Glen pay the penalty-and miss out on Cup progress

Glenurquhart 1 Fort William 2 (AET)
Every so often the Glen puts in a performance that is so infuriatingly good-but never quite good enough- that even the most loyal fans in the St Drostan’s stand must wonder what they have done to deserve such torture.
A couple of years ago there was a match against Newtonmore in the Camanachd which went down to the wire. ‘More won. There was also a match against Skye which they went on to win-goodness knows how- and they then progressed to the Balliemore final and glory. Even at the start of this season there was a 0-0 v Newtonmore and a 2-3 v Kingussie ...how do we manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
There is definitely a place for Donald McNaughton and his motivational mumbo-jumbo in the dressing room. If we ever do ask Donald to come along naturally the Wing Centre’s immature and ill thought out views on Donald’s skills will have to be repudiated in a formal way in the same manner that Danny Alexander was able to renounce his deeply held anti-conservative beliefs in order to work for the greater good-well you get the idea.
Whatever way you spin it- and spin is what the D is always about-it was not a win for the Glen despite the fact that there was every chance that it should have been. The Treasurer was extremely upset: after the defeat he went up the road in such a craze that he forgot to pay ref Duncan Kelly and all the old gits left at the side of the field had to dip into their pensions to defray the ref’s expenses.
It would all have been so different it Calum Fraser’s rasping drive in the 10th minute had not been blocked by the stick of Fort keeper Paul Mackay. Fraser hammered the ball goal ward, Mackay put up the stick instinctively, stopped the strike and Billy Urquhart first timed the rebounding ball inches wide of the post.
In this early phase Glen were dominant with John Barr picking up James Clark and Andrew Corrigan blotting out Garry Innes. The other Fort front men were well watched too for the duration – Lewis Maclennan had a faultless 90 minutes and worked himself into the ground while David Girvan and Stuart Reid went toe to toe with Bryan Simpson and Victor Smith.
The Fort goal which came in the 19th minute gave the black and red faithful perhaps a foretaste of disappointment yet to come. A high ball punted up from the Fort centreline is dropping down out of the sky vaguely about the edge of the D. Victor Smith and Stuart Reid go up for it with clashing sticks and the ball takes a glance of the Glen defenders caman and wrongfoots Glen keeper Stuart Mackintosh to give Fort a lead their play scarcely merited.
The second half gave us another taste of the same until the goal in the 69th minute from Calum Fraser. The Wing Centre usually does not bother keeping detailed notes on the moves which characterise a game unless he has to, but this was by any account a well worked goal. Calum Miller came back to pick the ball up deep and fed it through low to Gregor McCormack up on the dust. The veteran front man held the ball up and fed it wide right to Calum “Jock” Fraser who seemed to pull it too far to the right before he eventually slotted it home to give the Glen the equaliser which took the match into extra time.
The Glen did well in the extra period and certainly had the upper hand in territory and when they were awarded a penalty after Fort defender Addie Robertson kicked the ball they should have gone ahead- and with care could have gone on to the next round against Lovat. However it is enough to say that John Barr missed the penalty and then Gordy Mackinnon went on a mazy run through the defence –just like Lovat’s Mr Macpherson did the week before- and he popped in the goal that won the game.
So well done to the Fort, though Peter Macintyre and Willie Macdonald will have to get them to waken up a bit since they have come close to losing games a few times now-what with close results against Lovat amongst others. Peter, who will have worked things out for himself, will know this better than most.
Two snaps this week – an obvious one of Calum Jock who is doing the business in the top team this year after a season or two popping in the goals in the second side. The other is of the guys in limbering up mode- a super photo – reminiscent of the Cameron Highlanders going over the top at Beaumont Hamel or perhaps an Urban Dance Cru getting ready to do a number in the school hall? Perhaps not but thanks to Neil Paterson anyway for the snap.
http://www.neilgpaterson.com



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