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Senior Hurling / Shinty International 1st Test – Ireland 4-12 Scotland 2-12

Name: Senior Hurling / Shinty International 1st Test – Ireland 4-12 Scotland 2-12
Start: 2013-10-26T16:15:00+01:00
End: 2013-10-26T18:15:00+01:00

October 26, 2013 @ 4:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Ireland defeated Scotland by 4-12 to 2-12 in the first test of the Senior Hurling / Shinty International on Saturday October 26th at 4:15pm in Croke Park.

Ireland 4-12 Scotland 2-12

Report from the RTE.ie web site

Ireland came out on top in the first Hurling/Shinty International Test at Croke Park, winning 4-12 to 2-12. The home side had first half goals from Cahir Healy, Graham Mulcahy, Jack Kavanagh and Neil McManus, with Liam McDonald and Finlay MacRae hitting the net for Scotland. The home side led by 4-05 to 2-03 at half-time, before Scotland responded with scores from MacRae, McDonald and Kevin Bartlett. Ireland secured the win, thanks to points from Danny Cullen, Mulcahy, Gareth Johnston and Darragh O’Connell.

An entertaining contest kept the small crowd interested right to the end, and while some of the Scottish challenges were on the crude side, no serious injuries were sustained and the contest was never in danger of getting out of hand. Patrick Maher carved the opening for Cahir Healy to drill home Ireland’s opening goal in the second minute, and they hit the net again on five minutes when Graham Mulcahy finished superbly after picking up John Barr’s sloppy clearance. When Neil McManus knocked over a free, the home side appeared to be in complete control, but their Celtic cousins found some momentum, and grew in confidence once Liam McDonald intercepted goalkeeper Bernard Rochford’s clearance to smash home a goal. Kevin Bartlett’s sweetly struck free from the ground earned the Scottish side two points, and they went level in the 23rd minute when Finlay MacRae hit the net, after Kerry’s Rochford had made two excellent saves.

But Ireland regained control in the closing stages of the half, hitting the next six scores, including two goals. McManus scrambled the ball home after the Scotland defence had failed to clear, and in the 32nd minute, Carlow’s Jack Kavanagh fired in his side’s fourth goal. Scotland went 17 minutes without scoring, until McDonald steered over an excellent point, and it was Ireland who led by 4-05 to 2-03 at the interval.

Scotland’s placed-ball striking earned them bonus points from Bartlett and Shaun Nicholson, who arrowed a superb long range effort between the posts at the Hill 16 end, but the Irish protected their lead with two Darragh O’Connell scores and an Eoin Price effort. They almost had a fifth goal when Mulcahy intercepted Donald Irvine’s clearance and fired in a shot which was superbly saved by Stuart Mackintosh. But Scotland had another spell of strong pressure, and Liam McDonald saw a free come back off the crossbar, while Glen Mackintosh had a searing shot saved by Ireland’s sub goalkeeper Eoin Reilly. And the Scottish side finished strongly with scores from Mackintosh and Steve McDonald to set themselves up nicely for the return Test at Bught Park, Inverness next Saturday.

Ireland: B Rochford, D English, A Graffin, C Healy (01-00), G Johnston (00-01), B Maher, P Maher, N McManus (01-04, 0-4f), J Kavanagh (01-01), D O’Connell (00-02), S O’Neill, E Price (00-02), C Woods, G Mulcahy (01-01).

Subs: K McKiernan for Kavanagh, D McNicholas for O’Neill, P Divilly for Graffin, D Cullen (00-01)for Mulcahy, Kavanagh for Divilly, E Reilly for Rochford.

Scotland: S Mackintosh, N Campbell, D Irvine, J Barr, D Cameron, S McDonald (00-01), J Hutchinson, S Nicholson (00-02, 2f), F Macrae (01-02 (0-02f), G Mackintosh (00-01), F Mackintosh, K Bartlett (00-04, 4f), L McDonald (01-01), C McCormack.

Subs: C Cruden for Hutchinson, J Macrae (00-01) for S McDonald, K Macrae for Hutchinson, L Bain for F Mackintosh.

GAA Press Release

22.10.13

Hurling/Shinty International Series

The first test of the 2013 Senior Hurling/Shinty International Series involving Ireland and Scotland will take place this Saturday, October 26 at 4.15pm in Croke Park. This match will be a curtain raiser to the second Irish Daily Mail International Rules test between Ireland and Australia which gets underway at 7pm. The Hurling/Shinty series is played on a home and away basis and the return game will be played in Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday, November 2.

The Irish Hurling/Shinty senior team will be managed this year by John Meyler (Cork) and Michael Walshe (Kilkenny) once again. Tickets, €25 for Adults and €5 for U16’s, for the upcoming doubleheader in Croke Park can be purchased online at gaa.ie/tickets, Tickets.ie outlets and from Centra and SuperValu stores.

The Irish panel for this coming Saturday is as follows –

Senior Hurling/Shinty International Team 2013

1. BERNARD ROCHFORD (Kerry)

2. DANNY CULLEN (Donegal)

3. PAUL DIVILLY (Kildare)

4. DAVID ENGLISH (Carlow)

5. ARRON GRAFFIN (Antrim)

6. CAHIR HEALY (Laois)

7. RICHIE HOGAN (Kilkenny)

8. GARETH JOHNSON (Down)

9. JACK KAVANAGH (Carlow)

10. BRENDAN MAHER (Tipperary)