Scots lose in extra time of shinty-hurling clash

There was heartbreak for Scotland’s shinty players in the annual shinty-hurling contest against Ireland at Ennis, County Clare when a late Irish equaliser sent a cliffhanging game to extra time which produced a 25-22 home victory.

This was Ireland’s fourth consecutive success in the fixture which is played under composite rules. The game took place 100 years on from the very first encounter between the two codes at Celtic Park in 1924.

Early single points from “over the bar” specialist Kevin Bartlett of Caberfeidh and Steven MacDonald of Newtonmore, plus goals worth three points from Ruaridh Anderson of Kingussie and Oban Camanachd’s Daniel MacVicar quickly put Scotland 8-1 ahead.

In the face of an Irish fightback, further singles from MacDonald and Bartlett brought the half time score to 10-7.

After the break, one-pointers from the same two players and a goal from Bartlett’s Caberfeidh club-mate, shinty’s top scorer Craig Morrison, took it to 15-9 Scotland.

However the Irish then staged a further revival that put them in front for the first time by a 17-15 margin.

In the dying minutes, the only non- Premiership player, Fort William’s Lachie Shaw, scored a goal that put Scotland back in front 18-17 but there was late heartbreak when the shinty players conceded an equalising single point to send the contest into extra time.

Ireland dominated the early stages of what followed, storming to a 24-18 lead before Bartlett’s fourth single and Morrison’s second goal narrowed it to a final score of 25-22 in the face of another single from the hurlers.