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Scotland Claim Fifth Home Shinty / Hurling Win | |
22 October 2018 Scotland battled back from eight points down to beat Ireland (1-11) 14-12 (1-9) and lift the Marine Harvest Quaich at the Bught Park on Saturday 20 October 2018. Scotland skipper Grant Irvine and Ireland captain David English led their respective squads out onto the field for this 2pm throw-in. The Scots, playing in their change white strip, went into the match on the back of four successive home victories. New Scotland Head Coach Garry Reid lost forward John MacRae from Kinlochshiel through injury the previous weekend so Lovat’s Craig Mainland was a late call-up and he started on the bench. Reid gave first caps to 30 year old Newtonmore attacker Evan Menzies and 31 year old Oban Camanachd forward Andrew MacCuish with the latter starting on the bench. Mark MacDonald, Rory Kennedy, Steven MacDonald and Andy MacKintosh made up a strong Scots’ defence whilst Finlay MacRae lined up in midfield Ireland co-managers William Maher and Conor Phelan also had injury concerns to deal with as Kilkenny attacker and former GAA / GPA Hurler of the Year Richie Hogan, who was part of the initial squad and involved in the build-up, suffered an injury in a club game for Danesfort which led to his withdrawal. Waterford’s Stephen Roche was called up in his place and he started in attack. However the travelling panel still featured Clare full back David McInerney who was an All-Ireland winner in 2013 and a GAA / GPA All-Star that same year. McInerney also played in this fixture in 2015. There was also a place for Waterford’s left corner back Noel Connors, who received GAA / GPA All-Star Awards in 2010, 2015 and 2017, and Tipperary full forward Jason Forde, who was an All-Ireland winner in 2016. Keeper Enda Rowland, 2017 skipper Tommy Doyle and Damien Healy were the only survivors from last year although David English, James Toher and Brian Murphy also had previous experience of the cross-codes game. In a change to the usual protocol, the match official was Irish referee John Keane. Ireland started on a soft pitch with a strong wind in their favour so whilst the Scots usually look to take early advantage of their opponents inexperience in this fixture, they spent most of the first half pinned back. The Scots started well enough as Finlay MacRae won the throw in and Grant Irvine found Greg Matheson on the left and he immediately played the ball in on goal but keeper Enda Rowland showed his experience as palmed the ball down before clearing. Play soon switched to the other end and Danny Cullen struck an effort wide before David McInerney sent a cut from the side harmlessly past the post. Ireland edged in front when Danny Cullen showed some nice skills as he took a touch and then juggled the ball before lobbing it between the posts. Damian Casey’s strike from wide on the right was initially thought to have gone wide but referee John Keane awarded the point after consulting umpire Brian MacKay and fourth official Iain Kennedy and the Irish led 2-0 with 7 minutes played. Play continued towards the home goal and Darragh Clinton added another from wide on the left as Ireland made the most of the wind advantage. Caberfeidh’s Kevin Bartlett scored twelve of Scotland’s eighteen points last year and he resumed his dead-ball duties after 12 minutes but a difficult chance by the left touchline went wide of the near post. Darragh Clinton again added to the Irish tally from the middle of the park on 14 minutes after Brian Murphy won possession and substitute Brian Byrne took a touch before lofting another to make it 5-0. The Scots had a let-off when Jason Forde found space on right of midfield moments later but his attempt went wide. Ireland’s Danny Cullen punished some loose play in the Scotland midfield to get his second point, making it 6-0 at end of first quarter of this Celtic Cousins contest. Damian Healy needed treatment for a head cut and had to come off as Ireland continued to rotate their panel. In a rare Scottish attack, Roddy Macdonald and Greg Matheson had half-chances in a goalmouth scramble, almost getting in each other’s way. Then Kevin Bartlett’s dead ball