Women's Home Internationals: Ireland's hopes of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Women's Home Internationals title suffered a setback when Scotland turned the match on its head against their Celtic cousins in the afternoon singles at Dundalk Golf Club yesterday. Paul Gallagher reports.
The host nation had opened their defence with real purpose to lead Scotland 2-1 after the morning foursomes, just as Wales had managed to do against a vastly more experienced England side.
The afternoon singles told a completely different story, however, as Scotland and England both almost whitewashed their opponents before eventually taking five-and-a-half points out of six to win 6½-2½.
"Yes, this is a slight hiccup," explained Ireland captain Sheena O'Brien Kenney as she tried to assess the day's play from a golf buggy beyond the 18th green along with team coach Dave Kearney and team manager Lillian Starrett.
"Credit to Scotland for coming back the way they did. They have a lot of strong individual players. But we still know how to win and believe me there is a lot of golf still to be played in this tournament," said O'Brien Kenney, referring to the fact Ireland won the hard way in 2003 and 2004 when they failed to win all three matches on both those occasions.
"There is a great spirit in the Irish team and we'll bounce back from this," added the determined captain.
In the difficult and blustery morning conditions at the Louth venue, the ever dependable partnership of Maura Morrin and Deirdre Smith put the first point on the board for Ireland.
Local favourite Smith, who plays out of nearby Baltray Golf Club, found her putting touch to convert fine 12- and 25-foot birdie chances at the 10th and 11th to go four up.
From that point the pair never looked back and eventually ran out 5 and 4 winners over Scotland's leading player, Anne Laing, and Kylie Walker.
The top pairing of Tricia Mangan and Martina Gillen soon followed with a comfortable 3 and 2 victory over the promising Clare Queen and Jenna Wilson. The Irish pair never looked threatened at any point in the match.
It was only Ireland's middle match, which included Curtis Cup player Claire Coughlan and Tara Delaney, that failed to bear fruit. Neither managed to get into her stride and they eventually lost 4 and 2 to Krystle Caithness and Fiona Lockhart.
On paper the singles wins by Scotland and England looked convincing but closer inspection reveals all but two of the 12 matches needed to go to the 17th or 18th.
Mangan teed off against Jenna Wilson in the top match and in the end the Irish champion had to hole a gutsy five-footer across the 18th to secure a half match and Ireland's only scoring contribution of the afternoon.
Coughlan was somewhat unlucky not to have got anything from her encounter against Fiona Lockhart in the third match.
The Scot made a stunning recovery from right of the green - with a bunker in the way - at the short 17th to halve the hole when the Cork golfer looked certain to level the match. Instead Lockhart walked to the 18th one up and the match stayed that way when both made par at 18.
In Morrin's match against Walker the Curragh member went three down after three. She rallied well though to take the match to the 17th, as did Smith in the final tie behind her.
Smith had been staring at a much bigger defeat when the 2004 Irish Close winner was four down with eight to play. However, she showed her experience and reeled in Caithness for a time before the 16-year-old Scot also won at the 17th.
Heather Nolan, St Rule runner-up, also lost by a 2 and 1 margin against Queen, while Laing saw off Gillen 4 and 3.
In a mirror image of results from both matches on the first day Wales's top order player, Sarah Jones, was the only point scorer when she halved her match with Felicity Johnson.
And apart from Naomi Edwards seeing off Lydia Hall in the same fashion as Laing did, England won three other singles matches at the 17th and a second went to the 18th.
ENGLAND V WALES
(England names first)
Foursomes: S Walker and K Smith bt S Jones and L Hall two holes, K Matharu and J Ewart bt S Hassan and B Loucks 3 and 2, E Duggleby and F Johnson lost to S Evans and T Davies two holes.
Foursomes result: England 1 Wales 2.
Singles: Johnson halved with Jones, Walker bt Loucks 3 and 1, N Edwards bt Hall 4 and 3, L Eastwood bt L Gould two holes, Duggleby bt Hassan 3 and 1, Smith bt Evans 2 and 1.
Singles result: England 5½, Wales ½.
Match result: England 6½, Wales 2½.
SCOTLAND V IRELAND
(Scotland names first):
Foursomes: C Queen and J Wilson lost to M Gillen and T Mangan 3 and 2, K Caithness and F Lockhart bt C Coughlan and T Delaney 4 and 2, A Laing and K Walker lost to M Morrin and D Smith 5 and 4.
Foursomes result: Scotland 1 Ireland 2
Singles: Wilson halved with Mangan, Laing bt Gillen 4 and 3, Lockhart bt Coughlan one hole, Queen bt Nolan 2 and 1, Walker bt Morrin 2 and 1, Caithness bt Smith 2 and 1.
Singles result: Scotland 5½, Ireland ½
Match result: Scotland 6½, Ireland 2½
