Ireland were convincing winners in the Shinty / Hurling international second test meeting with Scotland at Cusack Park, Ennis on Saturday 27 October 2012.
Scotland Head Coach Drew McNeil made two changes to his starting line-up from the previous week. Fort William’s Neil MacPhee came in for Kingussie’s Louis Munro in midfield whilst Kinlochshiel’s Mark MacDonald replaced Kyles Athletic’s Donald Irvine in defence. Norman Campbell also started in defence.
Ireland co-managers Michael Walsh and John Meyler were without last weekend’s star-man Patrick Horgan, who scored 22 points in their 25-19 victory at the Bught Park, Inverness. Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan came into the squad in his place and it was little surprise that he was given a place in the starting line-up. They also added former U21 keeper Eoin Reilly to the squad and he started on the bench.
Scotland made a flying start and Caberfeidh’s Kevin Bartlett put the ball over the bar to make it (0-0) 0-1 (0-1) within the first 10 seconds.
Ireland fought back and Glenurquhart keeper Stuart MacKintosh did well to halt a direct run into the heart of the Scots’ defence by Tipperary’s Patrick Maher.
Offaly’s Shane Dooley hit the post for Ireland after Fort William’s Niall MacPhee had been penalised in midfield by referee Eamon Hasson.
Kerry keeper Bernard Rochford had been in great form in the first test and he made a brilliant save from Lochaber’s Shaun Nicolson after Kilmallie’s John Stewart had played him in after just 2 minutes. Kevin Bartlett’s attempt from the rebound was charged down by the home defence.
A minute later, Seamus Callanan made his first impact on the game when he collected possession and put the ball over the bar with ease to square the game at (0-1) 1-1 (0-1).
Irish keeper Rochford got body behind a John Stewart rocket and stopped the ball with hurley after Stewart had been set up by Kinlochshiel’s Finlay MacRae.
Westmeath’s Brendan Murtagh made it (0-2) 2-1 (0-1) despite good challenges at the back from Kinlochshiel’s Mark MacDonald after 6 minutes
Seconds later a brilliant solo from Patrick Maher cut open the visiting defence and he gave Stuart MacKintosh no chance to increase Ireland’s advantage to (1-2) 7-1 (0-1).
Shane Dooley found Seamus Callanan and his dipping effort went just past the post after 8 minutes.
A great solo down the left from Irish captain Eoin Price saw him play the ball into the goal area and Shane Dooley lost his marker and swept the ball into the net to make it (2-2) 12-1 (0-1). This also meant Ireland had secured an early bonus point for scoring at least two goals.
Niall MacPhee suffered a hand injury and was replaced by Kingussie’s Louis Munro.
Scotland fell further behind on 12 minutes when Patrick Maher found Brendan Murtagh in space and he netted to make it (3-2) 17-1 (0-1).
The visitors tried to respond and Kevin Bartlett saw a shot saved by Rochford and no one in a blue shirt could get on the rebound.
Niall MacPhee returned to the action with a figure strapped up with Lovat’s Callum Cruden withdrawn.
Ireland continued to dominate and after 15 minutes, Patrick Maher was fouled as he broke for goal. Shane Dooley took the free from in front of goal and even the presence of John Barr and Mark MacDonald to help keeper Stuart MacKintosh on the goal line, couldn’t stop Dooley blasting the ball into the net for his second goal of the game to make it (4-2) 22-1 (0-1). To add to Scotland’s woes, captain Norman Campbell was forced off with a head cut.
Brendan Murtagh soloed and placed the ball over bar on 18 minutes to make it (4-3) 23-1 (0-1) as the Scots struggled to match their Irish hosts.
Scotland tried to fight back and a minute later, a shot from Newtonmore’s Steven MacDonald was charged down by keeper Rochford and John Stewart saw his attempt from the rebound scrambled off the line by Irish defender Cormac Donnelly from Antrim.
Scotland defender John Barr from Glenurquhart missed his hit on 19 minutes and was punished by Shane Dooley who buried the ball past keeper MacKintosh to complete a first half hat-trick which made it (5-3) 28-1.
Ireland were in command and Louth’s Shane Fennell and Meath’s Steven Clynch replaced Brendan Murtagh and Antrim’s Barry McFall with 20 minutes played.
Lovat’s Drew Howie came on for Scotland for Louis Munro on 23 minutes.
Ireland’s Ciaran Clifford from Armagh replaced Westmeath’s Joseph Clarke
Scotland substitute David Smart from Glenurquhart latched onto a loose pass but missed the target on 28 minutes.
A patched up Norman Campbell returned to action with a bandaged head shortly after.
There was no way through the Irish defence for John Stewart and Kinlochshiel’s Keith MacRae following a goal-mouth scramble.
Scotland came close to hitting the back of the net on 35 minutes. A Niall MacPhee free-hit found Finlay MacRae in front of goal. He slipped the ball to Kevin Bartlett but his effort was stopped on line by Tommy Walsh, only for Kevin Bartlett to put the rebound over the bar to make it (5-3) 28-2 (0-2). This was only Scotland’s second score since the opening 10 seconds of the match.
Scotland added to their tally seconds later. A foul on Finlay MacRae resulted in another free in front of goals and Finlay MacRae picked himself up to fire the ball into the roof of the net to make it (5-3) 28-7 (1-2).
Shane Dooley slipped the ball to Seamus Callanan and he put the ball over to make it (5-4) 29-7 (1-2) on 38 minutes.
Seconds later, Seamus Callanan collected the ball on the right and fired over to make it (5-5) 30-7 (1-2).
Shane Dooley found Seamus Callanan in space on the right and he added another point just ahead of the half time whistle to leave Ireland (5-6) 31-7 (1-2) ahead after the first 40 minutes.
