Advance Carloway Now

Another dangerous corner flashes across the Carloway goal and just beyond Lewis Robinson.

It is no coincidence that the addition of Angus Grant, home on holiday, and the surprising but welcome return fitness of the wiry, rubber legged Dan Crossley has helped spark a sensational run of results and form for Carloway.

The addition of these two class acts has finely tuned what was already a turbocharged Carloway machine, solid in defence, strong in the middle but now deadlier in attack than a pit of spitting vipers.

They have been ominously moving into the rear view mirror of long time leaders West Side and last Friday night Na Gormaich dumped the clutch, roared round their neighbours and pulled clear in front on their own - and with the luxury of having played a game less.

The Lewis and Harris League leaders travelled to Carloway with a slender single point lead knowing a defeat would hand the title advantage to Carloway who have also played a game less.

West Side actually started by far the better side and a series of corners flashed across the goal, were bloc ked on the goal line and poked clear just in the nick of time with West wondering how they didn’t take the lead.

It was a hugely encouraging start for the Siarachs but they couldn’t make it count and Carloway took the lead through their first chance.

That man Angus Grant, maker and stealer of headlines, in recent weeks, was at the fore again as he showed great skill to bamboozle Donnie Smith and race past Euan Shirkie before rolling the ball across the box for Kenny ‘Dokus’ Macdonald to lash Carloway 1-0 up.

The visitors tried to come back at Carloway with Martainn Shields looking especially dangerous on the left wing where he had the beating of Cameron Macarthur for most of the first-half but there were no takers for his crosses he whipped across the face of goal.

At the other end Carloway doubled their advantage as Grant was afforded the freedom of the West Side box and enough time to collect the ball, steady himself and pick the bottom corner for 2-0.

Grant added a third before the break with a volley at the back post from a corner with the Carloway man left completely unmarked and his volley wasn’t particularly well struck but it squirmed through a forest of players and between West Side keeper David Murray’s legs.

Carloway went into the dressing room with a huge 3-0 half-time lead but it had been a half where there had not been three goals between them in general play.

But early in the second-half the gulf was extended to four after Andrew ‘Pongo’ Maciver late run from deep bypassed West’s attempts to play offside with his powerful charge taking him to the ball first and heading it on before Murray wiped him out.

PENLALTY

Skipper Domhnall Mackay gave Murray the eyes and coolly dispatched the ball home for the fourth.

West Side won a penalty of their own within 60-seconds of the game retstarting and Shields placed the ball down and rifled it into the bottom corner beyond the diving gloves of Gordon Craigie.

It was a glimmer of hope for West but despite their best efforts they made little inroads through the steely Carloway rearguard.

Set pieces were proving their best chance but while Carloway were living a charmed life and making last ditch blocks West couldn’t make them count.

Scott Graham did pull another goal back moments before the end with a well placed header from 12 -yards.