist to extend their lead

July 6, 2015

The Uist and Barra Football League

North Uist United 0 Barra 4

– Defeat compounded by late injury for home side

– Three second half goals gloss over a largely even contest

Ali MacInnes leading the charge for Barra

By Adam Gordon

League leaders Barra left North Uist licking their wounds in a bruising encounter on Saturday 4^th July. The home team endured two heavy injuries and eventually ran out of steam, as the away side took their chances aided by a portion of good luck.

A brace from James Davidson and goals from Craig Ferguson and Angus MacLean (Butch) earned Barra all three points and extended their lead at the top of the league to six points, albeit having played three games more than Iochdar Saints.

The first half of the match gave little notice of the margin that would separate the teams by the full-time whistle, as North Uist more than held their own against the visitors.

The home team showed a willingness to take the game to Barra, and were successful in forcing the leaders to concede several corners as they looked to unsettle the visitors. Indeed, North Uist’s best chance of the half came from a cross into the box and fell to Andy Currie, who went close with a header 6-yards out.

The positive rhythm North Uist had established through their promising early play was halted for nearly ten minutes as Fraser MacDonald had to leave the field to receive treatment after sustaining a head injury. Much to the relief of his team and everyone involved for that matter, MacDonald return to the fray, with his head bandaged, ala Terry Butcher, to resume playing.

Unfortunately for North Uist, despite their early momentum, it was Barra that made the breakthrough with 25 minutes gone. The visitors bypassed the North Uist wall from a freekick, and although their initial attempt was blocked, the ball fell into the path of Angus MacLean (Butch) who fired his shot into the bottom corner to open the scoring. The goal was Butch’s first goal for Barra and it again highlighted his team’s ability to take their chances, irrespective of how well they are playing

North Uist (on the ball) more than held their own against Barra in the first half.

At the other end, Dave D’Arcy was presented with a half chance for North Uist, but the ball bounced off his shin as he attempted a shot on goal.

The second half began with flourish from Barra, and it was Craig Ferguson who was at the heart of most of their early attacks. Stuart Menzies twice foiled the playmaker, whose free role enabled him to drift between attack and midfield, making it difficult for North Uist to marked him effectively. The second of those attempts brought out an especially good save from Menzies, who reacted quickly to Ferguson’s strike, following a neat turn by the Barra player who had his back to goal.

North Uist enjoyed good periods of play within the midfield area, with Fraser MacDonald showing an admirable desire to bring the ball forward from his own half to orchestrate attacks.

Ross Frew, introduced as a second half substitute, assumed some good positions on the left-hand side for the home team, but was forced to bring the ball deep as Barra quickly crowded out any attacks from the wide areas.

Although most of North Uist’s approach play came down the right-hand side, it was a similar story, as the visitors pressed them into crossing from deep positions. This proved to be an effective tactic from a Barra perspective, as they easily dealt with the majority of balls played towards their goal.

Tempers flared between the sides in the 62nd minute, when Ali MacInnes of Barra was booked after appearing to elbow North Uist’s John McDonald in the face. The home team were left incensed that MacInnes was not shown a straight red card.

As North Uist became more frustrated, Barra grew in confidence and doubled their lead five minutes later. Ferguson, who was now running the game for his team, got the goal, with a forceful strike from the end of the box. What at first appeared to be an attempted to win the ball soon turned into a goal, as Ferguson’s strike went unopposed and looped over Menzies to make it 2-0.

The pace and trickery of Michael Davidson presented North Uist with even more problems, as the game began to drift away from the home team. The winger hit two efforts wide, but was soon involved in the build-up to Barra’s third goal of the game.

With 13 minutes left to go, Barra broke down the right through Michael Davidson, and with a great amount of good luck, his shot after initially deflecting off the post, landed at the feet of Caliean MacQuarrie whose attempted clearance rebounded off of the back of Menzies and into the path of James Davidson. The striker simply tapped the ball into goal to give his side a commanding lead.

North Uist, to their credit, pushed forward, however, a lack of composure in their passing coupled with the close attentions of the Barra defence, prevented their attacks from testing Caliean MacArthur in the opposing goal.

With two minutes remaining Barra scored their fourth goal of the game, which again came about more through accident than design. A freekick taken by Ewan Campbell (Wowi) deflected off of the North Uist goalkeeper via the right-hand post to the feet of James Davidson, who had the easy task of putting the ball into the net to seal the win for Barra.

North Uist’s John Cameron endured a painful injury towards the end of the game

The game ended with a painful injury for North Uist’s John Cameron, who damaged the meniscus fibrocartilage in his knee and was carried off by his teammates.

Barra yet again took their chances to record a comfortable win, with the scoreline perhaps unfair on North Uist, who had been competitive for most of the game, but were ultimately lacking in creativity and ruthlessness in front of goal.

Man of the match: Craig Ferguson, Barra

Ferguson once again proved to be a thorn in the side of his opponents with an energetic performance, especially in the second half. His goal, which made the score 2-0 to Barra, was probably the turning point in what had been an even contest. Thereafter, his knack for finding space between the defensive and midfield lines of the North Uist team, enabled Barra to break down the home team’s resistance and run out comfortable winners.

Teams

North Uist United: S Menzies, C MacQuarrie, M MacInnes, A MacQuarrie, D Macllwarith, J Cameron, F MacDonald, J MacDonald, S MacDonald, A Currie, And D D’Arcy

Substitutions: J MacDonald for A Currie, R Frew for S MacDonald, F MacDonald ‘Ginge’ on for D’Arcy

Barra: M MacArthur, D Nicholson, M MacInnes, I Beggs, E Campbell, M Davidson, A MacLean, A MacInnes, S Davidson, C Ferguson, J Davidson

Substitutions: L Davidson on for D Nicholson, S MacNeil on for A MacInnes, A MacNeil on for A MacLean

Benbecula win marred by late sending off

July 3, 2015

The Uist and Barra Football League

Benbecula 5 Eriskay 3

– Benbecula move ahead of North Uist after high scoring match

– John Allan McLeod set to miss semi-final

Benbecula’s Sean MacInnes in action against Eriskay

By Adam Gordon

Benbecula moved into fourth position in the Uist and Barra League with a high-scoring victory against bottom of the league Eriskay. Andrew Macsween for Benbecula and Sean MacKinnon for Eriskay both scored twice, as the teams shared eight goals in an entertaining and chaotic match.