A low ball from a free from Lochaber’s Neil MacDonald led to a free in front of goal but the Scots were unable to capitalise.
Reserve keeper Stuart MacDonald from Lovat took over in goal from Stuart MacKintosh.
A good run from substitute Donald Irvine set up a chance but Kevin Bartlett’s shot was well saved by Rochford.
Ireland led (5-6) 31-7 (1-2) at the interval and they looked like they could score at will.
The first goal of the second period came when a Barry McFall solo cut straight through the middle of the Scots’ defence and McFall shot low into net to make it (6-6) 36-7 (1-2) with a great individual effort on 43 minutes.
Stuart MacDonald came off his line and did well to foil a Patrick Maher run.
Keith MacRae returned into the action for David Smart and Drew Howie came off in place of Callum Cruden as Scotland looked to change their fortunes.
Good play between Keith MacRae and John Stewart saw Keith MacRae pull his shot wide on 47 minutes.
A long ball from Steven MacDonald saw John Stewart and Kevin Bartlett link up before Finlay MacRae shot wide.
Nice play from Finlay MacRae on the right resulted in a good cross to Kevin Bartlett at the back post and he drew keeper Rochford off his line before rocketing the ball into the roof of net to make it (6-6) 36-12 (2-2).
Shane Dooley put the ball between the posts on 51 minutes to make it (6-7) 37-12 (2-2).
Brendan Murtagh won possession and fought off two challenges before sprinting down the Irish left before firing into net for his second goal of the game which increased his side’s lead to (7-7) 42-12 (2-2) on 53 minutes
Scotland keeper Stuart MacDonald saved well when Shane Dooley was clean through on goal seconds later.
Ireland’s Barry McFall soloed before firing over on 55 minutes to make it (7-8) 43-12 (2-2).
Ireland keeper Bernard Rochford was replaced by substitute goalie Eoin Reilly.
Ireland withdrew both Shane Dooley and Tommy Walsh to the appreciation of the home crowd.
Keith MacRae chested down a cross from Newtonmore’s Steven MacDonald and he fired over the bar after 59 minutes to make it (7-8) 43-13 (2-3).
Glenurquhart’s John Barr was pushed into the Scots’ attack and he caused panic in the home defence as a loose ball broke to Kevin Bartlett who cut inside before firing low into the net to make it (7-8) 43-18 (3-3) on 62 minutes.
Ireland’s Brendan Murtagh added another point to make it (7-9) 44-18 (3-3). Murtagh was then replaced as Shane Dooley returned to the action after a short absence.
Seamus Callanan collected a long ball from Antrim’s Neil McManus and he turned Oban Camanachd’s Daniel Cameron before driving at the Scottish defence and scoring from a tight angle to make it (8-9) 49-18 (3-3).
Seamus Callanan then came off on 67 minutes, replaced by captain Eoin Price.
Shane Dooley added a 65 as Ireland hit the 50 points mark, (8-10) 50-18 (3-3), on 68 minutes.
Kingussie’s Louis Munro and Finlay MacRae were unable to get a shot on target following a goal-mouth scramble.
Ireland substitute keeper Eoin Reilly cut out a ball from John Barr and ran half the length of the park before releasing a pass on 72 minutes.
Another sweeping Irish move found Shane Dooley and ball broke to Kildare’s Paudi Reidy who found Eoin Price and MacDonald saved from Price with his feet.
Shane Dooley knocked another point over the bar to make it (8-11) 51-18 (3-3) with just over a couple of minutes left after a Daniel Cameron foul on Shane Fennell.
Scotland cut the gap when John Barr battled to win possession and the ball into area for Keith MacRae who blasted it into the net to make it (8-11) 51-23 (4-3).
Ireland’s hurling was devastating at times and they ended this game as a contest by scoring five goals in a 13 minute first half burst. However had it not been for some fine goal-keeping from Bernard Rochford, the winning margin would not have been so great.
The five points for a goal rule change contributed to the high score. However, even under the old three points for a goal scoring system, Ireland would have won 35-15 which is still an impressive.
With Michael D. Higgins from Uachtaran na hÉireann and Camogie President Aileen Lawlor present, Ireland captain Eoin Price was presented with the Marine Harvest Quaich by GAA President Liam O'Neill after the game.
Scorers;
Ireland; Shaun Dooley (3-3) 18, Brendan Murtagh (2-3) 13, Seamus Callanan (1-4) 9, Barry McFall (1-1) 6, Patrick Maher (1-0) 5
Scotland; Kevin Bartlett (2-2) 12, Keith MacRae (1-1) 6, Finlay MacRae (1-0) 5
Ireland from; Bernard Rochford, Des Shaw, Cormac Donnelly, Tommy Walsh, Neil McManus, Tom Murnane, Eoin Price (captain), Joseph Clarke, Barry McFall, Seamus Callanan, Patrick Maher, Darragh O’Connell, Brendan Murtagh, Shane Dooley, subs Steven Clynch, Ciaran Clifford, Paudi Reidy, Shane Fennell, Eoin Reilly
Co-managers – Michael Walsh, John Meyler
Selector – Diarmuid Horgan
Scotland from; Stuart MacKintosh, Norman Campbell (captain), John Barr, Mark MacDonald, Daniel Cameron, Neil MacDonald, Callum Cruden, Niall MacPhee, Steven MacDonald, Keith MacRae, Shaun Nicolson, Finlay MacRae, Kevin Bartlett, John Stewart, subs Drew Howie, Donald Irvine, Louis Munro, David Smart, Stuart MacDonald
Head Coach – Drew McNeil
Assistant Head Coaches – Kenny Ross, George Hay, Scott McNeil
Trainer – Neil Bowman
Medic – Dr Karen Massey
Match Referee – Eamon Hassan (Derry)