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Scotland lost 22-14 to a strong Irish team in Newry in the first shinty-hurling international since 2019.

The Scots narrowed the deficit to just three points in the second half but the hurlers finished strongly in a game which follows hybrid, composite rules to produce an even contest.

This was Scotland's first defeat in this fixture since it was last held in Newry in 2014.

Scotland scored their only three-point goals when Kingussie's Ruaridh Anderson and international talisman Kevin Bartlett of Caberfeidh both found the net.

The rest of Scotland's points and all of Ireland's winning total came from less valuable strikes over the bar.

Ireland struck first and remained ahead. Bartlett's first-half goal and Anderson's in the second helped narrow the score to 17-14 before Ireland clinched victory with five more points.

With three more trademark singles in along with his goal, Bartlett emerged, not for the first time, as Scotland's top scorer with six points.

Newtonmore's Steven MacDonald's strikes over the bar left him on three points alongside Anderson while singles from Iain Robinson (Newtonmore) and Scott MacDonald (Kyles) completing Scotland's tally.