WITH Saturday’s torrential rain wiping out the action in the Premiership, the focus switched to Smith Park. Farr on the south shore of Loch Ness is where home side Boleskine defeated visitors Lewis 5-0 in what was for both sides’ final game of the season in Mowi North Division 2.

That this game went ahead at all is a testament to the quality of the surface, which held up on an afternoon when Inverness’s Bught Park and Kingussie’s Dell, amongst many others, were rendered unplayable.

While not the end to the season he would have wished, Lewis manager John MacAskill was delighted with the commitment his players over the course of their league campaign. “For our club, the sacrifices we make for the sport are huge – emotionally, physically and financially,” he said.

“We can be up about 5.30 am to travel to Stornoway to go off the island by ferry and every player will pay his own fare. Then there is the minibus trip in this case to beyond Inverness. We’ll not make it back until after 10 at night. It’s a tremendous commitment, so we certainly love the sport.”

On the back of earlier victories over Inverness and Strathglass, Lewis have proved they can also play a bit. And though they opened well enough, they fell behind in the fifth minute to an opportunist strike from James Anderson, who found space 20 yards from goal to fire a powerful backhand shot high past Lewis keeper Willie MacLeod. The Islanders reacted well to early adversity to mount their own attacks and neat work between their mobile frontmen Kieran MacDonald and Peter Gomez created a series.

Further opportunities fell to Lewis half-forward Scott MacDonald, but they also went unconverted. As is always liable to happen, when you don’t take your chances the opposition will take theirs. Just after the half-hour Boleskine did precisely that when a crisply hit corner by Michael Chisholm was dummied by Neil Hope. Ross Anderson on hand to beat MacLeod from outside the D to make it 2-0.

There was no further scoring before the break, and with Paddy Sinclair playing well at full-centre Lewis were still in with a chance of turning the match round. Indeed, they started the second half well but the Boleskine defence, marshalled by full-back Sandy Fraser, dug in and gradually, with Duncan MacPherson and Rory Campbell tightening their grip in midfield, the home side began to dominate.

Neil Hope put the tie beyond Lewis when he controlled a long ball forward to finish nicely from a tight angle and make it 3-0. Following that, the Islanders’ heads went down and Ross Anderson went on to complete his hat-trick with two further late finishes, making it 5-0 – which on the balance of play was hardly justified.

Another game which surprisingly went ahead was at Strontian, where home side Ardnamurchan defeated Bute 7-0 in Mowi South Division 2. Ardnamurchan, managed by Lindsay Bradley, took an early lead through Craig MacDonald and though James Craig’s young side – who had travelled from Rothesay across ferries to make the game – competed well, they lost out to further strikes from Neil Mellis, Aaron Mellis and Calum Ritchie, who all scored twice.

Two other matches survived the downpour in the Mowi South Division 1, with Tayforth defeating Oban’s Lochside Rovers at Musselburgh and Glasgow Mid Argyll winning 3-0 over Col Glen at Yoker.