The game ended on a sour note, however, as Benbecula’s goalkeeper John Allan MacLeod was shown a straight red card for kicking an opponent and will now miss his side’s Summer Cup semi-final against Iochdar Saints on Tuesday.

Benbecula and Eriskay had played each other just over a week earlier, with Benbecula coming out on top by a 7-0 scoreline. This time though the margin would be considerably smaller and the match far more competitive.

The possibility of such as result happening again did appeared ominous for Eriskay, when Benbecula went in front in the 11th minute. Scott Mackay took advantage of some sloppy defending to latch on to the ball and beat Scott Stephen to make it 1-0 to Benbecula.

This time, however, Eriskay were not to be defeated at a canter and they soon hit back with an equaliser. Sean McKinnon ventured forward from centre-back position, and took advantage of a congested penalty area to flick the ball over John Allan McLeod to draw his side level at 1-1 with 20 minutes gone.

The Eriskay defence were soon breached once more as Benbecula hit back from the penalty spot. Sean MacInnes was brought down and the referee Paul Steele pointed to the spot. Hector MacPhee, who had put in a man of the match performance in the previous meeting between the teams, confidently dispatched the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner to restore the home team’s lead to make it 2-1 with just under half an hour played.

Calum Macmillan went close to levelling the scores, but his header was cleared of the line. The Eriskay forward line began to exert themselves on the Benbecula defence, and minutes later Macmillan showed fantastic skill to drag the ball backwards between two Benbecula players before leaving them for dead, as his team went in search of an equaliser.

Despite some promising play by the visitors, Benbecula superior power and cohesion began to expose some shortcomings within the Eriskay team. Stephen’s attempt to flick away a cross from his goal landed at the back post, leaving Andrew Macsween free to compose himself before hitting a neat half-volley shot into the net. The goal extended Benbecula’s lead to 3-1 going into half-time.

Benbecula causing confusion in the Eriskay ranks in what was a frantically paced game.

Eriskay, refusing to let the concession of a third goal bring them down, came flying out of the traps and soon had their opponents back pinned back in their own half. Macmillan, again showed great ability to roll the ball through the legs of his marker as he set about terrorising the Benbecula back four. His persistence soon paid off, as Eriskay reduced the margin to just one with a great goal from Jack Walker. Walker taking up a position on the right-hand side of the Benbecula box, was played in on goal by Macmillan, and despite being at a rather acute angle to the goal, he smashed his shot into the top-right corner from about 14 yards out to make it 3-2.

Iain MacDonald, somewhat perplexed by his team’s submission of a seemingly comfortable lead, imparted some strong words of wisdom to his team, which whether prompting a renewed will to win, or perhaps sheer fear, seem to have the desired effect on the Benbecula players, as they increased their lead soon after.

Jordan Macpherson arrived into the box from the right-back position to power home a fantastic header into the top corner from a Hector Macphee corner, giving Benbecula a 4-2 lead with just under an hour gone.

MacSween added a fifth shortly after with a fine piece of keepy-up. The striker, flicked the ball up with his right foot three times, before directing his shot around Stephen in the Eriskay goal to give Benbecula commanding 5-2 lead.

Although Eriskay now knew they would have to score another three goals to draw level in the game, their guile and trickiness still presented Benbecula with some problems. Michael Iain MacInnes, always a livewire in attack, drew a foul from MacLeod and left Paul Steele was no other option but to point to the penalty spot for the second time of the game. Sean McKinnon took the kick and score his second of the game, as Benbecula one again saw their margin reduced.

With the game now drawing to a close, Benbecula knew that time, if not defensive solidity, would render a comeback highly unlikely. There was still time for one last blow to the home team, when a red card was showed to MacLeod in the Benbecula goal. The goalkeeper, who was probably exempted from any blame for the three goals his team had conceded, kicked out at one of the Eriskay players and the referee duly issued a red card for the indiscretion.

It was disappointing ending to a match in which Benbecula played well and deserved to win and one that Eriskay had shown a marked improvement from their previous defeat just over a week ago.

Benbecula manager, Iain MacDonald: We went ahead and lost a goal and seemed to panic a wee bit, and then when they got a goal back, we just got deeper and deeper and seemed to invite Eriskay on to us. I wasn’t happy with a few things, our goalie getting a red card and missing the cup semi-final on Tuesday, obviously that was a big thing.

It is going to be tough, we are going to have to play a lot better against Saints (in the cup semi-final) At times, I thought we weren’t tight enough against the Eriskay players, we will have to do that better against Saints. Obviously they have better players than Eriskay, so they can hurt us in areas.

Obviously losing our goalkeeper is a really big loss, he has been playing really well for us in the last two or three games, so we will see. I mean it’s (the cup semi-final ) a one-off game. We will have to work hard against Saints, we will have to stop their key players, like Angus Campbell, Joseph MacInnes and Ally Downie from running the game. We’ll have a think over the weekend and try and come up with a plan to stop them.

It’s a two-horse league between Saints and Barra, I think that is always going to be the case, they have strong teams and strong squads and they play good football. They play a high standard of football.

We have a boy from Stornoway, who has moved down, he played for Westside, so he’ll be available for us on Tuesday.

Man of the match: Scott Mackay, Benbecula.

Mackay is an understated yet hugely important player for Benbecula. Scorer of the first goal of the game, Mackay’s deceptive pace and ability to link defence and attack offers a creative outlet for team to counter-attack their opponents. Calum Macmillan for Eriskay also deserves a mention for his inventive attacking play.

Starting lineups

Benbecula: J A MacLeod, J Macpherson, M Sloss, J A Skinner, N Macmillan, S Mackay, M MacDonald, D Macpherson, H Macphee, S MacInnes, A Macsween.

Eriskay: S Stephen, N McDonald, M Campbell, S MacKinnon, P Morrison, D MacInnes, J Walker, C Campbell, C Macmillan, M MacInnes, N Revol

Red card: JA MacLeod – Benbecula

Macs help Benbecula drive through to next round

June 24, 2015

The Summer Cup First Round: Benbecula 7 Eriskay 0

-Inexperienced Eriskay side succumb to late onslaught

– Benbecula make experience tell to progress to the semi-finals

Benbecula on the attack against Eriskay in what would prove to be a comfortable win

Benbecula showed a keen appetite for goals as they swept aside Eriskay in a late second half flurry to seal their place in the semi-finals of this season’s Summer Cup.

