Scots lose in Ireland
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SCOTLAND face an uphill struggle in the shinty/hurling clash with the Irish after losing heavily in Saturday’s opening leg in Athy, Co. Kildare.
Ireland, however, held out easily and Kelly once again had the final say with a strike in the dying minutes to close out the match in the hosts’ favour.
With the scores set at 18-11, Innes struck in the 68th minute for three points to bring his side back into contention.
Kinlochshiel’s Keith MacRae scored from close range to bring Scotland within four points, but they continued to leak points at the back regularly.
Kevin Bartlett battled well up front, however, and he kept Scotland’s hopes alive with a fine two pointer in the 48th minute. Scotland were showing up much better in the second half, but Niall MacPhee was caught in possession allowing Rice an easy conversion to keep the Irish in the driving seat.
Kelly was again on target in the first minute of the restart and almost immediately the Irish swooped for the first three pointer of the match with Nolan crashing the ball home to extend his side’s lead to 12-3.
Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly, along with captain Michael Rice, from Kilkenny, had displayed all their skills in the first half and it was appropriate that Kelly should have the final say of a dramatic opening period with a fine strike to leave the Irish comfortably ahead 8-3 at the interval.
Innes looked to have got Scotland back into the match with a fine strike from 30 yards, yet the Irish keeper pulled off a terrific save to deny the Fort William striker.
Glenurquhart goalkeeper Stuart Mackintosh pulled off a fine save in the 22nd minute, but the Irish cleverly reworked the ball to extend their lead to 7-3.
Two minutes later, a foul by Campbell let the Irish in to move to 6-3 ahead as the Scots continued to come under strong pressure.
The long grass was affecting the Scots badly and playing into the wind and rain added to their problems, but debutant Kevin Bartlett, from Caberfeidh, fired over in the 19th minute to take Scotland closer at 5-3.
Fouls by the eager hurlers gave the Scots a chance to reduce the leeway, but three times in quick succession Innes failed from distance.
The Irish response was swift and fairly brutal, scoring five points without reply within the next seven minutes. Newtonmore’s Norman Campbell and Glen-urquhart’s John Barr were having a torrid time at the back as the powerful Irish forwards turned the screw.
Scotland began encouragingly and Fort William’s Gary Innes fired over from open play to put them a point ahead with just three minutes on the clock.
Ireland were certainly impressive in the first half at the weekend and Scotland had no answer to the hurlers’ fiery commitment which at times bordered on the illegal, although the conditions both overhead and underfoot did not help the visitors’ cause.
A repeat in Inverness on Saturday will spell curtains for Scotland’s hopes of avenging the Irish victory in 2010.
They trail by five points at 19-14, but more worryingly for manager Drew MacNeil will be the way Scotland failed to stop the Irish from keeping the scoreboard ticking over, particularly in the first half.
