Shinty/Hurling: Scotland 14 - 15 Ireland: Late Irish rally sinks Scots

A LATE Brendan Maher goal handed Ireland’s hurlers a 15-14 victory against Scotland’s shinty side in Inverness yesterday and secured them their third successive international series.

Drew McNeil’s Scots were spirited and threw everything they had at their opponents after losing 19-14 last week in Ireland. However, a late Maher goal, abetted by a mistake from keeper Stuart MacKintosh, gave Joe Dooley’s men the series victory at Bught Park.

And McNeil admitted his men simply had nothing left to give at the end. He said: “First half, we were excellent but I can’t complain because my players gave everything. Some of them had not played for five or six weeks but they gave every ounce on that field.”

With five points the margin the Scots had to make up from Kildare, it was vital for McNeil’s men to get out of the blocks quickly and they couldn’t have wished for a more effervescent start, eating away all of that advantage within ten minutes.

Five minutes later they were ahead 7-0 on the day, and two points in front on aggregate. Kevin Bartlett of Caberfeidh was the principal tormentor of the Irish. He smacked a couple of two-point hits over the uprights from the right touchline and Finlay MacRae of Kinlochshiel launched a wind-assisted shot into the rigging from the half-way line.

Bartlett put Ireland further behind with another two-point hit; this time from the opposite touchline. However, Joe Dooley’s men warmed up and soon began to assert themselves. Willie Hyland hit two single-point strikes from wide areas before Joe Bergen grabbed an unlikely goal at MacKintosh’s back post. Bartlett grabbed another two-point strike before the interval and Scotland went in 11-5 up at the break.

The wind was in Ireland’s favour in the second period and they used it to aid their hitting skills. Hyland launched four points over the bar and captain Michael Rice struck twice, too.

The Scots were battling to stem the tide and two more points from the excellent Bartlett and a long range point from Innes kept them in it. Alas, a further Hyland point and Maher’s late goal undid them. Maybe, just maybe, next year will be their year.