Irish killer touch leaves Scots floored
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SCOTLAND were overpowered in the second test of the shinty/hurling international series at Ennis, County Clare on Saturday, going down 51-23 to Ireland.
Slick and clinical finishing led to eight goals being netted by an Irish side intent on laying to rest as quickly as possible any hopes Drew McNeil’s men had of overturning the six-point advantage held from the first match at the Bught in Inverness seven days earlier.
By the points system in place for the series, Ireland ran out winners by six points to two – with aggregate points not brought in to the reckoning due to Ireland winning both matches.
Cork’s Patrick Horgan, who fired 23 of Ireland’s 25-point tally in Inverness, was a notable absentee from the previous week due to a pre-booked holiday.
In his place in the Irish attack came Seamus Callanan of Tipperary, who played his part in Ireland’s landslide victory with a goal and four points.
Scotland made two changes. Kinlochshiel defender Mark MacDonald started instead of Kyles Athletic’s Donald Irvine, whilst Fort William’s Niall MacPhee was given the nod ahead of Kingussie’s Louis Munro in the middle of the park.
Scotland got off to a fine start with Kevin Bartlett firing over the bar for a point straight after the throw-in, but this was to be Scotland’s only moment of cheer in the opening half-hour, with Ireland moving quickly through the gears to take a 28-1 lead to all but seal their series victory.
Callanan notched Ireland’s first point and this was quickly followed by another from open play by Westmeath’s Brendan Murtagh.
Tipperary forward Patrick Maher then penetrated the Scots’ defence with the ball on his hurley and as he neared Stuart MacKintosh’s goal he gave the keeper no chance with a well-executed volley.
After only 10 minutes, Offaly’s Shane Dooley, the destroyer of Scotland in the 2010 series, netted from close range after a clever diagonal ball from skipper Eoin Price.
As goals in the international series were now worth five points rather than the three of previous encounters, the Irish lead was rapidly increasing. By the 17th minute it stood at 22-1, with Murtagh finding space to drill the ball home quickly followed by a close range free hit being flicked up and blasted into the net by Dooley.
Murtagh added another point before Dooley completed his hat-trick almost on the half hour putting Scotland full-back John Barr under pressure and netting from inside the penalty area.
Whilst Ireland were rattling in the goals in a ruthless fashion, Scotland were managing to create opportunities at the other end. However, good defending and a series of defiant saves from Kerry keeper Bernard Rochford kept the Irish goal intact until the 37th minute when Kinlochshiel’s Finlay MacRae rattled a 20-yard free hit high past Rochford and a ruck of defenders for Scotland’s opening goal.
Shortly before this, Bartlett had to settle for a point over the bar when the ball returned to him after his powerfully struck free hit was stopped on the line firstly by Rochford and then by former hurler-of-the-year and GAA All Star Tommy Walsh.
Any glimmer of hope in Scottish eyes soon disappeared when three single-pointers in the closing minutes of the first half from Callanan took Ireland in to a commanding 31-7 lead at the turnaround.
Ireland’s sixth goal came in the 44th minute when Antrim midfielder Barry McFall went on a long run with the ball towards goal which afforded him the opportunity to half-volley past substitute keeper Stuart MacDonald from close in.
Despite being 36-7 down, the Scots refused to be disheartened and Bartlett, who always looked threatening, netted with a fierce drive high into the Irish net in the 50th minute after Keith MacRae slipped a delightful pass through to the Caberfeidh striker reducing Ireland’s margin to 24 points.
Within three minutes, Ireland had racked up another seven points, Murtagh’s second goal being preceded by a Dooley free hit over the bar and followed by a McFall point from open play.
Keith MacRae added another point to Scotland’s tally which was boosted moments later by another Bartlett goal, the young Cabers hitman making room for himself on the left to thunder a low drive past substitute keeper Eoin Reilly.
Ireland kept up their relentless scoring rate right up until the end with Murtagh completing his scoring for the day with a single point before Callanan raced away from Irvine to flick past MacDonald for Ireland’s eighth goal.
Two single-pointers from Dooley took his haul to 18 points and, not for the first time, was Ireland’s top scorer against Scotland.
Scotland, however, signed off in style with a Keith MacRae goal in the final minute.
Overall, Ireland were sharper, quicker and stronger, with the new five-point goal score certainly not working in Scotland’s favour.
Manager McNeil will certainly be putting forward the motion that a goal reverts to three points for next year’s series.
Scotland: Stuart MacKintosh (Glenurquhart), Norman Campbell (Newtonmore), John Barr (Glenurquhart), Mark MacDonald (Kinlochshiel), Daniel Cameron (Oban Camanachd), Neil MacDonald (Lochaber), Callum Cruden (Lovat), Niall MacPhee (Fort William), Shaun Nicolson (Lochaber), Finlay MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Keith MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Kevin Bartlett (Caberfeidh), John Stewart (Kilmallie), Steven MacDonald (Newtonmore),
Subs: Louis Munro (Kingussie), Donald Irvine (Kyles Athletic), David Smart (Glenurquhart), Drew Howie (Lovat), Stuart MacDonald (Lovat).
*** On Friday evening at Gurteen Park, Ennis, Scotland under-21s ran their Irish counterparts close but went down 23-19. Lovat’s Greg Matheson and Lochaber’s Ben Delaney notched Scotland’s two goals, with Matheson also firing six points. Kinlochshiel’s John MacRae with two points and James Dunn of The SCOTS with a point were Scotland’s other scorers.
*** Scotland defeated Clare 21-5 in the women’s shinty/camogie match on Saturday morning at Father McNamara Camogie Field, Ennis. Jane Nicol (Badenoch and Strathspey) netted twice for the victorious Scots, whose other goals came from Lorna MacRae (Skye), Laura Gallacher (Glengarry) and skipper Katie Drain (Glasgow Mid Argyll). Jeanette MacGregor (Badenoch and Strathspey) and Drain each struck two points, whilst Nicol and Niamh Donnelly (Aberdour) struck a point apiece.
