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Scotland U21 Record Magnificent Shinty / Hurling Victory | |
05 November 2018 Scotland U21 turned in a terrific display to beat Ireland U21 25-13 in their Shinty / Hurling international at the impressive GAA National Games Development Centre in Dublin on Saturday 3 November 2018. Ireland co-managers Willie Cleary from Galway and Gavin Keary, who coached the Clare senior team in 2018, selected a strong panel. There were places for Galway pair Cianan Fahy and John Fitzpatrick, Wexford’s Damien Reck and Killian Doyle from Westmeath who were all nominated for the Bord Gais Energy U21 team of the year with forward Cianan Fahy making the final team to gain an All-Star. They also selected Dublin’s Donal Burke (Dublin) and Aron Shanagher from Clare. Kildare’s Jack Sheridan and Antrim's Gerard Walsh both gained their third caps at this level with Walsh skippering the team. The Scots went into this 2pm throw-in in the knowledge that they had only previously recorded one win on Irish soil at this level and that came in 2014. Boss Alan MacRae went for experience but he did give Newtonmore’s Iain Robinson and Kingussie’s Roddy Young debuts in attack. The other debutants - Oban Camanachd’s Daniel Sloss, Oban Celtic’s Ross MacMillan, Jonnie MacAskill from Glasgow Mid Argyll and Findlay MacDonald from Lochaber – all started on the bench. Caberfeidh’s Blair Morrison captained the Scots on what was his fifth appearance at this level. Iain Robinson cancelled out an early Irish point before Roddy Young’s debut goal put the Scots 4-1 ahead. Scotland boss Alan MacRae was excited about his side’s fire-power ahead of the game and Young’s goal didn’t disappoint. Robert Mabon played a long ball over the defence and Young beat both full backs for pace before taking the ball around keeper Thomas Dowling and slotting it into the net. The hosts added another point before the Scots introduced Ross MacMillan at half back and Innes Blackhall and a two-pointer from Iain Robinson gave Scotland a hard-earned 7-2 lead at the end of a fast and furious first half. Scotland surged further ahead from the restart and, with just a minute gone, substitute Findlay MacDonald gathered possession in a deep position and he turned and ran at the Irish defence before blasting the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the box to notch his debut goal. And it was another substitute who made the difference shortly after as the ball broke from a tackle to Alexander MacMillan at the edge of the box and the Fort William man struck a shot low and hard into the bottom corner of the net to increase Scotland’s cushion to 13-2. Iain Robinson added a point before John Gillies attracted the attention of referee Archie Ritchie and he was booked. Ireland pulled a point back but Iain Robinson added another two-pointer so the Scots now led 16-3. Ireland got four more points closer before Iain Robinson and Roddy Young again found the net to make it 22-7. For Robinson’s debut goal, he managed to turn his man quite far out before driving towards goal and eventually rounding keeper Thomas Dowling and slipping the ball into the net for what was a great individual goal. Young’s second strike saw him get on the end of a ball in behind the defence and he drilled a shot low shot past the keeper. Ireland fought back again with Clare's Aaron Shanagher scoring a goal and they converted another three points to pull the score back to 22-13. However Iain Robinson took his tally to twelve points when he scored his second goal of the afternoon near the end of the contest. A good run from Innes Blackhall ended when his shot fell kindly for Robinson and he turned the ball home to make the final score 25-13. Scotland captained Blair Morrison stepped forward to reclaim the Marine Harvest Quaich which the Irish won last year in Inverness. Ireland U21 panel from: Thomas Dowling (Carlow), Donal Burke (Dublin), James Burke (Kildare), Andrew Casey (Carlow), Lorcán Devlin (Tyrone), Ciaran Doyle (Westmeath), Killian Doyle (Westmeath), Cianan Fahy (Galway), Daniel Huane (Mayo), Mark Kavanagh (Laois), Tony O’Kelly Lynch (Sligo), Fionan Mackessy (Kerry), Jack Fitzpatrick (Galway), Evan Murphy (Kerry), Dean Gaffney (Armagh), Conor Phelan (Laois), Damien Reck (Wexford), Aron Shanagher (Clare), Jack Sheridan (Kildare), Gerard Walsh (Antrim) (captain) Team Managers: Willie Cleary (Wexford) and Gavin Keary (Galway) Physio – Diarmud Horgan (Clare) Scotland U21 from: Scott MacLachlan (Inveraray), Lachlan Smith (Glenurquhart), Rory MacKeachan (Kingussie), Robert Mabon (Kingussie), Craig Ritchie (Newtonmore), Blair Morrison (Caberfeidh (captain), John Gillies (Skye Camanachd), Calum Grant (Kingussie), Danny Kelly (Lovat), Calum Shepherd (Fort William), Innes Blackhall (Kilmallie), Will Cowie (Skye Camanachd), Iain Robinson (Newtonmore), Roddy Young (Kingussie): subs Daniel Sloss (Oban Camanachd), Iain Richardson (Newtonmore), Ross MacMillan (Oban Celtic), Jonnie MacAskill (Glasgow Mid Argyll), Alexander MacMillan (Fort William), Findlay MacDonald (Lochaber) Head Coach – Alan MacRae Assistant Coach – Callum McLeod Fitness Trainer - Davie McVey Physio - Lorna Forsyth Match Referee – Archie Ritchie
(The photograph comes courtesy of www.neilgpaterson.com) |