Fired-up Irish storm back to sink Scots
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SCOTLAND were unable to replicate their performance of the previous week when they were overpowered by Ireland in the return leg of the Marine Harvest shinty/hurling International series at Pairc Esler, Newry.
In the first test, Scotland put on a sizzling display at the Bught in Inverness and registered their first win over Ireland’s hurlers since 2010 to take a very healthy 23-14 point advantage with them across the Irish Sea for the second leg.
However, an inspired Irish team, boosted by the contribution of Westmeath striker Eoin Price, controlled the bulk of play on their own soil to win 24-8 and prevent Scotland achieving their first-ever series triumph since the two-test format was adopted in 2010.
The Scots, despite playing against the wind in the first half, got off to a good start and were unlucky not to net an early goal when Irish keeper and skipper Eoin Reilly did well to save a snapshot from Lovat’s Lorne MacKay.
Soon afterwards, Kevin Bartlett edged Scotland ahead with a free hit over the bar for two points.
Unlike the first test, the Irish defence weren’t conceding fouls on such a frequent basis and Bartlett’s opportunities to rack up the points from frees were proving considerably less with the Lovat striker managing to add only two more points before the interval. By this time, despite a number of wayward points scoring attempts, the Irish had fired over four single pointers, two apiece from Price and Conor Lehane from free hits and open play, plus a free over the bar from David McInerney.
With McInerney striking the ball from the ground, unusual for a hurling player, two points were accumulated.
The opening goal came in the 33rd minute when a long aerial ball was neatly flicked on by Lehane into the path of Price, who drilled the ball low past Stuart MacDonald from a tight angle to stretch Ireland’s lead to five points.
Going into the second half, Scotland boss Ronald Ross knew that unless his team could manage to make a bigger impact, it would only be a matter of time before their aggregate lead, now whittled down to four points, was erased.
Although Bartlett notched two points by sending a side cut over the bar in the 45th minute, the Irish picked up where they left off at the break and in the 62nd minute, Lehane’s successful conversion of a free hit tied the aggregate score at 29-29 following on from a Paul Devilly point, two singles from Price and Lehane’s double point free hit.
Bartlett briefly gave Scotland hope by quickly restoring their aggregate lead with another clinical free hit, but with the Irish firmly in the ascendancy, the points continued to amass in the final quarter of an hour with Lurcan McLoughlin and Jonny McCusker firing over before the rampant Price rattled home his second goal after being put through by recently confirmed GAA All Star Patrick "Bonner" Maher to all but seal an Ireland victory.
The Scots defence struggled to contain an Irish attack and the ball broke to the on-fire striker who viciously volleyed the ball low past a helpless Stuart MacDonald from close range.
There was no stopping the Irish and McCusker, and two single pointers from Lehane added gloss to the home victory to take the final score to 2-18 (24 points) to 0–8 (eight points).
Few could question the Irish thoroughly deserved their victory with strong, powerful running from both the home midfield and strikeforce giving the Scotland defence a torrid time of it throughout the match.
Pick of the Scotland squad were defenders Steven MacDonald and captain Finlay MacRae with Ballachulish player John MacDonald putting in a solid shift in midfield.
Unfortunately, the Scotland attack, which had posed so many problems for the Irish defence in the first test, was given little chance to shine due to a very limited supply of ball.
Prior to the senior international on the same pitch, Garry Reid made his managerial debut a memorable win by successfully guiding Scotland under-21s to a first-ever away victory over their Irish counterparts.
Lovat striker Greg Matheson weighed in with 14 points (two goals and eight points) in a 4-9 (21) to 0-7 (seven) point win.
Scotland’s other goals came from Matheson’s Lovat team-mate Lewis Tawse and Fort William’s Arran MacPhee, who also fired over the bar for a single point.
Scotland’s women also had cause for celebration with a 4-2 (14) to 1-6 (nine) point win over a County Down select in the annual shinty/camogie challenge played in Newry before the under-21 encounter.
Glasgow Mid Argyll’s Katie Drain grabbed two goals for Scotland with GMA team mate Lisa Norman and Kirsty MacDonald (Lochaber) also netting.
Lorna MacRae (Skye) and Katy Smith (Aberdour) also got on the scoresheet with single point scores.
