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SCOTLAND’s Under 17s produced a display of fast, disciplined shinty at Mossfield Stadium, Oban on Saturday afternoon to secure a comfortable 20 points to 12 victory over an Ulster team chosen from throughout the six counties.
Scotland was represented by players from 15 clubs under the guidance of North Development Officer Ronald Ross and it was notable that among the small crowd that enjoyed warm autumn sunshine were the current Scotland seniors’ manager Fraser MacKenzie, Lochcarron; former Scotland team manager Ally Ferguson, Lochaber; the Scotland under 21 manager George Stewart, Inverness; the new vice-president of the Camanachd Association Donald Stewart, Glencoe and association director Ian MacPhee, Ardrishaig and Ballachulish.
All would have been impressed with the standard of play as the young Scots diligently kept the ball tight to the smooth surface and maintained the advantage with a series of quick interpassing plays that denied the Ulstermen the opportuntiy to get the ball up in the air where their much broader hurleys could be used to maximum effect.
A powerful performnace in midfield, linked to sharp thinking in the forwardline contributed to a home victory with the Lochaber duo of Ben Delaney and Zander Ferguson outstanding.
Delaney scored three goals and one point; Ferguson one goal and one point; while Fort William’s Alex Duncan and Glenurquhart’s Neale Reid scored a goal apiece.
Scottish captain Shaun Oliver, Lochaber was presented with the trophy by Aogan Farrell, vice president of the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association.
Earlier in the day an Under 14 team representing Argyll and Bute met a team representing Kells in County Meath.
In a close fought 17-point encounter Kells came out on top by narrowest of margins, nine points to eight, with the Irish surviving a last minute attack from the home team in which a shot from Oban Celtic’s Gary McKerracher struck the crossbar and went over for a single point instead of going into the net for three points.