A hat trick from Sean MacInnes and a brace each from Andrew Macsween and David MacInnes gave the home side a commanding win over a very inexperienced Eriskay side.

Benbecula raced into a two-goal lead in the opening half hour, as Sean MacInnes and Andrew Macsween took advantage of some slack defending. MacInnes reacted quickest to a flick on and timed his run into the box perfectly, to simply slot his shot past Thomas Steel in the Eriskay goal, with just 11 minutes on the clock.

Macsween doubled their lead in the 28th minute, when again unmarked inside the Eriskay box, he had the easy task of picking his spot and placed the ball into the bottom-left corner of the goal to make it 2-0 to the blues.

Niko Revol did his best to lead the fightback for Eriskay as the first half progressed. The striker turned well, rolling the challenge of his marker, but his attempt, although accurate, failed to seriously test the Benbecula goalkeeper John MacLeod.

Michael Iain MacInnes, who started his first full game for Eriskay, looked to stretch the Benbecula defence at will, and his speed and close control was proving to be an increasingly useful outlet, as the visitors tried to carve out a way back into the match.

As the first half drew to a close, Benbecula started to threaten the Eriskay goal and twice wasted opportunities to increase their lead. First, Sean MacInnes and then Hector Macphee, looked to give their side a 3-0 cushion going into the interval, however both players’ shots were off target in the end.

A stern half-time team talk from their manager Martin Macaulay, seemed to energise Eriskay into action and they wasted little time in taking the game to home side at the beginning of the second half. Revol, who had scurried about the Benbecula back-line so industriously in the first half, brought out a fine save from MacLeod at close range, as Eriskay intensified their hunt for a goal.

Eriskay came out fighting at the start of the second half

Calum Macmillan and Dominic Macaulay were the chief protagonists as Eriskay forcefully imposed themselves on the Benbecula defence. Macaulay’s pace and trickery was fast becoming a real source of worry for Benbecula, as his side started to sense some vulnerability within the home team’s defence. Indeed, ten minutes into the second half, Macaulay was instrumental in a fantastic move for the visitors, causing panic in the opposing half. The youngster, collecting a pass from Macmillan just inside the Benbecula half, played a superb through ball back to his teammate, Macmillan then found Revol whose shot was blocked, bringing an excellent passing move by Eriskay to a frustrating end.

The visitors continued to put Benbecula under pressure, and Calum Campbell’s fine attempt with the outside of his right foot, much to his dismay, was met by an equally good save from MacLeod, as the hosts just about kept the underdogs at bay.

Regretfully for Eriskay, their chance to reduce the margin had come and gone, and while the home team’s backline stood firm amid a series of attacks, the visitors defence was not so much a dam, but more of a false wall, a porous facade soon to be exposed.

Hector Macphee began to pull the strings for Benbecula as gaps became apparent within the Eriskay rearguard. Macphee had an attempt blocked and then David MacInnes placed his effort over the bar, as the momentum was now with the home team, as they chased a third goal.

In the 67th minute, Macphee was presented with a good opportunity to kill off the game, but he directed his header well over the bar. That reprieve for Eriskay, was to be short lived and three minutes later Benbecula scored a goal owed in large part to fortune. David MacInnes was granted too much time on the right-wing and his cross, deviating from the winger’s intended target of a teammate, looped over Steel at the back post and into the net, to give Benbecula a 3-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining.

Scott Mackay of Benbecula, under close attention from Michael Iain MacInnes of Eriskay

With the margin between the two teams now greater and the time left to play ever decreasing, Eriskay knew that a goal was imperative to any chance they had of progressing beyond the first round of the Summer Cup. Calum Campbell showed great skill and drive to burst down the right wing, evading three Benbecula defenders on the way, but his composure was found wanting as he directed his shot over the bar from a close but acute angle to the goal.

The game as a contest was put beyond doubt with just over ten minutes left on the clock, after some well-worked link-up play resulted in Benbecula’s fourth goal of the game. Macphee brought down a pass and played the ball into the path of his teammate David MacInnes, all within one neat layoff, leaving MacInnes with a clear path to beat Steel once more from around 10-yards out.

Eriskay’s resistance was now futile, as Benbecula sought to take full advantage of their tired and demoralised opponents. And so it proved, as a fifth goal followed just a minute later. Macsween positioned himself free from the attentions of a now flagging Eriskay defence to head home at the near post, to score his second of the game and make it 5-0 to the home team.

Although the match was quickly approaching full-time, there was still enough time for Benbecula to score a further two goals, as the Eriskay defence well and truly went to pieces in the closing stages. A poorly judged kick out by Steel only succeeded in finding the feet of an opposing player, and despite a good save by the Eriskay goalkeeper to make amends for his mistake, Sean MacInnes was on hand to put away the rebound to give his side their sixth goal of the game.

With just a minute left of the ninety, a great through-ball by Macphee found Sean MacInnes, and the midfielder had the easy task of picking his spot beyond Steel, to score his hat-trick and Benbecula’s seventh, to seal a place in the semi-finals for his side.

Iain MacDonald, Benbecula manager: ‘I thought we played quite well in the first half, we had a decent shape, and we passed the ball about well. However, we missed a lot of chances to be honest, especially in the first half. In the second half, I thought the standard of football was terrible, perhaps it was due to the fact that this was our third game within in a week, including the game against Saints, but the second half tonight was night and day compared with our performance against Saints.

‘I wasn’t happy with the second half, I thought it was poor, even though we scored five goals, I was more happy with the first half than the second half. I think Eriskay tired, they had a lot of young players who done well for them.

‘We were very slow out of the blocks, I don’t know if you heard me shouting there, I was very annoyed. I thought our passing was very sloppy and it wasn’t to feet. At the end of the day, if you win 7-0 you should be happy, but I wasn’t happy at all.’

Martin Macaulay, Eriskay manager: ‘It was a very disappointing result right enough, but at the start of the second half it shows that all we wanted to do was play football on the deck all the time, it’s young boys we have in the team basically. If we had taken our chances, it would have been a different matter. If we got a goal, we would have got back into it big time, if you take your chances though, that is it.

