The Golden Oldies won the John MacKinnon Memorial Sixes for the third successive year at the Portree High School astro pitch on Saturday 7 January 2017.
This was the fourth year of the event which remembers Skye Camanachd Vice President John MacKinnon who died in December 2011 as the result of a tragic accident at work.
Eight teams comprising of sixty four players took part in a very entertaining day’s shinty in which the teams all played eachother in a league format. Six Skye teams and sides from Kinlochshiel and Lochcarron competed with the top four qualifying for the semi-final stages.
Holders the Golden Oldies beat North End 2-0 in their semi-final but they didn’t have it all their way as it took a superb goal-line clearance from defender Caitlin MacLean to keep them on level terms. In the end, goals from Iain Nicolson and John Gillies sent the Golden Oldies through to the final.
The Storr Troopers took an early two-goal lead in their semi final against David Grant’s Witness the Fitness side. A turn and shot from new Skye Camanachd co-manager Willie Cowie put the Storr Troopers ahead whilst Abby MacLean added a second shortly after.
The final was a tense affair with no goals in the first half. A turn and shot from John Gillies put the Golden Oldies ahead but there was an immediate response from the Storr Troopers as the ball was knocked down into the path of Abby McLean who fired the ball into the back of the net.
The winning goal came when John Gillies played the ball to Ewen MacKinnon who sprayed a pass to his son William MacKinnon and he thumped the ball home and it was fitting that John MacKinnon’s grandson would net the winner.
The player of the tournament awards were voted on by the competing clubs and the prizes were handed out at the Skye Camanachd Clubhouse afterwards.
The U17 player of the tournament was given to William MacKinnon who plays shinty for Inverness and who played well throughout.
Abby MacLean notched a number of the Storr Troopers’ goals and she picked up the ladies player of the tournament.
North End goalie Ally Morrison from Struan made a number of superb saves during the competition and he collected the over 45s player of the tournament for the second year in a row.
There were several contenders for the overall player of the tournament and another goalie came out on top as Skye’s U14 keeper Murphy Henderson picked up the prize.
Skye Camanachd would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this another successful event.
The tournament was once again sponsored by M2 Motors, Portree and Highland Industrial Supplies, Inverness.