SCOTS COLLAPSE IN SINGLES AGAINST IRELAND

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - AGAIN! England's winning squad with captain Christine Pascall and coach Steve Robinson    Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Begorrah! Scotland somehow managed to snatch defeat by Ireland from the jaws of victory on the final day of the Women's Home Internationals at Cork Golf Club on the sunny southern coast of Ireland. Playing the other pointless team with only the wooden spoon at stake, Scotland made a 3-0 clean sweep of the foursomes against Ireland and looked set for their first match win in the series since they won the title in 2010 It was not to be. The Scots, who had been a shade unlucky to lose to England on Wednesday, went completely off the boil in the afternoon singles. There were ominous signs early on that Scotland were heading for defeat, despite their 3-0 lunchtime lead. The Fighting Irish were soon leading in all six ties and in most of them the Irish just kept on increasing their advantage. Kelsey MacDonald and Rachael Watton, who had scored memorable wins against the English, lost their singles within 15 and 16 holes respectively against the Irish. There were also defeats for Scottish champion Laura Murray, Eilidh Briggs and Alyson McKechin, who played with a bandage and other dressing on her badly blistered left foot. Only 16-year-old adult international debutante, 16-year-old Lauren Whyte from the St Regulus club, St Andrews could hold her head high at the finish. She was Scotland's lone afternoon winner in the team's shambles of a singles performance against the Irish. Lauren beat Lucy Simpson by 2 and 1. And so Scotland, for the second year in a row, finished last of four. Next year the Women's Home Internationals will be held at Scotscraig GC, Fife. In the title decider between the teams that had both beaten Scotland and Ireland, England retained the championship by the narrowest of margins. They drew with Wales 4 1/2-4 1/2 for both teams to finished with 2 1/2 match points. The tie-breaker was individual games won and that went in favour of England by 18 1/2-16 1/2. Their 9-0 win over Ireland on the opening day proved decisive in the end.