SCOTS LED IRISH 3.5-0.5 ... BUT FINISH UP LOSERS BY 5-4

Title-holders Scotland's hopes of retaining the Women's Home Internationals title at Hillside Golf Club took a potentially fatal blow on another very windy and latterly very wet day at the Lancashire links. The Scots led Ireland by 2pt after the morning foursomes but the Irish took the singles by 3pt to finish as 5-4 winners. Meanwhile, England, trailing 2-1 to Wales after the morning foursomes, won five of the six singles to win the match 6-3. Scotland play England and Ireland play Wales on Day 2 Scotland looked set for a comfortable start to the defence of the title they won at Whitchurch (Cardiff) 12 months ago when Pamela Pretswell beat Lisa Maguire 5 and 4 to stretch the Scots' lunchtime lead to 3pt with five singles ties to finish. But it was a false dawn. Scotland did not win another singles tie. Louise Coffey started the swing Ireland's way when she beat Louise Kenney 4 and 3, Gillian O'Leary had a very good 3 and 1 win over Kelsey MacDonald and Charlene Reid chalked up a 5 and 4 win over former Scottish champion Megan Briggs. That left the overall scoreline level at 3.5pt each with two matches to finish. Ireland's Paula Grant, two down to Monifieth debutante Rebecca Wilson at the turn, fought back to gain a square match by winning the last hole. And Ireland got the clinching victory point in the last match to finish with Emma O'Driscoll winning the 16th and 17th and halving the last for a come-from-behind one hole victory over Craigielaw's Jane Turner. England came storming back in the singles against Wales, quickly making up their one-point deficit from the singles, winning five of the six afternoon ties. A rampant England is bad news for Scotland's second fixture particularly after their singles failure - Pamela Pretswell excepted - against Ireland, the team the Scots beat on the final day 12 months to win the title. Sic transit gloria DAY 1 RESULTS SCOTLAND 4, IRELAND 5 Foursomes (2.5-0.5) Louise Kenney and Kelsey MacDonald bt Louise Coffey and Karen Delaney 4 and 3. Pamela Pretswell and Alyson McKechin bt Gillian O'Leary and Charlene Reid 2 holes. Megan Briggs and Eilidh Briggs halved with Lisa Maguire and Paula Grant Singles (1.5-4.5) Kenney lost to Coffey 4 and 3. MacDonald lost to O'Leary 3 and 1. Pretswell bt Maguire 5 and 4. Megan Briggs lost to Reid 5 and 4. Rebecca Wilson halved with Grant. Turner  lost to Emma O'Driscoll 1 hole ENGLAND 6, WALES 3 Foursomes (1-2) Georgia Hall and Bronte Law lost to Becky Harries and Amy Boulden 2 and 1. Kelly Tidy and Holly Clyburn lost to Katie Bradbury and Chloe Williams 5 and 4. Charlotte Ellis and Charlotte Wild bt Gemma Bradbury and Sam Birks 4 and 2. Singles (5-1) Lauren Taylor bt Williams 5 and 3. Tidy bt Boulden 5 and 4. Charley Hull bt Katie Bradbury 4 and 2. Charlotte Ellis bt Gemma Bradbury 4 and 3 Clyburn bt Birks 6 and 5 Wild lost to Harries 5 and 3. THURSDAY MATCHES WALES v IRELAND Foursomes 08.30 Amy Boulden and Becky Harries v Louise Coffey and Karen Delaney. 08.40 Chloe Williams and Katie Bradbury v Charlene Reid and Gillian O'Leary. 08.50 Katherine O'Connor and Lucy Gould v Lisa Maguire and Paula Grant. ENGLAND v SCOTLAND Foursomes 09.00 Lauren Taylor and Charley Hull v Louise Kenney and Kelsey MacDonald. 09.10 Charlotte Ellis and Charlotte Wild v Pamela Pretswell and Alyson McKechin. 09.20 Georgia Hall and Bronte Law v Megan Briggs v Eilidh Briggs. By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com