Scotland take a 3-1 lead into the second test following their 23-14 victory over Ireland in their Marine Harvest Shinty / Hurling international clash at the Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 18 October 2014.
As the teams came out on a blustery Bught Park pitch, they were introduced to Marty McAvoy from the GAA, Camanachd Association President Archie Robertson, Inverness Provost Alex Graham and Allan Sutherland from sponsors Marine Harvest.
Following the Irish National Anthem, Ewen Robertson led the home support with a rendition of Flower of Scotland.
Scotland manager Ronald Ross gave starting debuts to Calum Miller from Kyles Athletic and Lovat’s Lorne MacKay with the other debutant, Skye Camanachd’s Steven Morrison, starting on the bench. Captain Finlay MacRae from Kinlochshiel was deployed in defence.
There were nine debutants in Ireland Head Coach Michael Walshe’s pool - in what is his final series in charge – and he fielded his four elite players with David McInerney from Clare in the middle of defence and Patrick Maher of Tipperary and Cork duo Conor Lehane and Patrick Horgan in more offensive positions.
Scotland won the toss and opted to play with a reasonably strong wind in their favour.
The Scots immediately broke forward from the throw-in and Lorne MacKay had his feet taken from under him by Darragh O’Connell which gave Kevin Bartlett a two point opportunity and he made no mistake to give Scotland the earliest of 2-0 leads.
A Connor Cormack ball over the top found Gary Innes but he wasn’t able to play the ball forward and the danger was cleared.
Scotland goalie Stuart MacDonald did very well to deny Shane Nolan after a clever flick forward from Paul Divilly.
Scotland had a let-off after 10 minutes when Mickey Burke and Paul Divilly worked the ball up the Irish left and Shane Nolan got away from Calum Miller and held off a Conor Cormack challenge before finding Patrick Maher in the middle and he cracked a shot off the crossbar.
Calum Miller needed treatment after receiving a blow just under his eye in the challenge and he was replaced by debutant Steven Morrison.
Fraser MacKintosh also came on for Gary Innes who had been feeling unwell overnight and these early changes were made with just 12 minutes played.
Kevin Bartlett added another two points on 14 minutes with the ball going just inside the post to make it 4-0 after Micky Burke had been penalised.
Ireland survived a scramble inside their goal area as Grant Irvine tried to get a shot on target.
Ireland’s John Egan put the ball wide as the visitors tried to open their account.
Scotland scored the game’s opening goal on 18 minutes. Ireland tried to clear the ball out of defence but good closing down from Fraser MacKintosh won possession and he slipped the ball to Roddy MacDonald who tucked the ball low into the net to make it 7-0.
Ireland’s Darragh O’Connell put the ball wide when he should have done better as the visitors passed up another points opportunity.
A monster free from Steven MacDonald from inside his own half went just wide of the post.
Bartlett put a free from wide on the touchline between the posts via the frame of the goal 9-0 after Brian Murphy was unable to keep the ball in play.
Ireland needed a point and when Lone MacKay brought down Matthew Whelan, Patrick Horgan flicked up a free from wide on the right and the ball sailed over the bar to give Ireland their opening score to make it 9-1.
Ireland were back in the hunt on 26 minutes when a terrific Connor Lehane run inside from the right from saw him show blistering pace as he lost his marker and he soloed towards goal before crashing the ball past a helpless Stuart MacDonald into the net to reduce the deficit to 9-4.
Ireland made their first change on 29 minutes with Neal McCauley on for Micky Burke.
Roddy MacDonald hauled back David English as he tried to burst forward and Patrick Horgan pulled another point back from another free.
Ireland had now scored the last 5 points after going 9-0 behind.
Scotland took the chance to take Shaun Nicolson on for Conor Cormack.
Steven MacDonald put a free from distance wide as Scotland looked to reinforce their grip of the game.
They did just that when Paul MacArthur controlled a Lorne MacKay cross from the left after he was picked out by John MacDonald. MacArthur had a quick look before chipping an effort over the bar to make it 10-5.
Kevin Bartlett sent what appeared to be a brilliant two pointer over the bar from just in front of the Bught Park main stand. However the officials ruled that the ball took a touch, denying the Scots a point, although replays showed the ball went straight over.
