INTERNATIONAL: Despite crashing 7-2 to Wales yesterday Ireland are still in with a chance of retaining the Women's Home International title at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.
England beat Scotland 5-4 and so all four countries have one point each after the second series of matches. Scotland lead, however, on points, with 10½, Wales have 9½, England 8½ and Ireland 7½.
The overall winner today, not only has to win as many games as they can, they also have to rely on the other match finishing close.
Ireland never reached the heights of the first day when they beat England.
The Welsh team must have been given a good talking to on Wednesday, as they came outwith all guns blazing yesterday and took a clean sweep of the morning foursomes against the holders, Ireland.
All the singles were tight games, but Wales took the first three and last, to win by seven matches to two.
Needing to win five of the six afternoon singles, Ireland found the task too much and only Tricia Mangan and Martina Gillen collected points.
In the England-Scotland match, the top foursome between Kerry Smith and Sophie Walker, and Lynn Kenny and Clare Queen was halved, and the other two matches were shared.
Going out first in the singles, Queen beat English Champion, Smith, and, further down the order, Queen's foursomes partner, Kenny polished off Northumbria student Julie Ross 5 and 3.
Kenny's round included a hole in one at the 14th. However, the other Scots in the team were not doing so well, and could only muster a half from Anne Laing's match against Newcastle student Faye Sanderson.
IRELAND 2 WALES 7 (Irish first) Foursomes: Tricia Mangan, Martina Gillen lost to Sarah Jones and Anna Highgate 1 hole; Claire Coughlan and Helen Jones lost to Jo Nicholson and Natalie Evans 2 holes; Dierdre Smith and Sinead O'Sullivan lost to Kate Phillips and Breane Loucks 3 and 1. Foursomes result: Ireland 0 Wales 3. Singles: Dierdre Smith lost to Anna Highgate 3 and 1; Maura Morrin lost to Sarah Jones 1 hole;Heather Nolan lost to Breanne Loucks 2 and 1; Tricia Mangan bt Lydia Hall 3 and 2; Martina Gillen bt Kate Phillips 2 and 1; Claire Coughlan lost to Stephanie Evans 1 hole. Singles result: Ireland 2 Wales 7.
ENGLAND 5 SCOTLAND 4 (England first) Foursomes: Kerry Smith and Sophie Walker halved with Lynn Kenny and Clare Queen; Emma Duggleby and Naomi Edwards bt Martine Pow and Jenn Wilson 1 hole; Lisa Ball and Faye Sanderson lost to Anne Laing and Heather Macrae 2 and 1. Foursomes result: England 1½ Scotland 1½. Singles: Kerry Smith lost to Clare Queen 2 and 1; Emma Duggleby bt Martine Pow 5 and 4; Julie Ross lost to Lynn Kenny 5 and 3; Lisa Ball bt Jenna Wilson 4 and 2; Faye Sanderson halved with Anne Laing; Sophie Walker bt Heather Macrae 4 and 2. Singles result: England 3½ Scotland 2½.
CHALLENGE TOUR: Stephen Browne and Michael Hoey both made disappointing starts to the European Challenge Tour's Telia Grand Prix in Sweden. Browne looks out of the running after an opening eight over par 79 left him 15 shots behind the leader Sam Little of England. Belfast's Hoey, a member of the Britain and Ireland Walker Cup winning side of 2003, could yet recover from his opening 73 at the links style Ljunghusens Golf Club, just outside Malmö.
WEST COAST: Dave Kilmartin turned in four days of sizzling golf to match the scorching weather and win the Carlsberg Trophy after the 72-holes West Coast Challenge finished yesterday.
It was a week of success for the Corballis Links member as his aggregate of 155 points, was one better than John Fennell from The Heath and three better than last year's winner Tony Sheridan (The Island)