‘We were getting bullied, that was what I was saying at half-time, make sure you get a foot in, because we were getting pushed off the ball, we were too light in the first half.

‘Michael Iain MacInnes, did well for us in his first full game. The team is looking promising, if we keep a hold of our players, but we lose players every year. Our oldest player is 24 years old, so hopefully good times are still to come.

‘The signs were there that we can play football; all these young boys are very skilful. Benbecula were just too good on the night, a lot stronger, so it was a well deserved win for them. You can’t be too hard on the young boys, I can’t slag them off, they have been doing well for us.’

Man of the match: Hector Macphee, Benbecula

A notable mention must of course go to Sean MacInnes for scoring a hat trick, however it was Macphee who stepped up and took control of the game just as Eriskay threatened to make the breakthrough at the other end. His long-range passing and quick one-touch exchanges with his teammates, helped to stretch the visitors defence and give Benbecula more purpose in attack after a sluggish start to the second half.

Benbecula: John A McLeod, Scott Mackay, John A Skinner, Donnie MacLeod, Neil Macmillan, Sean MacInnes, Mark MacRury, Donald MacPherson, Hector Macphee, David MacInnes, Andrew Macsween.

Subs: Jordan Macpherson, Colin MacLennan

Eriskay: Thomas Steel, Michael Campbell, Paul Morrison, Calum MacDonald, Neil MacDonald, Calum Campbell, Calum Macmillan, Jack Walker, Dominic Macaulay, Michael Iain MacInnes, Niko Revol.

Subs: Stephen MacDonald

Saints crash out on penalties after eight-goal thriller

June 20, 2015

Highland Amateur Cup Quarter-Final

Iochdar Saints 4 Wick Groats 4 (Wick Groats win 3-1 on penalties)

– Wick Groats come back from 3-1 down despite being reduced to ten men

– Saints led twice before losing on penalties in gripping encounter

By Adam Gordon

Wick Groats celebrate after a dramatic victory on penalties

Iochdar Saints were sent crashing out of the Highland Amateur Cup after losing 3-1 on penalties to Wick Groats of the Caithness League. The match finished with the teams tied at 4-4, after a thoroughly absorbing 120 minutes of football, which included 6 bookings and a red card. Angus Campbell, Harry Luney and Ally Downie were the unfortunate parties who missed their spot kicks, leaving their manager Stephen MacAulay bemused and wondering what might have been.

Both teams went into the match top of their respective leagues, and with a pedigree for scoring goals. The promise of an open game was soon realised when Wick Groats took the lead inside the opening five minutes of the match; Ross Davidson took advantage of some scrappy defending to put his team ahead, setting the tone for the 115 minutes that would follow.

The concession of an early goal, however, only served to galvanise Saints and it wasn’t long before the scores were level. Callum Campbell found space inside the Groats penalty box and managed to direct the ball in off a Groats’ defender from a corner to bring his side back into the game with 13 minutes gone.

Saints were slowly beginning to take control of the game and should have taken the lead after some good combination play by Angus Campbell and Archie MacDonald, whose ball across the face of the goal failed to find a teammate in the end. At the other end, Kyle Ross found himself in space inside the Saints’ box, but a moment of hesitation drew him wide of the goal and allowed for the Saints defence to swarm him, preventing a shot on goal.

With 20 minutes gone, a quick one-two between Sandy Sutherland and Sean Stewart down the right wing unlocked the Saints defence, but despite a fine ball across the face of the goal by Sutherland, nobody from the Groats attack managed to get near the cross.

As the first half progressed, Saints developed a strategy which would cause real problems for Groats throughout the match. Their manager, Stephen MacAulay, identifying Joseph MacInnes’ superior pace compared with the Groats defence, switched the youngster with Archie MacDonald in an attempt to exploit their advantage. Indeed, Angus Campbell’s ability to draw in two or three players and then release MacInnes through on goal, was a ploy that the Uist side would later use to great affect.

Grant Mcnab posed the greatest threat for the Saints rearguard at the other end, the wily forward brought out a good save from John Angus Macphee in the Saints goal on the half hour mark, but should have done better with a free-kick from around 20 yards out, which he hit low and straight at the wall.

Taylor Linch at left-back combined with Campbell just before half-time, following a good ball behind the Groats defence, but the attack was thwarted as Saints ended the half on top.

With the scores level at 1-1 at half-time, it was Saints who started the second period with greater purpose and hunger and soon took the lead. Harry Luney did well to bring the ball out from defence, after an attack by Groats broke down and was quick to identify an opportunity to counter-attack. After side-stepping two Groats’ players, Luney then played the ball to Archie MacDonald, who found Angus Campbell on their right-hand side, the Saints captain played the ball towards the back post, and a mistake by the Groats defence allowed MacInnes to nip in and give his team the lead in the 49th minute.

Groats, now behind having opened the scoring, went in search of an equaliser. Sandy Sutherland, who was earmarked as one of the players to watch by the Saints manager prior to the game, turned well 30 yards out to beat his marker before hitting a fine shot from just outside the box, which was taken by Macphee. Mcnab was also causing concern in the Saints defensive ranks, but despite some good play by Sutherland to set him up, the Groats striker’s shot was well blocked by the Saints defenders.

Saints would soon punish their opponents profligacy, as Joseph MacInnes grabbed his second of the match. Angus Campbell, who was a constant menace to Groats throughout the start of the second half, spotting a run by MacInnes, found his teammate with a fantastic inch-perfect through ball over the defence, which MacInnes brought down superbly and calmly finished to put Saints 3-1 up, with 55 minutes on the clock.

Angus Campbell (pictured in the centre in yellow) put in a fantastic performance for Saints

With Campbell dominating the midfield for Saints and MacInnes making himself a nuisance at every given chance, there was little, if any doubt as to which team would be the winner at this stage. The script, however, would soon be torn to shreds.

With an hour gone, Groats manager Derek Shearer, knowing that his were being overrun, decided to change his team to a 4-3-3 formation in a bold attempt to get back into the game, and the plan soon paid dividends. Alan Hughes, who had been introduced shortly after half-time, started to stretch the Saints defence and present a new set of problems for Alan MacGillvray down the left wing. With 79 minutes gone, the pressure finally told as Groats reduced the deficit. John Budge powered home a header from a corner, enabling his side to regain belief that the match was still theirs to win.

