Ireland beat Scotland 24-8 to record a 4-3 series win and retain the Marine Harvest Quaich at Pairc Esler, Newry on Saturday 25 October 2014.
Ireland went into the second test 3-1 down in the series following Scotland’s 23-14 victory at the Bught Park a week earlier. The Scots gained two points for the win and each side secured a bonus point for scoring two goals or more.
Scotland boss Ronald Ross was pleased that defender Calum Miller was fit to start despite suffering a blow to the face last week whilst forward Gary Innes had recovered from illness. There were two changes from the team whist started the first test – Fraser MacKintosh and John MacRae came in for Gary Innes and Grant Irvine.
Ireland manager Michael Walshe called up Cork’s Lorcan McLoughlin in place of County team-mate Patrick Horgan who was unavailable. Left wing back McLoughlin went straight into the starting line-up with the only other change from the previous week seeing Neal McCauley come off the bench in the place of Brian Murphy.
Ireland looked dangerous from the throw-in and, playing with a slight breeze at their backs, they ran at the Scotland defence in the opening minutes.
With two points on offer from a converted free off the ground, Ireland tried a different approach to their set pieces. The Irish would normally lift the ball off the ground and hit it between the posts for a single point. However in a tactical switch, they went for a direct hit off the ground. And when John Barr fouled Patrick Maher, they had a first chance to put the plan into operation. However David McInerney put his effort wide of target.
Roddy MacDonald had Scotland’s first effort at goal on 4 minutes but his shot from the right went wide.
Conor Lehane put a free from wide on the right the wrong side of the post a minute later.
Kevin Bartlett sent a 7 minute free into the goal area but keeper Ireland captain and keeper Eoin Reilly took the ball out of the air and cleared the danger.
Play quickly switched to the other end and Conor Leanne put at attempt wide.
Lorne MacKay was unable to get enough power on an 8 minute shot after being played in by Fraser MacKintosh. Eoin Reilly saved but used his hand and Kevin Bartlett took the change to put the ball between the posts to give the Scots a 2-0 lead.
Micky Burke was given space on the left of the Ireland midfield on 10 minutes but he put a one-point attempt wide of target.
Ireland squared the second test on 12 minutes, Paul MacArthur was penalised for tugging Neal McCauley’s shirt and this time David McInerney found his range and he sent the ball between the posts to make it 2-2.
Ireland continued to pass up some good early point opportunities and when Finlay MacRae fouled Patrick Mayer, Fraser Munro got in the way of David McInerney’s poor two-point attempt.
Conor Leanne took down a long ball forward from David McInerney on 15 minutes but put his shot wide of the posts.
Ireland’s pace was impressive and the Scotland defence had to work hard to keep the Irish attack at bay.
Conor Leanne, under pressure from Finlay MacRae, found Eoin Price but again the attempt went wide.
Shaun Nicolson replaced Conor Cormack at the back for Scotland.
Ireland keeper Eoin Reilly put a free from deep in his own half wide on 19 minutes after a trip by John MacRae was penalised by referee Christy Browne.
Eoin Reilly was back in action when he pulled a Kevin Bartlett shot from the left out of the air on 20 minutes and he cleared the ball forward. Eoin Price collected possession in midfield and a superb turn took him away from Louis Munro and Price soloed down the left before putting the ball over the bar to make it 3-2.
Conor Leanne went wide with a free on the right as Ireland continued to play such set piece opportunities off the ground.
Eoin Price went wide on 23 minutes after the Scotland defence failed to clear their lines.
There was a scramble in front of the Ireland goal on 24 minutes and when Fraser MacKintosh was fouled, Kevin Bartlett put the ball between the posts to make it 4-3.
It was now frantic in the middle of the park and Darragh O’Connell was fortunate that referee Christy Browne didn’t notice him handling the ball on 27 minutes as he cleared a Scotland attack.
Seconds later, when Steven MacDonald dropped his stick, the Newtonmore defender still managed to halt Conor Leanne’s path to goat but the Cork man put the ball over the bar to make it 4-4.
