9.50am 26 June 2021
Skye and Lochalsh League
Mallaig 4 Portree 3 (att 9)
It's hard to resist the lure of a trip to the north west of Scotland at any time. Even more so when the trio of teams I needed to complete the Skye and Lochalsh League were all at home, with staggered kick offs making it possible to see all of them on the same day.
The early start at Mallaig was down to a combination of an event taking place on the pitch later in the day, and ferry times that enabled visitors Portree to get over from, and back to, the Isle of Skye.
The game was actually scheduled for 10am, but with players and referee all on the midday ferry back to Armadale it was no surprise that it got underway about 10 minutes early.
The match started slowly. Perhaps both sides were feeling the effects of the very long lay off from competitive football. This was the opening day of Skye and Lochalsh League fixtures, and Covid meant no league at all in 2020.
Mallaig, champions in 2019 after switching from the now defunct Lochaber Welfare League, took until the final minutes of the first half before they broke the deadlock.
Goals flowed more freely in the second half, but not in the way I expected. Portree provided tough opposition, apparently their ranks boosted by some Glasgow-based players who may not be available very often this season.
In the end it took a late goal for Mallaig to get their season off to a winning start, much to their relief. It was harsh on Portree, a draw would have been a fairer outcome.
Mallaig's ground is a 3G pitch. Such grounds are rarely interesting, but it's rare to find one in a location to match Mallaig, where the backdrop makes up for an artificial pitch enclosed by the typical cage-like fencing.
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