Groats hopes of a comeback looked to be dashed just a few minutes later when McNab was shown a second yellow and then a red card for what the referee perceived as an elbow directed towards one of the Saints players. The decision was, in the eyes of the Wick Groats’ coaching staff, the worst in a litany of unjust decisions against their team.

Strangely, rather than hampering their efforts to draw level in the match, the sending off spurred the Caithness team on and remarkably they restored parity with six minutes left of normal time. It was Budge again who found room inside the box from a corner and headed the ball into the net to send the game into extra-time and spark wild celebrations from his team. To be fair to Groats, it was just what they deserved as they had shown greater energy and determination than Saints towards the end of the game, despite the Uist side’s numerical advantage.

John Budge scoring one of his two goals for Wick Groats, which helped take the game to extra-time

Perversely, the break for extra-time brought Groats’ momentum to a halt, allowing Saints to regroup and within five minutes of the restart they took the lead for the second time in the match. MacInnes, looking revitalised at the start of extra-time, was involved as Saints went 4-3 up with 95 minutes gone. The young striker brought the ball forward and slipped a pass into the feet of Ally Downie who finished with a neat low drive from 14 yards out to reassert control of the game for his side.

Kyle Henderson, who had come on as a substitute in the second half for Groats, tested Macphee in the Saints goal with a powerful shot from outside the box, that was turned behind for a corner. Groats then had a penalty appeal rejected when Stewart Ross went down in the box; it was unclear whether he had indeed been fouled, but the referee was unconvinced and let play continue.

Just as it looked like the Groats would fall short of an equaliser, the game took one more dramatic twist. Sutherland, who had played well for much of the match, took advantage of some tired defending within a crowded goalmouth to tap the ball in to make it 4-4. The goal prompted great celebrations among the Wick Groats ranks and dejected expressions throughout the Saints side. It meant that a penalty shoot-out would now decide what had been a fantastic encounter.

Saints were first up and the responsibility of taking the opening penalty fell on the shoulders of their captain Angus Campbell. He, like the rest of the Saints team, looked tired and disconsolate as he approached the spot-kick, his strike, although powerful enough was met by the out-stretched arms of Graeme Williamson in the Groats goal, and the player who performed with such great skill and distinction could only turn away and walk back towards his teammates knowing Groats now had the advantage.

Alan Hughes, who had made his mark as a substitute, confidently placed his shot beyond Macphee to make it one-nil, before Luney also saw his shot saved by Williamson as Saints’ hopes starting to fade.

Graham Miller then made it 2-0 with a well-taken shot in the bottom right-hand corner, which meant that the pressure was now on Alan McGillvray to score for Saints. He duly put his penalty away, which reduced the score to 2-1 Groats, before Kyle Ross put them ahead once more with a scrappy shot down the middle of the goal to put his team 3-1 up.

Downie stepped up, knowing a miss would put Wick Groats through to the semi-finals, but a goal might still give his side hope of turning the match around. Unlike the efforts of Campbell and Luney the goalkeeper failed to get near his effort, unfortunately for Downie he didn’t need to, as the ball flew over the crossbar and with it went Saints hopes of progressing into the last four.

Substitute Alan Hughes scoring for Wick Groats in the penalty shootout to make it 1-0

Wick Groats are now through to contest the semi-final and they deserve great credit for the spirit and determination they showed in turning the match around from 3-2 down and with only ten men on the park. For Saints, the match was firmly in their grasp and for much of the game they looked the better side and one that could stake a serious claim for the Highland Amateur Cup this year. Alas, it was not to be, but they contributed greatly to a fantastic and gripping cup tie and should go out with their heads held high, despite the obvious regrets they will have from the match.

Man of the match: Angus Campbell: The Zinedine Zidane of Highland amateur football, Nooie as he is nicknamed, like the more illustrious Zizou, has excellent close control and a rare gift for being able to slow down the pace of the game one minute and then instigate a razor-sharp attack the next. He was unlucky to be on the losing side and was unplayable for the opening hour of the game.

Saints look to go marching on in the Highland Amateur Cup

June 19, 2015

By Adam Gordon

– Reigning Uist and Barra League champions face the 2013 winners for place in the semi-finals

– ‘Sitting back and defending is not in our DNA’ says Saints manager

Iochdar Saints squad led by manager, Stephen MacAulay (pictured furthest right)

With Iochdar Saints flying the flag for the Uist and Barra League in the Highland Amateur Cup this weekend, Am Paipear caught up with Saints manager, Stephen MacAulay, ahead of their quarter-final tie against Wick Groats of the Caithness League in Portree on Saturday.

Am Paipear (AP): Are you confident going into the game tomorrow?

Stephen MacAulay (SM): ‘We are approaching this game as underdogs, Wick are a team with extensive experience in the Highland Amateur Cup, and of course have already won this competition. If we play the way I know we can play, then I have the belief that we could cause an upset.

AP: You have had a mixed week, a great result against your nearest challengers, then a shock defeat against Benbecula, do you feel the team became complacent after the Barra win?

SM: ‘Yes, we were definitely complacent with this game so close at hand, but at the same time we had some key players missing midweek and the conditions did not suit our style of play at all. In defence of the players, we did control the majority of the match midweek and had ample chances, it was just one of those miserable nights. Overall it was a well deserved victory for Benbecula, who gave a good account of themselves.

AP: Wick Groats has only conceded three goals in their three Highland Amateur Cup games so far, will you be going all-out in attack to break them down?

SM: ‘Yes, we will take the game to them, that’s the way we play football. We have the mentality that if we score more goals than our opposition, we will win. Fast-paced, free-flowing, counter-attacking football is what I want to see. Sitting deep and defending is not in our DNA!

AP: You have conceded six goals in your last two games, have you been working on tightening up your defence?

SM: ‘We have had several different defences over the past weeks due to unavailable players, so I am not too concerned about our recent defensive record. When you play such attacking football, you have to expect to be caught out in defence from time to time. If we have conceded so many goals, then every other team should be worried by how many we are scoring!

AP: Are there any of the Groats players, in particular, you have told your side to watch out for?

SM: ‘Yes, we will be keeping an eye on the two Macnab brothers, they look like quality players. Another player I hope we can keep quiet is Sandy Sutherland, he is the sort of player that will nick a goal from nowhere, looks like a nuisance and a bit of a fox in the box in my opinion.