from wide on left on 24 minutes was again stopped and cleared by keeper Rowland. Tipperary full forward Jason Forde showed great skill as he got a yard on Steven Macdonald to control the ball but his effort went wide of the post. The Ireland forwards were dropping deep and substitute Gavin McGowan ran in on goal but he fluffed his shot and the chance was gone. Scotland suffered a blow on 26 minutes when defender Rory Kennedy, who was named Marine Harvest national player of the year the previous evening, needed treatment to his left knee and he was helped off to be replaced by Daniel Grieve. Just a minute later, Gavin McGowan again burst forward from a central position and he played a one-two with fellow substitute John Casey to his left and McGowan rolled the return pass home from in front of goal. Scotland now trailed 9-0 and they were in trouble. Andrew MacCuish and Arran MacPhee came on for debuts in place of Evan Menzies and Glen MacKintosh and MacPhee livened up proceedings on the half hour as he was booked for a late swing on Sean Weir in front of the main stand which sparked Irish ire. Ireland’s Bryan Murphy was penalised after he instinctively kicked the ball following a challenge on Arran MacPhee in which he broke his hurley - perhaps a follow on from the earlier incident involving the Fort William man. Kevin Bartlett took advantage as he sent the free over the bar from wide on the left to make it 9-2 with 32 minutes on the clock. Steven Macdonald had a 65 yard attempt against the wind with the ball dropping into the goal area where Roddy Macdonald found Kevin Bartlett and Enda Roland made a low, diving save even although the ball looked to be going wide. Conor Cormack sent the resultant 65 just wide as we moved towards 4 minutes of first half stoppage time. Clare’s Dave McInerney looked the pick of the Irish players and he showed some fine close control as he took a touch before launching another effort over to make it 10-2. There were a couple of late Scotland chances. First, when Ireland failed to clear a Mark MacDonald ball, Arran MacPhee sent a strike just wide. Then, a foul on Roddy Macdonald allowed Kevin Bartlett a chance but James Toher stretched to take the ball out of the air and Ireland went into the interval leading (0-2) 2-10 (1-7). Scotland came out for the second half with the wind advantage in their favour and they showed their intent as Arran MacPhee and Roddy Macdonald both had early attempts at goal. When Arran MacPhee was fouled in a central position, Kevin Bartlett drove the ball between the posts to make it 10-4 and the come-back was on. Good play from Finlay MacRae saw him send the ball into the danger-area but David English held off Andrew MacCuish and the ball dropped over the Oban man and out of play. Scotland in general, and Kevin Bartlett in particular, have taken full advantage of most two point situations in recent years and Bartlett added another two-pointer from left of centre on 52 minutes, punishing another Irish infringement, to make it 10-6. Grant Irvine took a blow to the top of the head from a trailing hurl shortly after and, with blood streaming down his face; he came off to receive stitches. Enda Rowland came out of his goal to play the dead ball and his enormous effort from the half-way line, in front of the main stand and against the wind, went between the posts for an impressive score. Rory Kennedy came back on to take over from Grant Irvine. Andy MacKintosh was penalised for a foul on Jason Forde on the Irish left and Forde picked himself up but his lift and strike swerved away from the far post. Scotland stormed up to the other end and Andrew MacCuish capped his debut with a point as he ran onto a loose ball before swiping it over to make it 11-7. Scotland manager Garry Reid added to his fire-power with the re-introduction of Glen MacKintosh, Evan Menzies and Greg Matheson with just over 20 minutes to go and his intentions were clear. Jason Forde had had a relatively quiet game so far but he showed his class when he held off a challenge and ran down the left channel before driving over the top to increase the Irish lead to 12-7. Enda Rowland saved well to deny Evan Menzies a debut goal and he got the