Ireland win Hurling/Shinty First Test
Hurling/Shinty International First Test Result: Ireland 4-12 (24) Scotland 2-12 (18).
Ireland will take a six-point into the second Test at Bught Park, Inverness next Saturday after beating Scotland in the first Test of the Hurling/Shinty International Series at Croke Park.
Ireland led by 4-5 to 2-3 at the break and never looked like relinquishing that advantage in the second half.
All six goals came in the first half, Cahir Healy, Graham Mulcahy, Jack Kavanagh and Neil McManus on target for the home side, while Liam MacDonald and Finlay MacRae netted for the visitors.
After Healy and Mulcahy found the net for Ireland early on, it looked like the hosts were going to dominate, but the Scots hit back to level by the 23rd minute, with McDonald pouncing on a mistake by home goalkeeper Bernard Rochford and then MacRae netting after Rochford had made two fine saves.
However, John Meyler and Michael Walsh's men regained control by hitting six scores in a row, including goals from captain McManus and a fourth from Carlow's Cavanagh eight minutes from the break.
The second half was a much tighter affair. The Scots might have had a third goal had a Liam MacDonald free not hit the bar, but they nonetheless made things much easier for them next week by cutting the gap in the closing stages with scores from Glen MacKintosh and Steve MacDonald.
Ireland: B Rochford, D English, A Graffin, C Healy (1-0), G Johnston (0-1), B Maher, P Maher, N McManus (1-4, 0-4f), J Kavanagh (1-1), D O'Connell (0-2), S O'Neill, E Price (0-2), C Woods, G Mulcahy (1-1).
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 (0-1), J Hutchinson, S Nicholson (0-2, 0-2f), F Macrae (1-2 (0-2f), G Mackintosh (0-1), F Mackintosh, K Bartlett (0-4, 0-4f), L McDonald (1-1), C McCormack.
Subs: C Cruden for Hutchinson, J Macrae (0-1) for S McDonald, K Macrae for Hutchinson, L Bain for F Mackintosh.
Referee: Eamonn Hassan (Derry)