AP: How do you think playing at a neutral venue (Portree) will affect the teams?

SM: ‘I don’t think that either team has an advantage, both teams will be leaving their homes between 4.30am-5am. I am just hoping we do the Highland Amateur Cup proud and make it a brilliant spectacle and see some really nice football.’

Click here for previews of Saints’ quarter-final tie and the matches in the Uist and Barra League.

Am Paipear will be at Saints’ match tomorrow, so keep an eye on our website for full coverage of the game.

Uist and Barra League and Highland Amateur Cup Previews

June 19, 2015

By Adam Gordon

This weekend, league leaders Iochdar Saints are in action in the Highland Amateur Cup. Meanwhile in the Uist and Barra League, Saints’ midweek conquerors Benbecula travel to Barra, who can return to the top of the table with a win, and Southend will look to make it three wins in a week as they host North Uist United.

Match of the Week

Highland Amateur Cup: Quarter-final

– Saints look to get back on track after shock defeat to Benbecula

-The winners to face either NMM Ace or Staxigoe in the Semi-finals

Angus Campbell in action for Saints during their recent win over Barra.

Saturday 20th June

Iochdar Saints AFC v Wick Groats AFC – Kick-off 10.45am in Portree, Isle of Skye

Portree is the venue, as the reigning Uist and Barra League Champions, Iochdar Saints take on Wick Groats, currently top of the Caithness League for a place in the semi-finals of the Highland Amateur Cup.

Both teams come into the match in formidable form, Wick Groats has won four and lost only one of their opening five league fixtures, scoring 18 goals, an average of 3.6 goals a game, and conceding just four in the process. Saints’ record is equally impressive, as they have taken maximum points from seven of their eight league matches and have also lost just once. Putting the ball in the net has not proved a problem for Saints either, with 37 goals in their eight matches so far, that’s an average of 4.6 goals a game.

Both teams, however, are beatable, as Benbecula proved in their shock victory over Saints during the week, which was also the more surprising given Saints’ win against Barra last Saturday. While Groats’ 2-3 league defeat at the hands of fellow quarter-finalists, Staxigoe United is proof they are also fallible.

Neither side will have the comfort of home advantage, so whichever team adapts quickest to the pitch in Portree could well come out on top.

Wick Groats has played three matches en route to the quarter-finals, in the first two rounds they progressed by comfortable margins; first they defeated Helmsdale 4-1 in round one, and then they knocked out Merkinch of Inverness by an emphatic 1-7 scoreline in round two.

Although their margin of victory was even greater in their third round win over Westside of the Harris and Lewis League, they did enjoy a spot of good fortune along the way. Westside were unjustly reduced to ten men after a perfectly fair tackle by Ally Williamson resulted in a penalty, as well as a red card for their opponents. The goal was the first of nine scored in the match as Groats went on to recorded an incredible 1-8 win in a ruthless and deserved victory.

Saints’ passage through to the last eight has also been relatively hassle-free, indeed they have only had to play two fixtures to progress to the quarter-final stage, as they were given a bye in the first round. A 4-1 win over four-time Highland Amateur Cup winners, Ness was followed by an entertaining tussle with Stornoway Athletic in the third round. Although they trailed one-nil, two braces, one from Ally Downie, the other from Archie MacDonald, and a Harry Luney free-kick from 50 yards out, following a calamitous mistake by the Stornoway goalkeeper, enabled Saints to run out 3-5 winners.

Defence will perhaps be the key area for both teams, as there is certainly no questioning the strength of either of the sides’ attacks, although Groats’ top scorer this season, Graham McNab will miss the match due to a one-match suspension. Saints possess real resilience, enabling them to win matches, regardless of how well they have been playing, however, they have been liable to concede goals. Their last two matches, a 6-3 win against Barra and a 3-2 defeat against Benbecula, provide recent evidence of that. On the contrary, Wick Groats has been fairly miserly at the back, in their three matches in the Highland Amateur Cup this season, they have yet to conceded more than one goal in a game. Their league record is also impressive in that regard, as they have already kept two clean sheets in their first five games and conceded just four goals in total.

Although a semi-final berth awaits the winners, (against either NMM Ace of Inverness or Staxigoe of Caithness), the chances are that neither team will be likely to obsess over how to stop the other from scoring. The sheer amount of firepower in both teams means a tight game seems highly unlikely. For fans of both sides and neutrals attending Saturday’s game, an old-fashioned game of, if you score one, then we’ll score two, will surely leave few people disappointed in the end, whatever the result.

Route to the quarter-finals

Saints: Round 1: Bye, Round 2: 4-1 v Ness (H), Round 3: 3-5 v Stornoway Athletic (A)

Wick Groats: Round 1: 4-1 v Helmsdale (H), Round 2: 1-7 v Merkinch (A),

Round 3: 1-8 v Westside (A)

Players to watch

Saints: Angus Campbell (Nooie): Although the midfielder can look quite languid and disinterested at times, he possess an unerring ability to glide past opponents and has the foresight to create space for his teammates.

Wick Groats: Sandy Sutherland: With three goals so far in the competition, he could provide the main attacking threat for Groats’ in the absence of Graham Macnab.

Click here for Am Paipear’s interview with Saints’ manager, Stephen MacAulay.

Uist and Barra League

Southend has hit form after recent defeats to Barra (pictured in red) and Saints.

Friday 19th June

Southend (3rd) v North Uist United (4th) – Daliburgh (6.30pm)

From second bottom of the league to two wins off second spot – prior to Barra’s win against Eriskay on Thursday night – it’s been quite a week for Southend. In Am Paipear’s preview of last weekend’s fixtures, we said that: ‘Southend’s performances, if not their results have shown promise’, well those efforts have, in the last two matches, transformed into results as they have put back-to-back defeats behind them to record two successive victories and in doing so moved themselves up to third position in the league.

Due to previous fixture cancellations, Southend and North Uist United will meet for the second time in three days, Southend won 1-2 away at Paible on Tuesday. Southend will be hoping that Duncan MacQuarrie can continue his recent run of form which has seen him score 3 goals in his last two matches. After coming off the bench to score twice in the 1-3 win away to Eriskay, MacQuarrie was rewarded with a starting place against North Uist, and scored again to help his side record another win.

North Uist, who themselves, were third this time last week, go into the game looking to arrest a two-game losing run and with a superior goal difference to Southend, they know a win would leapfrog them back into third place.