Patrick Horgan added a spectacular Irish point as he ran wide on the right onto a Shane Nolan ball wide on the right which made it 11-6 with 35 minutes played.
Seconds later, John MacRae came on for the final 5 minutes of the half in place of Grant Irvine.
With John MacRae and Fraser MacKintosh in the thick of the action, another Irish foul allowed Kevin Bartlett to squeeze the ball between the posts with the referee over-ruling the goal judge who had singled a miss and Scotland led 13-6.
With just a minute of the regulation 40 first half minute remaining, Kevin Bartlett was proving to be key for the home side and he hit the post with a free from a tight angle wide on the right.
The contest moved into 2 minutes of injury time and referee Innes Wood penalised an Irish challenge in the middle of the park and Kevin Bartlett dropped the ball into the goal area where Irish keeper and captain Eoin Kelly batted the ball away well from Paul MacArthur’s strike on goal.
Play switched quickly to the other end of the pitch and Conor Lehane put the ball wide of target from near the touchline on the right.
Callum Miller came back on for Shaun Nicolson with seconds of the first half remaining.
Kevin Bartlett drifted a late two point attempt wide of the right post so it remained 13-6 at half time.
Ireland were frustrated by some of Innes Wood’s decisions and boss Michael Walshe sought clarification with the referee and they had a good natured discussion on the way back to the changing rooms.
Ireland had the elements in their favour in the second half and a run and shot from Darragh O’Connell ended with the ball going between the posts to make it 13-7.
However if the Irish had planned to hit the Scots hard from the restart, Scotland produced the perfect response on 42 minutes when a Kevin Bartlett long ball from 2 and he collected possession wide on the right and his cross worked its way through to Roddy MacDonald and he thumped the ball into the ball low into the net for his second goal of the afternoon which made it 16-7.The goal guaranteed Scotland a bonus point from the series scoring system.
Another Irish foul saw John MacDonald drop the ball into the goal area from the right of midfield and Roddy MacDonald was unlucky as he skilfully steered the ball just the wrong side of the post.
Scotland replaced Paul MacArthur witch Shaun Nicolson coming back on.
Scotland rode their luck when keeper Stuart MacDonald raced from his goal and slid in and took out the on-rushing Patrick Maher, who darted through the Scotland defence, but the Irish claims for a penalty fell on deaf ears.
Slack play in the Scots’ defence allowed Conor Lehane to pick up possession and he put the ball over the bar to make it 16-7 on 46 minutes.
Scotland hit back immediately and Kevin Bartlett put a free over - after Eoin Price was penalised for dragging the ball back with his foot - to add another two points and the Scots led 18-7.
Scotland made two substitutions in quick succession. First Callum Cruden came on for his Lovat team-mate Lorne MacKay. Then, moments later, Conor Cormack returned to the field of play with Louis Munro taking a break.
Ireland made a change of their own with Jonny McCusker coming on in place of Eoin Price.
Stuart MacDonald confidently dealt with a high Patrick Maher ball from the middle of the park.
Conor Lehane flicked the ball up and lifted it between the posts to make it 18-8 on 49 minutes after the Scotland defence were unable to clear a huge free from deep in his own half from keeper Eoin Kelly.
Patrick Maher showed his class on 51 minutes when he collected a ball from Conor McCann and ran at the Scotland defence and lifted the ball over Steven MacDonald before expertly firing the ball across keeper MacDonald into the net to make it 18-11. This was a second Irish goal which secured them a bonus point.
Kevin Bartlett put a free from wide on the right past the post on 52 minutes and John MacDonald missed from the left of midfield a minute later.
Eoin Price came back on for Patrick Murphy and, shortly after, Paul Divilly came back on for Matthew Whelan.
There was to be no comeback for Ireland though as a push in the back by David McInerney on Roddy MacDonald allowed Kevin Bartlett to strike another ball over to make it 20-11 on 56 minutes.
The sides continued to trade points and Patrick Maher knocked the ball on to Lehane batted it over the bar to make it 20-12.
Patrick Horgan put a 65 attempt wide of the posts as referee Innes Wood insisted it was taken from the correct spot.
