Ireland 116 (173)
Australia 37 (72)
IRELAND DEFEATED AUSTRALIA 116-37 this evening to win the second test and secure the International Rules series by a comfortable margin at Croke Park tonight.
Paul Earley’s side ultimately defeated their opponents by an aggregate score of 173-72.
Among the home team’s highest scorers on the night were Conor McManus 2-4 (24), Ross Munnelly 0-4-1 (13) and Michael Murphy 0-4-0 (12).
Ireland had started the game at a blistering pace, with goals from Conor McManus and Jack McCaffrey helping them secure a 27-8 first-quarter lead.
It left the aggregate score at 84-43, thereby effectively killing off any hope of Australia producing a dramatic fightback, with the visitors already having to recover a considerable deficit from the first test.
The hosts then added to their opponents’ misery on the half-hour mark, with Ciaran Kilkenny scoring a beautifully worked goal that also involved fine play from Ross Munnelly and Sean Cavanagh, helping Ireland register a 53-16 half-time lead.
On 47 minutes, Ireland’s dominance continued, as McManus palmed the ball into the net for his second goal of the game. Consequently, by the end of the third quarter, the victory was already looking emphatic, with the Irish leading 78-25.
Three goals in relatively quick succession followed thereafter, with Paddy McBrearty getting Ireland’s fifth six-pointer, before Eddie Betts and Lewis Jetta then did the same for Australia, yet they were no more than consolation strikes by that stage.
Paul Conroy then put the icing on the cake on 70 minutes, as his free bounced fortuitously into the net as Murphy got in the way of the Australian keeper.
Ireland thus recorded a record 173-72 aggregate victory, winning the series for the second time on the trot in the process.
Ireland: Paddy O’Rourke, Colm Begley, Colm Boyle, Ciaran Byrne, Sean Cavanagh, Paul Conroy, John Doyle, Paul Flynn, Lee Keegan, Ciaran Kilkenny, Paddy McBrearty, Jack McCaffrey, Neil McGee, Chrissy McKaigue, Ciaran McKeever, Kevin McLoughlin, Conor McManus, Ross Munnelly, Michael Murphy, Ciaran Sheehan, Michael Shields, Zach Tuohy, Aidan Walsh.
Australia: Steven Motlop, Jarrod Harbrow, Leroy Jetta, Daniel Wells, Ashley McGrath, Lindsay Thomas, Christopher Yarran, Tony Armstrong, Lewis Jetta, Eddie Betts, Sharrod Wellingham, Shaun Edwards, Mathew Stokes, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen, Alwyn Davey, Jake Neade, Joshua Hill, Dominic Barry, Aaron Davey, Nathan Lovett-Murray.
