Marine Harvest Senior Shinty-Hurling International: Scotland 3-15 (24) Ireland 2-08 (14)
IRELAND joint-manager Jeffrey Lynskey says his side will make amends at Croke Park on November 21, after losing by 10 points to Scotland in Saturday’s Marine Harvest Senior Shinty Hurling International in Bught Park, Inverness.
Scotland claimed their biggest win since 2007 with an excellent performance in a game in which they never trailed.
Kevin Bartlett excelled from placed balls, with the Lovat clubman firing over six two-pointers, including five in the opening half.
A hat-trick of first half goals also proved key for Ronald Ross’s charges, with Glen MacKintosh, Liam MacDonald, and Fraser Heath on target.
“We have no excuses. In the first half the Scots got the three good goals and we were at sixes and sevens. Usually in this type of game it takes a while for our lads to adapt, particularly when in the rules we can’t catch the ball, and can’t kick it,” Lynskey said.
“With the three goals, and the three two pointers off the ground it cost us. Our lads just didn’t perform in the first half.”
Last year’s winning Irish captain Eoin Reilly from Laois, who also captained the Under 21 side to honours previously was one player who has huge experience of the hybrid code.
However, Reilly was unfortunate to leak three goals, as the Scots made full use of a strong sun in his eyes, something which Lynskey felt was unfortunate.
“We call it a square ball, they call it offside over here. Eoin was fouled for one of the goals also, but that’s what you are up against.”
Laois’s Zane Keenan kept Ireland in touch, but the hosts led by 3-13 to 0-4 at the break.
Ireland turned the tables on the restart, but took a while to get going, with neither side producing a score in the third quarter.
Kerry’s Shane Nolan bagged two goals, as the visitors outscored Scotland by 2-4 to 0-2, but it wasn’t enough, as Scotland defended strongly late on.
Nolan’s second goal the final score of the game with seven and a half minutes left on the clock.
Among those to battle hard for Ireland during the 80 minutes were Meath duo Mickey Burke and James Toher in defence; Kerry’s Bryan Murphy; Clare’s David McInerney and Down’s Gareth Johnson, with Magic putting in a huge shift, but was among those thwarted by a well crafted Scottish game-plan.
“We were up against it in the second half and had the chances, we brought it back to eight points at one stage - we had a goal chance, and we had chances of two pointers, but we didn’t take them.”
Lynskey says things will be different for the second match in Croke Park on November 21st, which is the curtain raiser to the International Rules game between Ireland and Australia.
“We are looking forward to the home fixture in four weeks time. We’ll get over this game and the boys will recover quickly and learn and adapt for the second game.
“It will be a big evening in Croke Park with the Compromise Rules on after it. We’ll lose two or three players and we’ll bring in guys to replace them.
“We will meet on the Friday night before hand and analyse today, where we went wrong and hopefully we’ll get it moving and drive on.”
Scorers for Scotland: K Bartlett 0-12 (12); L MacDonald 1-1 (4); G MacKintosh 1-0 (3); F Heath 1-0 (3); Steven MacDonald 0-2
Scorers for Ireland: S Nolan 2-0 (6); Z Keenan 0-8 (8)
Ireland team: E Reilly (Laois); M Burke (Meath), B Deay (Kildare), P Divilly (Kildare), D Healy (Meath), G Johnson (Down), Z Keenan (Laois), P Maher (Tipperary), D McInerney (Clare), D McNicholas (Westmeath), B Murphy (Kerry), S Nolan (Kerry), E Price (Meath), M Whelan (Laois); Interchange Subs: S Maloney (Galway), N Ó Muineacháin (Kildare), J Toher (Meath), P Coady (Carlow)
Referee: Evan MacRae (Scotland)
