MacNeil still confident Scots can triumph
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SCOTLAND manager Drew MacNeil is keeping an eye on the weather ahead of tomorrow’s second leg of the Marine Harvest Shinty/Hurling international.
Last Saturday’s opener in Athy, Co. Kildare suffered badly as a spectacle with the match played in the difficult conditions of both torrential rain and wind.
Scotland trail in the series after losing 19-14, but under the unusual points scoring system the Irish lead stands at only 2-1. That is based on two points for a win, while the Scots picked up a single point for the two goals scored by Keith MacRae and Garry Innes.
In the event of a tie in the points tally, the aggregate of the match scores will be used to determine the winner.
"It does sound a slightly baffling system," MacNeil conceded. "It will crank up the tension on the day that’s for sure. "Obviously every point won and conceded will be vital. A narrow win for us without a couple of strikes into the net will not be enough, so we have to take our chances in front of goal".
Reflecting on the previous Saturday’s match, MacNeil was encouraged by his side’s performance, despite the defeat.
"The conditions were horrendous for both sides, but we were affected more than they were," he said. "The grass was much longer than our lads are used to and coupled with the heavy ball, it made hitting difficult.
"You could see the difficulties we were having from dead ball situations where big hitters such as Gary (Innes) and Norman (Campbell) were struggling.
"The weather and the ground conditions played a big part in determining the match and on another day we could have maybe reversed the outcome. For that reason, I am encouraged that we can produce a result on Saturday, particularly if the rain stays away.
MacNeil also points out that Scotland were blooding six new players and was encouraged by the way the newcomers adapted to the demands of the senior international.
"Baptism of fire might be appropriate," he said. "Take Daniel Cameron from Oban. I thought he was terrific and showed the qualities we are looking for.
"Kevin Bartlett too showed that he has a big future in the hybrid game. He took a bit of a battering from the Irish defenders, but it didn’t deter him."
MacNeil points out that the Scottish forwards were contained by the Irish tactic of deploying an extra player in defence.
"It worked well for them, but it leaves them short in midfield and it could be a different story on Saturday if we can convert the two pointers from dead ball situations, which could force them to change tactic," he said.
Injury and work commitments have forced MacNeil into some late changes with Kyles Athletic’s Grant Irvine and Fort William’s Niall MacPhee dropping out to be replaced by Skye’s Sorley MacDonald and Bute’s Iain MacDonald.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s under-21 side are also in action against the Irish tomorrow.
The squad has undergone fairly major changes since last season with several players dropping out. Local clubs provide quite a number of the new faces with Lovat’s representation at four, while Beauly provide two.
The Lovat contingent are Drew Howie, Daniel Grieve, James MacPherson and Callum Cruden. From Beauly, Conor Cormack and David Maclean are awarded their first caps, while Glenurquhart’s Neale Reid is also in the squad.
Cormack’s selection is rich reward for the 20-year-old, who has battled back impressively from a horror leg break sustained during the 2010 season.
‘Shiel’s John MacRae captains the side, while Donnie Martin (Skye), Ted MacDonald (Bute) and Dave Stafford (Fort William) form the management team.
First up tomorrow, however, are the girls who take on the Irish in a Shinty/Camogie clash, which begins at 10.30 am. This is followed by the under-21s at noon with the main event commencing at 2pm. The senior match will be broadcast live on BBC Two Scotland.
