Continentals keep Vagliano Trophy but what a 

finish to a great match at Malone!

            Continent of Europe with the Vagliano Trophy. Picture by Gillian Kirkwood.
 
By COLIN FARQUHARSON 
One of the best Vagliano Trophy matches for many years ended with the Continent of Europe extending their possession of the cup since 2007 - but in a terrific final session of singles, Great Britain and Ireland went down fighting.
The final result was: Continent of Europe 12.5, GB and Ireland 11.5
The second day honours were shared at 6-6, so the 1pt advantage the Continentals gained on the first day proved decisive in the final analysis.
Trailing 9-7 after  losing the morning foursomes 2.5-1.5, GB and I levelled it as 9-9 by winning the top two singles.
World No 1 female amateur Leona Maguire beat Luna Strom 4 and 2 while Bronte Law, ranked No3 in Europe, beat Noemi Jimenez Martin 3 and 1.
Maguire stamped her authority on the match against Strom by winning the first two holes and a birdie at the eight put her four up. That became a five-hle lead at tet. Sheher 10th.tu
Law was two up after four holes but Martin was always snapping at her heels and won back the seventh. A sequence of halved holes ended with Law going two up at the 13th. The England player won the 17th for victory by 3 and 1.
Other singles wins for GB and I came from Meghan MacLaren (one hole up against Albane Valenzuela) and Chloe Williams, a 3 and 2 victor over Europe ranked No 3, Madelene Sagstrom.
MacLaren was two up after 10 but Strom won the 12th and 15th to square it. MacLaren came again to win the 16th and hold on to a one-hole lead over the last two holes.
Williams was three up after seven against Sagstrom but the Swedish star won the eighth and ninth to cut her deficit to one hole.
Williams stopped the slide by winning the 10th and 11th and after Sagstrom had won the 12th, the Welsh player virtually clinched victory by winning the 16th. The 17th was halved for a 3 and 2 win by Williams.
Hayley Davis was four times two down to Olivia Cowan but kept plugging away and won the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th to lead by one hole for the first time.
But Cowan was not finished yet. She won the 18th for a halved match.

Gemma Clews went down by 5 and 3 to Nuria Iturrios after been three down on the ninth tee.