Season 1986 / 87 – The Cups

The Strathdearn Cup

Saturday 25 October 1986 – Strathdearn Cup First Round – Inverness 1 Skye Camanachd 5

Strathdearn Cup holders Skye Camanachd travelled to Bught Park, Inverness for this first round clash and although they returned home with a convincing win under their belt, in reality it was not one of their better performances of the season.

Skye found this youthful and energetic Inverness side difficult to break down. Indeed it was the home side who stunned Skye after just 5 minutes when Iain MacIntosh shot them into a surprise lead.

Inverness went on to enjoy a period of pressure and it took Skye until a couple of minutes before the break before they equalised through front man Angie Murchison.

The first half ended with a flourish as first Skye Camanachd keeper Calum “Columbo” Nicolson made a brilliant save from Donald Cameron and then long-serving Inverness keeper Roddy Gordon saved a point blank effort from John MacRae.

There was even time from a John MacRae blockbuster to come back off the crossbar before the referee blew his whistle for the end of the first half.

Skye eventually took the lead on the hour mark when John MacRae dribbled through the Inverness defence and knocked the ball past Gordon to make it 2-1.

Wing forward Ally MacInnes made it 3-1 on 70 minutes as Skye finally started to exert some authority on the tie.

John MacRae completed his hat-trick with a double in just 2 minutes as he netted on 85 minutes and 86 minutes to make the final score a flattering 5-1 in Skye’s favour.

Ally “Mhor” Morrison (Kyleakin) and Ally “Digg” MacDonald were best for Skye and John MacRae obviously made a crucial contribution with his hat-trick.

Skye would face Caberfeidh at the King George V Park, Portree in the Strathdearn Cup second round.