Stuart MacDonald did well to race from his goal line on 28 minutes and he got to the ball ahead of Conor Leanne before sending the ball upfield.
A superb strike from Eoin Price from wide on the left made it 5-4 to Ireland.
Finlay MacRae and Stuart MacDonald did well to deny Patrick Maher after a long ball forward from Connor McCann. Conor Leanne put the resultant free over to make it 6-4.
Fraser MacKintosh seemed to get caught in two minds when the ball broke to him on the left on 34 minutes and his effort at goal went wide.
Matthew Whelan soloed into the heart of the Scotland defence before being crowded out.
With just 2 minutes of a tight first half remaining, Eoin Price grabbed the game’s first goal to extend Ireland’s advantage. Conor Lehane knocked Darragh O’Connell’s long ball forward down and Eoin Price ran onto the ball before hitting it on the ground from the tightest angle on the left, across keeper Stuart MacDonald, into the net to make it 9-4. It was a fine finish from the Westmeath man.
David McInerney and Steven MacDonald each had dead ball attempts late in the first half but both came to nothing and Ireland took the 9-4 lead onto the break.
The floodlights came on at half time and Scotland had the wind advantage in the second period although the breeze dropped as the half went on.
Ireland notched the first point after the restart. Stuart MacDonald and Steven MacDonald did well to thwart Conor Leanne in front of goal but Conor McCann collected Finlay MacRae’s clearance and put the ball over the bar to make it 10-4.
When Fraser MacKintosh was fouled by David English wide on the left on 45 minutes, Kevin Bartlett resumed dead ball duties but he put the free wide.
However when presented with a similar opportunity wide on the right a minute later, Kevin Bartlett made no mistake and reduced the deficit to 10-6.
A John Barr foul on Connor McCann gave Conor Leanne a chance but he passed it by.
Conor Leanne found Eoin Price on 49 minutes and he put the ball over to make it 11-6. Scotland were furious that a kick in the lead-up play had been missed by the officials.
Conor Cormack needed treatment a couple of minutes later after being caught on the bridge of the nose with a trailing hurl.
Shaun Nicolson had his stick held by Lorcan McLoughlin as he tried to get onto a John Barr ball on 52 minutes but Kevin Bartlett’s ball into the goal area was cleared.
A good challenge from Steven Morrison on Eoin Price forced the Westmeath man to put the ball wide of goal.
It was becoming very bunched in front of the Ireland goal and when the Scots did breach the backline on 57 minutes, and Fraser MacKintosh played in John MacRae, keeper Eoin Reilly came quickly off his line to save.
Seconds later a John MacRae ball into the goal area was flicked on by Fraser MacKintosh but Kevin Bartlett couldn’t get a clean connection on the ball and the chance of a goal was gone.
These two chances were to be the closest Scotland would come to finding the back of the net.
Ireland had the ball in the net on 58 minutes. However referee Christy Browne’s whistle had gone seconds before Patrick Maher lashed the ball home as Callum Cruden was penalised for a high challenge on Johnny McCusker. Conor Lehane put the resulting free directly over the bar to make it 13-6.
John MacDonald acted as peace-maker when Jonny McCusker and Conor Cormack clashed and the match restarted with a throw-in.
Stuart MacDonald made a super save above his head on 61 minutes from a Patrick Maher effort after the Tipp man soloed down the right wing. However Eoin Price regained possession and he put the ball over the bar to extend Ireland’s lead to 14-6.
Ireland levelled the series on aggregate on 63 minutes. Eoin Price broke down the right before cutting the ball back where Jonny McCusker won possession, knocking the ball forward to Conor Lehane, who ran out to the right before launching the ball between the posts, taking a knock to the leg in the process, to make it 15-6.
Scotland responded and when Roddy MacDonald was fouled a minute later, Kevin Bartlett scored a good two-pointer from wide on the left. This made it 15-8 with 64 minutes played and the Lovat man accounted for the entire Scots’ scores. However it was to be the visitors’ final score of the game.
Conor Lehane came within a whisker of finding the back of the net on 65 minutes as Ireland turned the screw.