ball away. However, on his fifteenth Scotland appearance, Finlay MacRae did really well to chip the ball back in on goal and Glen MacKintosh took it down, turned and then slotted the ball over the line and the Irish lead was cut to two points with 66 minutes gone. Ireland’s Dave McInerney was forced off with a hand injury and Lorne Dickie spoken to for a late challenge on John Casey but this time keeper Enda Rowland sent the free wide with Steven Macdonald booked for dissent along the way. Scotland keeper Stuart MacDonald had little to do the whole game with Rowland the busier of the two keeper’s and he watch anxiously as Greg Matheson’s volley from a Kevin Bartlett cross from the left went just past the keeper’s left post. Glen MacKintosh became the third Scottish player to be booked after an off-the-ball clash with Brian Murphy. With Finlay MacRae dominant in midfield, the Scots were now doing all the attacking and an Evan Menzies shot deflected out for a 65 with less than 5 minutes remaining. Keeper Rowland did well to stretch high to keep Kevin Bartlett’s 65 from dropping under the bar but Lorne Dickie displayed some quick-thinking as he picked out Greg Matheson to his left and Matheson sent the ball over the bar on his back-hand. Just a minute later, Greg Matheson was allowed just enough time to drive the ball over from distance, again on his back-hand, and the contest was tied at 12-12 with 3 minutes remaining. Scotland had the momentum and Glen MacKintosh asked questions of the Irish defence with a low ball across from the left but Roddy Macdonald just couldn’t get on the end of it. However as keeper Rowland came off his line to try to clear, he fouled Macdonald who was trying to win the ball back. It was a crucial intervention from Macdonald as the resultant free was a straight-forward opportunity for Kevin Bartlett who confidently stroked the ball over to make it 14-12 and, with just over a minute remaining; Scotland led for the first time in the match. With 3 minutes stoppage time signalled, there was late drama. Enda Roland sent a free from distance into the goal area and the ball deceived the keeper and dropped into the net. However umpires Billy MacLeod and Calum Girvan correctly ruled the effort out for offside. Ireland continued to press and Andy MacKintosh did well to clear the ball from in front of goal under pressure. It was a tense finish as Dave McInerney, back on the field, sent a dead ball wide and, after Steven Macdonald was penalised, McInerney lifted the ball into the goal area but, with no margin for error, Steven Macdonald brilliantly batted the ball away and with it Ireland’s last chance of a match winning goal. There was 5 minutes stoppage time played before referee John Keane blew for time and Scotland celebrated another win on home soil. A blood-soaked Scotland captain Grant Irvine struck an iconic pose as he raised the Marine Harvest Quaich in front of a happy home support. Scotland from: Stuart MacDonald (Lovat): Mark MacDonald (Kinlochshiel): Rory Kennedy (Newtonmore), Steven Macdonald (Newtonmore), Andy MacKintosh (Newtonmore): Grant Irvine (Kyles Athletic) (captain), Finlay MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Conor Cormack (Kinlochshiel): Roddy Macdonald (Kyles Athletic), Michael Russell (Newtonmore), Greg Matheson (Lovat): Kevin Bartlett (Caberfeidh), Glen MacKintosh (Newtonmore), Evan Menzies (Newtonmore): subs Daniel Grieve (Lovat), Andrew MacCuish (Oban Camanachd), Lorne Dickie (Oban Camanachd), Shaun Nicolson (Lochaber), Arran MacPhee (Fort William), Craig Mainland (Lovat) Ireland panel: Enda Rowland (Laois): Bryan Murphy (Kerry), Noel Connors (Waterford): Damien Healy (Meath), Tommy Doyle (Westmeath), David English (Carlow) (captain): James Toher (Meath), Dave McInerney (Clare), John Michael Nolan (Carlow): Damian Casey (Tyrone), Jason Forde (Tipperary), Danny Cullen (Donegal): Darragh Clinton (Westmeath), Stephen Roche (Waterford): subs Brian Byrne (Kildare), John Casey (Longford), Darragh Egerton (Westmeath), Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (Sligo), Gavin McGowan (Meath), Sean Weir (Kerry) Match Referee – John Keane
(The photograph comes courtesy of www.neilgpaterson.com) |