Friday 20th June:  Ireland 5-1 Scotland Ireland got of a great start in their three match Friendly series against Scotland at Jordanstown with a 5-1 victory Ireland had the better chances in the first half but failed to take their goal scoring opportunities. Half Time Score 0-0 In the second half Ireland came to life in the 50th minute, when Stephen Dowds won a penalty stroke which he duly converted for a 1-0 lead. Within minutes Ireland doubled their lead when Shane O'Donoghue pounced on a defensive error and reverse sticked the ball into the roof of the net.

 

Saturday 21st June:  Ireland 1-2 Scotland Scotland bounced back from yeaterday's 5-1 defeat to win 2-1 against Ireland in the second of their three match friendly series. It took Ireland 20 minutes to get into the game when they went ahead through a Stephen Dowd's penalty corner drag flick. Scotland equalised in the second half 5 minutes before half time when Ken Patterson, solo dribbled from a short corner to slip the ball into the middle of the goal. Half Time Score 1-1 Ireland missed several easy goal scoring opportunities in a physically contested second half and paid the price 10 mins from full time when Scotland scored their winner from broken set piece play for Alan Forsythe to slot home.

 

Sunday 22nd June Ireland 4-3 Scotland Ireland finished the third and final match of their three match friendly series against Scotland with a 4-3 victory. Ireland opened the scoring in the 3rd min with a counter attacking move which saw the ball being aerialed twice down the left flank to Stephen Dowd's who rounded the Scottish goalkeeper and squared to Ian Sloan to slot the ball firmly home. Scotland responded in the 12th min when their Captain walked in a penalty corner and shot from close range. Ireland regained the lead in the 14th min when Darren Sweetnam picked up a cross from open play from the right hand side and dragged the ball under the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. Ireland should have went further ahead on the half hour when Shane Madeley blazed a shot wide in front of an open net. Ireland Captain Richard Sykes increased his team's advantage just before half time when he scored with a miss hit penalty corner strike. Half Time 3-1 Ten minutes into the second half Ireland went further ahead when Shane Madeley pounced on a defensive mistake and drilled the ball in at the back post. Scotland responded from the restart when Alan Forsythe danced through some tame tackling before slipping the ball through goalkeeper Collin Cleland's legs. Ireland were punished when Nicolas Burns was sin-binned and he was quickly joined by Scots Captain Alan Forsythe. With 2 mins left on the clock Forsythe, who had just rejoined the game, walked in another penalty corner for his hat-trick. Ireland held onto to their lead for a 4-3 victory and to win the friendly series 2 matches to 1.