A huge free from Lorcan McLoughlin made it 16-8 with 66 minutes played.
Down player Jonny McCusker was relishing playing in front of his home support and he added another point after a skilful exchange with Paul Dilley. It was now 17-8 with 23 minutes remaining.
A Kevin Bartlett free from wide on the left went wide on 69 minutes.
Ireland were attacking in waves and a Patrick Maher shot went low past the bottom corner of the net with 10 minutes to go.
Ireland effectively sealed the win on 72 minutes. Matthew Whelan gathered the ball on his hurl in midfield and he and wheeled away from Roddy MacDonald before lofting the ball into the danger area. John Egan played the ball into the bath of Patrick Maher who retained possession and found Eoin Price to his right and Price’s low, close-range shot gave Stuart MacDonald no chance as the ball nestled in the corner of the net and Ireland led 20-8.
Jonny McCusker soloed and put the ball over the bar from the left to make it 21-8 after 73 minutes.
Scotland were tiring whilst Ireland were relentless and Eoin Price battled to win possession on the right before sending the ball over for another score and at 22-8, Ireland had one hand on the Marine Harvest Quaich.
Scotland needed two goals to win the series but Ireland were in no mood to release their stranglehold on the game.
Conor Leanne recovered from a slip to add another point which made it 23-8 with just 3 minutes left.
Conor Leanne had just one thing in mind when he collected a long Lorcan McLoughlin ball out of defence and he put the ball over to make it 24-8 as the match moved into injury time.
There was still time for Conor Leanne to go close to adding another point.
Referee Christy Browne sounded the final whistle as Scotland’s Shaun Nicolson attempted to break down the right flank and the win, and bonus point for scoring two or more goals, gave Ireland a 4-3 series win and Eire captain Eoin Reilly was presented with the Marine Harvest Quaich – his country’s fourth success since the home and away format was introduced in 2010.
Ireland’s Eoin Price was named man of the match.
The victory was a successful sign-off for Ireland manager Michael Walshe who steps down after being continuously involved with the Ireland U21s and then the senior side since 2009.
Ireland from: Eoin Kelly (Laois) (captain); David English (Carlow), David McInerney (Clare); Neal McCauley (Antrim), John Egan (Kerry), Lorcan McLoughlin (Cork); Matthew Whelan (Laois), Darragh O’Connell (Kerry); Eoin Price (Westmeath), Patrick Maher (Tipperary), Mickey Burke (Meath); Paul Divilly (Kildare), Conor Lehane (Cork); Shane Nolan (Kerry); subs Conor McCann (Antrim), Jonny McCusker (Down), David Kettle (Louth), Brian Murphy (Kerry), Paul Dermody (Kildare)
Head Coach – Michael Walsh
Assistant Coaches – Jeffrey Lynskey & Gregory O'Kane
Scorers
David McInerney (0-2) 2
Eoin Price (2-5) 11
Conor McCann (0-1) 1
Conor Lehane (0-7) 7
Larkin McLaughlin (0-1) 1
Johnny McCusker (0-2) 2
Scotland from: Stuart MacDonald (Lovat); Calum Miller (Kyles Athletic), Steven MacDonald (Newtonmore); John Barr (Glenurquhart), Finlay MacRae (Kinlochshiel) (captain), Conor Cormack (Beauly); Paul MacArthur (Newtonmore), Louis Munro (Kingussie), John MacDonald (Ballachulish); John MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Roddy MacDonald (Kyles Athletic) Kevin Bartlett (Lovat); Fraser MacKintosh (Newtonmore), Lorne MacKay (Lovat); subs Steven Morrison (Skye Camanachd), Shaun Nicolson (Lochaber), Callum Cruden (Lovat), Grant Irvine (Kyles Athletic), Gary Innes (Fort William)
Head Coach - Ronald Ross
Assistant Coaches - Jimmy Gow & Ally Ferguson
Trainer - Neil Bowman
Scorer
Kevin Bartlett (0-8) 8
Match Referee: Christy Browne (Gaillimh)
(Picture courtesy of Neil G Paterson)