Barra will look to the likes of Craig Ferguson to help them go top this weekend

Saturday 20th June

Barra (2nd) v Benbecula (5th) – Castlebay, Barra (12.30pm)

It’s been a strange week for Barra, they scored three goals against the reigning champions Saints last Saturday, but were comprehensively beaten 3-6, they then conceded three away to the bottom side Eriskay on Thursday, but ran out comfortable winners in the end by a 3-5 scoreline.

Despite their erratic form of late, Barra know that with Saints in action in the Highland Amateur Cup, they have the chance to go top, albeit they will have played two games more. On paper Benbecula, currently in fifth position, are a team who many would believe unlikely to provide a real test for Barra, well perhaps a week ago that is. On Tuesday night, Benbecula recorded, what is so far, the result of the season in the Uist and Barra league with a stunning victory over the hitherto undefeated reigning champions, Saints. Benbecula went one better than Barra has managed this season with a 3-2 victory over the champions, which was aal the more impressive given the form Saints were in prior to the match; seven straight wins, and 35 goals scored.

After their disappointing defeat to Saints, Barra will be looking to use their win over Eriskay as a springboard to build up some momentum. The title challengers have now conceded 21 goals in the league, which is the same number as Benbecula, but they do have the attacking prowess to propel themselves back into the race for the championship, and in James Davidson, the leading scorer in the league with 11 goals.

Benbecula has proven they are a match for any team on their day, the problem is they have so far lacked consistency and failed to win two matches in a row in the league this season, their win recent win against Saints was preceded by a defeat against North Uist. If they were to win against Barra, it would be real proof that their famous win was not just a flash in the pan.

New book on Scottish links golf set to feature island courses

June 11, 2015

Tom Coyne teeing off. Photo: Kevin Kirk/Recounter.co.uk

American author and journalist Tom Coyne will be visiting the Outer Hebrides later this month, to experience some of the region’s stunning golf courses.

Working alongside VisitScotland, the best-selling golf and travel writer is currently travelling around the country on a fact-finding mission for his latest book, ‘A Course Called the Kingdom: in Search of Scotland, a Secret and a Jug.’

The book will follow Tom’s quest to master links golf in Scotland by playing more than 100 of the country’s top courses in just 57 days. And if his mission is successful, it will enable him to qualify for this year’s Open Golf Championship, which takes place at St Andrews from 16th to 19th July.

Tom’s visit to the Outer Hebrides will see him play at golf clubs in Barra, Askernish and Harris between 18th and 20th June.

Over 150 years ago, Scotland became the home of open golf when, on a windy morning in 1860, eight sportsmen stepped out onto the greens at Prestwick in Ayrshire in what was the start of professional golf as we know it today.

Since that first-ever round of the Open, it is now the world’s oldest and most prestigious professional golf tournament and one of the leading events in the global sporting calendar. Synonymous with Scotland, The Open has been played 93 times out of 143 here and it is worth in the region of £100m in combined economic and media value. Regularly returning to its Scottish roots, the championship will be back next year at Royal Troon.

In addition to commissioning Tom to write a VisitScotland post-trip blog describing the highlights of his golf tour of the country and favourite courses, the national tourism organisation has helped arrange Tom’s itinerary. It is hoped that media coverage on Tom’s mission to conquer over 100 Scottish courses, and the resultant book itself, will encourage even more visitors to come to play golf in Scotland, the home of golf.

Tom is the author of three books, the third of which, ‘A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint and the Next Tee’ chronicled his quest to golf the whole of Ireland. The book was a New York Times, American Booksellers Association, and Barnes & Noble bestseller, and won a silver medal from the Society of American Travel Writers in the category of Best Travel Book of the Year.

Alan Mackenzie, VisitScotland Islands Manager, said: “Scotland is the country that gave golf to the world, and with more links courses than any other country it was the perfect location for Tom’s bid to master links golf ahead of trying to qualify for the Open.

“Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it creates jobs, sustains communities and provides an international shop window for Scotland. Golf is massively important to Scotland, with every £1 spent on green fees generating a further £5 on extras such as hotels, restaurants and retail.

“We look forward to welcoming Tom to the Outer Hebrides, wish him all the best with his tour and attempt to qualify for the Open, and look forward to reading his book on Scotland’s links courses, which I’m sure will encourage many more visitors to come here to experience these for themselves.”

Tom Coyne commented: “I’m really looking forward to coming to the Outer Hebrides, which has a great reputation for its first-class golf courses offering spectacular views. I just wish my visit was longer and I could stay on to not only play more golf here but also to explore the other attractions of the region. Unfortunately, my time is very limited because the clock is ticking on my 57-day challenge, but that gives me a good excuse to come back in the future to enjoy more of what’s on offer in this beautiful part of the country.”

Golf was first played in Scotland more than 600 years ago and today the country is home to more than 550 courses, 400 of which are within an hour of a city or airport. 700,000 rounds of golf are played by around 135,000 golf visitors each year in Scotland and overall it is estimated that golf tourism is worth £220m to Scotland annually, supporting around 4,400 jobs.

Barra in seventh heaven as goal-fest takes them top

June 10, 2015

Uist and Barra Football League: Match of the week

Southend 1 Barra 7

– Southend hammered after taking the lead

– Barra move ahead of Saints by virtue of goals scored

By Adam Gordon

Barra regained top spot in the Uist and Barra league after a superb victory over Southend at the new pitch at Daliburgh on Thursday, 4th June. Forget Yule Bryner and Steve McQueen, it was Craig Ferguson and James Davidson who assumed the roles of sharp shooters as they each scored hat-tricks in Barra’s very own production of the Magnificent Seven.

The result was all the more impressive given the start made by the home side, as it was Southend that took the lead inside the opening ten minutes of the game. Paul Steele showed great ability to cut inside the Barra defence at the edge of the box and strike the ball into the top corner beyond Cailean MacArthur to make it 1-0.

Unfortunately for the hosts their auspicious beginning to the game was not to last, as Barra soon drew level. James Davidson, who had scored in his side’s Co-op Cup quarter-final victory over Lochs in their previous match, took advantage of some slack defending by Southend to beat the offside trap and round the goalkeeper before simply placing the ball into the empty net.

