Golf:Ireland lost their Boys Home International title at a humid Hankley Common in Surrey today when they were on the wrong side of a heavy 12-3 defeat by an inspired England side who lifted the R&A Trophy.
Ireland needed at least a share of the spoils to retain their crown but always had to play second fiddle, especially after they lost the morning foursomes 4-1.
Paul Dunne, one of the best individual performers of the week, alongside Dermot McElroy won Ireland’s only foursomes encounter, they won 4 and 2 against Chris Lloyd and Adam Carson.
Garth McGee and Colin Fairweather looked like seeing off Jonathan Bell and James Webber when they were three up after 12 holes. However the English pair dug deep to win14, 15 and 17 to level proceedings before Bell drained a 15-footer for a birdie three at the last to win the match.
It was one way traffic in the afternoon too despite England winning three matches on the final green and another two at the 17th. McGee and Daniel Murphy were the only Irish singles winners.
Elsewhere the Irish girls knew their chances of wresting the title from England in the girls internationals at Fairhaven on the Lancashire coast were virtually non-existent as they required an 8-1 winning margin.
England romped to a 6.5-2.5 victory after the foursomes were shared.
Lisa Maguire won both her games securing an excellent top of the order singles triumph against English girls champion Holly Clyburn but twin sister Leona lost her singles to Lauren Taylor after a nip and tuck battle.
Boys Internationals
Ireland 3-12 England
(Ireland names first)
Foursomes:
P Dunne/D McElroy beat C Lloyd/A Carson 4 and 2
C Selfridge/M Durcan lost to T Lewis/S Crookall-Nixon 5 and 4
R Whitson/I O'Rourke lost to T Berry/J White 4 and 2
D Murphy/B Casey lost to M Smith/S Campbell 3 and 1
G McGee/C Fairweather lost to J Bell/J Webber one hole
Singles:
Dunne lost to Lloyd 3 and 2
McElroy lost to Lewis 6 and 4
Durcan lost to Campbell two holes
O'Rourke lost to Smith 2 and 1
C Boggan lost to H Dobson 2and 1
Whitson lost to Webber two holes
Casey lost to White one hole
McGee beat Crookall-Nixon 4 and 3
Murphy beat Bell 3 and 1
Fairweather lost to Carson 4 and3
Other Result:Scotland 11 Wales 4
Final placings:1 England, 2 Ireland, 3 Scotland, 4 Wales
Girls Internationals
Ireland 2.5-6.5 England
(Ireland names first)
Foursomes:
Leona Maguire/Lisa Maguire beat H Baek/K Tidy 3 and 2
L McCarthy/E O'Driscoll halved with H Turland/H Davis
C Reynolds/P Delaney lost to H Clyburn/A Peters 2 and 1
Singles
Lisa Maguire beat Clyburn one hole
Delaney lost to Peters 4 and 2
Reynolds lost to Turland one hole
O'Driscoll lost to N Foster 3 and 2
McCarthy lost to Davis 3 and 2
Leona Maguire lost to L Taylor 2 and 1. Singles
Other Result:Wales 5 Scotland 4.
Final Placings:1 England, 2 Ireland, 3 Wales, 4 Scotland.
