Newtonmore colts boss happy to play Skye despite nothing being on the line
Newtonmore colts boss Peter Ross has said they are more than happy to fulfil their last fixture of the season despite nothing being on the line because of their opponent’s commitment to the sport.
The Blue and Whites second team has opted to share the points from two of their final three Mowi North Division 1 fixtures against the Kinlochshiel seconds and Lochcarron.
However, their final league fixture against the Skye Camanachd seconds in Portree will go ahead and is scheduled for this coming Saturday.
‘More manager Peter Ross said: “Skye do an unbelievable amount of travelling each season and with that in mind, we were always keen to fulfil our fixture in Portree.
“There has always been a good relationship between the two clubs, and we’ll make a day of the trip west.”
Xander Ross is likely to miss out for ‘More whilst Skye’s Jordan Murchison is unavailable.
The match brings the 2024 senior shinty season to a close.
Newtonmore, who claimed the league title last year, sit in third place on 23 points and are unable to catch Skye seconds on 29 points and league champions Strathglass who finished the season with 35 points.
All the teams below the ‘More colts have completed their season.
The Newtonmore under-14 squad will join the club’s second team in making the journey to Portree on Saturday and they could return home with some silverware.
The Newtonmore youngsters play their Skye counterparts with the Mowi Under-14 League A (Phase 2) trophy up for grabs.
The ‘More youngsters were 5-3 winners in the corresponding game at the Eilan when recently crowned Mowi national under-14 player of the year James Coyle scored all five goals.
However, Skye were 5-3 winners when the sides met in the MacMaster Cup final, so a close encounter is expected.
A Newtonmore win or draw would mean the Blue and Whites retain the trophy, but a Skye victory would leave the sides level on points leaving the trophy destination undecided and a play-off match likely.