Shaun Nicolson put an effort just past the post after he nipped in to win possession on 62 minutes
A Paul Divilly shot added a point to Ireland’s tally to make it 20-13 seconds later.
Steven Morrison went agonisingly close when his one-point effort went a whisker wide of the post on 66 minutes after the Irish struggled to clear a John MacDonald free-hit.
Shane Nolan made his Ireland debut in place of Jonny McCusker.
Grant Irvine came back on in place of Callum Cruden for Scotland.
A Kevin Bartlett free from wide on the right went wide.
Scotland notched a third goal on 68 minutes. With boss Ronald Ross screaming for his players to play the ball wide, Steven MacDonald sent a probing free to Roddy MacDonald in the left corner of the field and Bartlett took down his cross and stroked the ball into the net to make it 23-13.
A Finlay MacRae foul on Paul Divilly halted his progress and Patrick Horgan took the chance to pull a point back to make it 23-14.
Patrick Horgan put another 65 wide with referee Innes continuing to insist that the Irish set-pieces were taken within the marked line.
Stuart MacDonald made a brilliant save on 74 minutes from a Patrick Horgan volley from the right with the ball heading for the top right-hand corner of the keeper’s net.
At the other end, Eoin Kelly raced from his line to clear a long Finlay MacRae ball ahead of the on-rushing Scotland attack with just 4 minutes remaining.
There was no further scoring during a frantic final 4 minutes with Scotland defending bravely to keep out a Patrick Maher set-piece effort. With the Irish trailing, Horgan went for goal but MacDonald kept out his effort with another flying save with his caman above his head.
In the closing seconds, Stuart MacDonald made another magnificent save – this time above his head - to deny Conor Lehane who crashed a shot on target from the left.
Kevin Bartlett was presented with the man of the match Quaich by Inverness Provost Alex Graham with former Scotland captain and BBC2 Scotland summariser Kenny Ross making the selection. The superb Steven MacDonald must have run him close with Scotland goalie Stuart MacDonald also deserving of a mention in dispatches. .
Finlay MacRae was presented with the Marine Harvest Quaich by Marine Harvest Managing Director Allan Sutherland.
Scotland take a 3-1 lead into the second test but they will know that there is still a lot of work to be done if they are to record a first series victory since the introduction of the two-match event.
Scotland from: Stuart MacDonald (Lovat); Calum Miller (Kyles Athletic), Steven MacDonald (Newtonmore); Conor Cormack (Beauly), John Barr (Glenurquhart), Finlay MacRae (Kinlochshiel) (captain), Paul MacArthur (Newtonmore), Louis Munro (Kingussie), John MacDonald (Ballachulish); Lorne MacKay (Lovat), Grant Irvine (Kyles Athletic), Roddy MacDonald (Kyles Athletic); Kevin Bartlett (Lovat), Gary Innes (Fort William); subs Steven Morrison (Skye Camanachd), John MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Fraser MacKintosh (Newtonmore), Shaun Nicolson (Lochaber), Callum Cruden (Lovat),
Head Coach - Ronald Ross
Assistant Coaches - Jimmy Gow & Ally Ferguson
Trainer - Neil Bowman
Scorers
Kevin Bartlett (1-13) 16
Roddy MacDonald (2-0) 6
Paul MacArthur (0-1) 1
Ireland from: Eoin Kelly (Laois) (captain); David English (Carlow), Brian Murphy (Kerry); Matthew Whelan (Laois), David McInerney (Clare), Mickey Burke (Meath); John Egan (Kerry), Eoin Price (Westmeath), Darragh O’Connell (Kerry); Paul Divilly (Kildare), Patrick Maher (Tipperary), Conor Lehane (Cork); Shane Nolan (Kerry), Patrick Horgan (Cork); subs Conor McCann (Antrim), Neal McCauley (Antrim), Jonny McCusker (Down), David Kettle (Louth), Paul Dermody (Kildare)
Head Coach – Michael Walsh
Scorers
Patrick Horgan (0-4) 6
Conor Lehane (1-2) 5
Darragh O’Connell (0-1) 1
Patrick Maher (0-1) 1
Paul Divilly (0-1) 1
Match Referee – Innes Wood