Scotland 3-6-4 (23) Ireland 2-3-4 (14)
Scotland recorded their first home win in a senior shinty-hurling international since 2007, with a 23 (3-6-4) to 14 (2-3-4) win over Ireland in the first of this year’s Test matches at Bught Park, Inverness.
Kevin Bartlett was the star of the show with 21 points, as Scotland stopped a seven-game unbeaten run from Ireland, win Scotland last victorious in Croke Park in 2010.
Ireland had ten Liam MacCarthy-tier players in their 19-man panel, but despite the likes of Clare’s David McInerney, Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher of Tipperary and Cork duo Conor Lehane and Patrick Horgan in the side, it took the visitors time to settle.
Scotland, managed by former player Ronald Ross, started with key player Gary Innes making his first appearance in three years, but the Fort William forward was called ashore early on, suffering a bout of food poisoning in the lead-up to this game.
Ross’s charges started this game in impressive fashion, with Bartlett firing his first two-pointer after just 30 seconds.
By the 22nd minute Scotland had pushed 9-4 in front, with Bartlett claiming all of that early tally, including an 18th-minute goal. The Lovat forward poked the ball home from close range, after initial good work by Fraser MacKintosh, with a mix-up between McInerney and David English in the Irish defence.
Ireland were forced to defend hard in the opening quarter, while up front efforts from Paul Divlly, Lehane and Horgan were kept out.
A pointed free from Horgan gave Ireland their first score after 25 minutes, before Lehane followed up with a well worked goal from the resulting puck-out, leaving Steven MacDonald in his wake.
A further Horgan point cut the gap to three points with 10 minutes to go before half-time.
Scotland responded with scores from Paul MacArthur and Bartlett, with Ireland forced to be alert at the back once again.
Ireland ’keeper Eoin Reilly pulled off a superb block from a MacArthur shot before the break, to ensure a 13-6 half-time score-line.
Ireland had a lot of work to do on the restart, with Lehane and Horgan again strong.
Despite Kerry’s Darragh O’Connell scoring a point inside 40 seconds of the restart, a Roddy MacDonald goal soon after provided Scotland with the platform to drive forward in the second half.
The hosts failed to trail this game despite Ireland’s best endeavours, with Patrick Maher netting Ireland’s second goal in the 51st minute.
Lehane, Divilly and Horgan were on target, but Bartlett bagged his sides third goal 12 minutes from the end, and Scotland never looked back.
Scotland goalkeeper Stuart MacDonald was again impressive late on, pulling off three fine saves in the closing minutes, including a Lehane effort at the death.
The focus now turns to next Saturday’s deciding test at Pairc Esler in Newry.
Scotland: S MacDonald, J Barr, C Cormack, S MacDonald, F MacRae, C Millar, L Munro, P MacArthur (0-0-1 [1]), J MacDonald, R MacDonald (1-0-0 [3]), K Bartlett (2-6-3 [21]), G Innes, L MacKay, G Irvine. Interchange Subs: S Nicolson, S Morrison, F MacKintosh, J MacRae, C Cruden.
Ireland: E Reilly, M Burke, D McInerney, P Divilly (0-0-1 [1]), J Egan, D English, P Horgan (0-0-4 [4]) , C Lehane (1-0-2 [5]), P Maher (1-0-0 [3]), B Murphy, S Nolan, D O’Connell (0-0-1 [1]), E Price, M Whelan. Interchange Subs: C McCann, N McAuley, J McCusker, D Kettle, P Dermody.
Referee: Innes Wood (Fort William)