With the scoreline now 1-1 after just 20 minutes and Southend’s lead wiped out, Barra quickly started to dominate proceedings. A neat passage of play between Craig Ferguson and Roddy MacInnes down the left-hand side created space for James Davidson, whose whipped ball across the face of the goal caused panic among the Southend defence, but ultimately failed to find a teammate.

By this point, goalscoring chances for Southend were few and far between, they did, however, cause some concern within the Barra defence when Andrew MacIssac evaded his marker inside the box, although his lobbed effort failed to test MacArthur.

Barra’s slick passing game and fluid attacking approach was rewarded in the 25th minute when they deservedly took the lead. Craig Ferguson continued where he left off from his man-of-the-match performance in Barra’s Co-op Cup win, by unleashing a fierce strike from inside the box, which hit the underside of the crossbar, before leaving the Southend goalkeeper stranded, to put his side 2-1 ahead.

With top spot in the league up for grabs, Barra began to lay siege to the Southend goal and it wasn’t long before they added to their lead. Ferguson again played a pivotal role, this time as creator. Receiving the ball just past the halfway line and spotting the run of his teammate, he bypassed the Southend defence with an inch-perfect ball with the outside of his right boot, straight into the path of James Davidson, who rounded the goalkeeper once more to put Barra 3-1 up after 35 minutes.

Second half

Southend and Barra battle for the ball during their match at Daliburgh

While half-time was certainly a welcome reprieve for Southend, the second half started in much the same fashion as the first ended, with Barra thoroughly in control. Craig Ferguson wasted no time in testing the Southend goalkeeper, to force a corner for his team. Barra scored their fourth of the game from the resulting set-piece, this time it was Ally MacInnes who exploited some poor marking within the home team’s 6-yard box. MacInnes found space to flick the ball with the under-sole of his right boot into the net to put the game out of sight within two minutes of the restart.

Southend, to their credit, never gave up, but despite the best efforts of Andrew MacIssac and Paul Steele, who laboured hard to claw a way back into the game for their team, they failed to break down the visitors’ defence. MacArthur, again highlighted his credentials as arguably the league’s best goalkeeper with a good block to prevent MacIssac.

While goals were proving hard to come by for the home team, profligacy was not a problem where the Barra attack were concerned. James Davidson, who had scored twice in the first half, completed his hat-trick following some excellent passing play. The move began with a clever one-two between Craig Ferguson and Michael Davidson, Ferguson then broke down the right wing and found James Davidson with a fine cross, and the striker confidently finished from close range, for his third and Barra’s fifth.

With the score now 5-1 in Barra’s favour, the hosts went about desperately tried to reduce the deficit. Again it was MacIssac who looked the most threatening, but his shot was easily dealt with by MacArthur in the end.

Barra, though, were not merely content to ride out the game and you could have been mistaken for thinking that they were the team chasing the game rather than Southend, such was their desire to attack. Craig Ferguson was in irrepressible form as he twice went close to increasing his team’s tally to a cricket score. First he bamboozled the Southend defence was a fine piece of skill, rolling the ball from his left foot to his right, but his effort could only find the side-netting. Then he was unlucky not to score a second, as his close range shot came back off the post, with the home defence in complete disarray.

Ally MacInnes; scorer of Barra’s fourth with a neat flick from a corner

With just 53 minutes gone, Ferguson was running the home team ragged, such was his movement, imagination and skill. A fantastic dummy just inside his own half, left his marker for dead, as the young playmaker let the ball pass through his legs before rounding his opposite number to collect possession once more, his precise curled through-ball found Michael Davidson down the right wing, but his teammate’s attempt also rebounded back off the post.

The good fortunate enjoyed by the Southend defence would soon prove to be temporary as the visitors increased their lead even further. Despite being the standout player on the pitch, Ferguson was given an inordinate amount of room within the Southend box, and had ample time to compose himself to score his second from around the penalty spot. Incredibly, that goal made the score: Southend 1 Barra 6, with half an hour still remaining.

While the damage to the home side’s hopes of gaining any points had well and truly been done, the scoring was not yet over. James Davidson, who by this point had already claimed a hat-trick, turned creator to set-up Craig Ferguson. Davidson went on a fantastic 30-yard run, driving at the Southend rearguard and drawing defenders out of position. The run opened up space for Ferguson, who Davidson found 12 yards out, enabling his teammate to finish, and like Davidson complete his hat-trick to make it 7-1 to Barra after 65 minutes.

Barra’s Cailean MacArthur does well to block an effort by Southend’s Andrew MacIssac

Despite a late flurry of attempts, including a fine effort by Jamie McCall which hit the post from 20 yards out and good save from MacArthur to block MacIssac, Southend were unable to pull another goal back, and the game ended Southend 1 Barra 7. A combination of the sublime by Barra, especially the contributions of Craig Ferguson and James Davidson, to the ridiculous, in terms of some of Southend’s defending, sealed a commanding victory for the visitors.

Post-match observations

Southend: For the home team, the result marked another crushing defeat, with seventeen goals conceded in their last two matches. Southend’s need to improve their defensive shortcomings is urgent, if they are to avoid becoming the whipping boys of the league. While the team is full of promising young players and plenty of experienced heads, their frailties at the back have to be addressed to enable those players to fulfil their potential this season.

Barra: Conversely, the visitors look like genuine title contenders and a real threat to Iochdar Saints’ ambitions of retaining the league championship. With a fine goalkeeper in Caliean MacArthur, a solid defence, a good footballing ethos and arguably the league’s most creative talent in Craig Ferguson, they appear to have all the parts in place to challenge for silverware. Their next league game against the reigning champions, Iochdar Saints should give a greater indication of whether they are in fact the real deal this season.

Man-of-the-match: Craig Ferguson, Barra

Craig Ferguson; scored a hat-trick and provided two assists.

The attacker/midfielder’s ability to read the game and roam freely around the pitch renders him a tough opponent to mark for the opposition. Equally adept at assisting his teammates as he is scoring, Ferguson’s pass to set-up James Davidson for Barra’s third goal, was a moment of real quality.

Match Statistics

Southend:

Goals 1, shots on-target 4, shots off-target 2, corners 5, freekicks 4

Yellow cards 0, red cards 0

Barra:

Goals 7, shots on-target 9, shots off-target 4, corners 2 , freekicks 3

Yellow cards 0, red cards 0

Referee: Harry Luney

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