Mowi Quaich Cup
Ireland 3-3
Scotland 2-4
THE Mowi Quaich Cup will return to Irish shores once more after Ireland overcame Scotland to make it three wins in a row in the Hurling-Shinty International Rules series in the Scottish Highlands.
A physical battle took place in the tight confines of a windswept Bught Park in Inverness and the home team were stubborn opponents, but Ireland showed enough strength and guile to win the game despite a slow start.
It probably should have been a more comfortable victory than it was with Terence McNaughton’s team dominating possession, but with wides hitting double figures the Irish side should have been home and dry a lot earlier.
And home keeper Bob McGregor showed his skills in between the sticks to make it a game of fine margins.
A few moments of class by Cha Dwyer made the difference for Ireland during the game with the Laois native giving his side a much needed foothold in the game with their first goal on 21 minutes before he scored their decisive third goal four minutes from the end of normal time.
It took Ireland some time to warm to their task as they struggled to get to grips with the compromise rules and Scotland’s direct play.
The home team scored the first goal of the match after just three minutes through their main danger man, Ruaridh Anderson, as Ireland's team captain Dan Morrissey was dispossessed by Iain Robinson who then put the ball into the danger area.
Lachie Shaw stole in to get his shinty stick to the ball, after hesitancy in the Irish backline and he diverted it into the path of Anderson who converted from close range.
Ireland were struggling to get the ball into their forward line and when they did they weren’t clinical enough as Shane O’Brien had a couple of early chances but hit two wides, much to his and his team’s frustration.
Zander Michie extended Scotland’s lead when he showcased his impressive range of shinty ground-skills before launching a free over the bar from the middle of the pitch.
Moments later Anderson pushed the home team seven points ahead when he lanced a ground-stroke to the bottom right-hand corner of Eoin Murphy’s net after he fizzed an effort on the deck goal-bound.
Carlow’s James Doyle took the initiative by driving at the Scottish defence and unleashing a shot that McGregor did very well to get a stick to, but Dwyer was on to the rebound in a flash and he rose to the ball, swivelled, and struck in one fluid movement to drive it to the back of the net.
Ireland then kicked on as Eoghan Connolly, Cianan Fahy and Gerard Walsh began to get on top in defence and Alan Tynan and Ryan Taylor took an increasingly firm grip in midfield.
The no-hand rule meant Ireland’s forwards were having to control the ball on the run before then turning to solo towards goal – no easy feat given the tenacity of the Scottish defence.
But the Irish began to eat into the deficit and the second goal on 39 minutes was beautifully executed.
Dwyer did very well to break the ball into Doyle’s path and he showed great athleticism and skill to set off on a scorching solo-run before driving the ball to the back of the Scottish net.
Connolly converted a 65 to level the game at 2-1 apiece with the half-time break approaching.
Another Michie free nudged Scotland ahead after the break but Ireland drew level when Shane O’Brien produced one of the most skilful moments of the match yet to shoot a point on the run from the left wing. THREE-IN-A-ROW: Ireland clinch a third consecutive hurling-shinty classic
It was a rare moment of clinical finishing from Ireland who hit wide after wide as the second-half progressed, and it was only when Connolly converted another 65 on 64 minutes that they took the lead for the very first time.
Despite Ireland’s dominance of possession they couldn’t relax as Scotland nearly scored a couple of goals against the run of play when first Lachie Shaw tried to flick on a pass from Archie MacRae to the net and then Iain Robinson zinged a ground strike off the post.
Scotland were made to pay for those misses when Dwyer struck for his second and Ireland's third goal on 76. Conroy slung a high ball into the danger zone and his fellow Laois man showed great opportunism and skill to rise highest and flick it to the back of the net.
Ireland led by four points but two late scores for the Scots left just the two between the sides as Scotland huffed and puffed, but the physically dominant Irish defence stood strong to repel the home team and claim a gritty victory littered by wides.
The win completed a very satisfying double for the visitors as the Ireland camogie team were also victorious earlier in the afternoon when beating Scotland by 5-3 to 2-0.
IRELAND: Eoin Murphy, Dan Morrissey, Paddy Burke, Gerard Walsh, Cianan Fahy, Eoghan Connolly 0-2, David Dooley, Ryan Taylor, James Doyle 1-0, Cha Dwyer 2-0, Martin Kavanagh, Alan Tynan, Shane O’Brien 0-1, Darragh McCarthy.
Subs: Ben Conroy, Andrew Kavanagh, Donal Hughes, Nicholas Potterton, Mark Cunningham, Padraig Delaney, Kevin McDonald
SCOTLAND: Bob McGregor, Rory Kennedy, Ryan Harrison, Callum Grant, John Gillies, Danny Kelly, Donald Nixon 0-1, Duncan Matheson, Zander Michie 0-2 (0-2f), Ruaridh Anderson 2-0, Iain Robinson, Daniel MacVicar 0-1, William MacKinnon.
Subs: Innes Blachall, Daniel Sloss, Craig Mainland, Calum Shepherd, Lachie Shaw, Archie MacRae, Blair Morrison
