Ireland hold off Scots’ charge

Ireland 4-12 Scotland 2-12

John Meyler and Michael Walsh’s side stormed to a 20-point win last year in Ennis and a similar whitewash looked on the cards when the hosts powered to a 2-1 to 0-0 lead after six minutes, with Laois’s Cahir Healy and Limerick’s Graeme Mulcahy netting early goals.

Scotland weathered the storm to push ahead after 23 minutes, following a Finlay MacRae goal, but they only held it for 50 seconds. Goals from Antrim’s Neil McManus and Carlow’s Jack Kavanagh handed Ireland a 4-5 to 2-3 interval lead, and Ireland remained on top on the restart, despite being outscored nine points to seven in the second half.

Tipperary duo Brendan and Patrick Maher and Cork’s All-Star nominee Shane O’Neill added greatly to the setup, but Ireland were minus the lively Richie Hogan, with the Kilkenny forward ruled out with a leg injury. Joint boss Michael Walsh expects his county man to be available next weekend.

“He played a colleges Fitzgibbon [league] game on Thursday night and got a bad leg,” Walsh said. “We have to see how he is and hopefully he will be free for the second leg. If he is he would be a huge boost to us as well. He is a finisher and we’ll see how that goes.”

Hogan’s absence up front may have cost Ireland in the second half as, despite their lively start, they failed to exert much of a goal threat. Mulcahy and McManus had chances but Ireland’s wides tally climbed to 15 by the full-time whistle, including nine in the second half, as the hosts began to struggle to find the target.

Scotland goalkeeper Stuart MacDonald pulled off a fine save from a Mulcahy goal shot in the 53rd minute, while at the opposite end Bernard Rochford and sub keeper Eoin Reilly were kept busy during a frantic second half.

Walsh says Ireland will have to improve if they are to keep their unbeaten run intact next weekend in Inverness.

“We were happy with a lot of aspects of the display. There’s a lot of improving to do as well. It is wide open for the second leg.”

Scorers for Ireland: N McManus (1-3, 3fs); J Kavanagh, G Mulcahy (1-1 each), C Healy (1-0), E Price, D O’Connell 0-2 each, B Maher (1 65), G Johnson, D Cullen (0-1 each).

Scorers for Scotland: F MacRae (1-2, 2fs), L MacDonald (1-1), K Bartlett (0-4fs), S Nicholson (0-2fs), J MacRae, G MacKintosh, S MacDonald (0-1 each).

IRELAND: B Rochford (Kerry); D English (Carlow), S O’Neill (Cork), A Graffin (Antrim); B Maher (Tipperary), E Price (Westmeath), C Woods (Down); C Healy (Laois), D O’Connell (Kerry); D McNicholas (Westmeath), P Maher (Tipperary), G Johnson (Down); N McManus (Antrim), G Mulcahy (Limerick).

Interchange subs: E Reilly (Laois), D Cullen (Donegal), P Divilly (Kildare), K McKiernan (Armagh), J Kavanagh (Carlow).

SCOTLAND: Stuart MacDonald; N Campbell; J Barr, D Irvine; D Cameron, Steven MacDonald, J Huchinson; S Nicholson, C Cormack; K Bartlett, L MacDonald, F MacRae; G MacKintosh, F MacKintosh.

Interchange subs: C Crudden, L Bain, J MacRae, S MacKintosh.

Referee: Eamon Hassan (Derry).