GIRLS HOME INTERNATIONALS
England v Ireland for the Stroyan Cup
on final day at Lanark
England and Ireland meet on the final day of the Girls' Home International Matches 2015 at Lanark with the Stroyan Cup going to the winners and the Swansea Spoon to the losers who will finish runners-up in the final
They are the only two teams with two wins out of two.
It promises to be a cracking match to decide who are the Under-18 girls champions. Last year England edged to a 5-4 over Ireland but the Irish feel they have a stronger line-up than they had last year, led by GB and I international Olivia Mehaffey who has won four out of four ties over the first two days.
Ireland have never won the Stroyan Cup.
Scotland and Wales, who have lost both their matches, meet in the other final-day match which will decide third and fourth places. Scotland, the last country other than England to win the Stroyan Cup (2006 and 2007) will be motivated by a desire not to finish bottom of the table two years in a row.
Defending champions England, seeking a record eighth title in a row and a 13th success over the past 15 years, beat Scotland 5.5 to 3.5 after establishing a 2-1 foursomes lead, then winning the singles 3.5 to 2.5.
Ireland established a 2-1 advantage over Wales in the foursomes before taking the singles 6-1 for a 7-2 victory margin.
Mehaffey won by 3 and 2 over Lucy Jones who put up a very good performance against her highly-rated opponet.
Lucy was either one or two up over the first half of the match before Olivia won the ninth with a birdie and the 10th with a par to get on level terms.
Mehaffey then won the 12th with a birdie to lead for the firt time, following by successes at the 14th and 16th for a three-hole lead. The Royal County Down Ladies player was roughly one under par for the holes played.
Ciara Casey was also approximately one under par in her 5 and 3 victory over Wales' Angharad Evans.
Ciara, having birdied the second and the fourth, was four up at the turn. She lost a hole for the first time at the 11th but successes at the 13th and 15th saw her home.
Elisa Corcoran won by two holes against Wales' Bethan Morris after birdieing 2 at the seventh to lead for the first time. She followed that up with gains at the ninth, 10th and 15th with a birdie to take a three-hole stranglehold on the tie.
Morris did not give up. She birdied the 16th and won the 17th with a par but, one down on the 18th tee, she lost the last hole with a bogey for a two-hole defeat.
Julie McCarthy scored Ireland's fifth singles win. She beat Jordan Ryan by 4 and 3
McCarthy surged into a three-hole lead in the match, helped by birdies at the second and sixth. Ryan cut her deficit to one hole by winning the seventh and 11th. McCarthy won the 12th, 13th and 14th to go four up and a half at the next finished the contest.
Ella Griffiths gained Wales' only afternoon point. She beat Lisa O'Shea by 2 and 1 without ever being behind in the match.
Griffiths birdied the 13th to go two up and went three up with a par at the 14th. O'Shea won the 16th but ran out of holes after that.
Scotland's Junior Vagliano Trophy player Shannon McWilliam scored a notable win over England's GB and I team player Alice Hewson in the lead-off singles
McWilliam won by 2 and 1 with one under par figures while Hewson was level par.
The Scot made a flying start by winning four of the first five holes, birdieing the first, second and fourth. Hewson was able to match her opponent's birdie for a half at the second but she lost the fifth to a par to be four down on the sixth tee.
Hewson had a purple patch round about the turn in which she birdied the eighth to win that one and took the 10th and 11th with pars to be only one down on the 12th tee.
McWilliam kept her cool and won the 14th with a par, tne the 15th with a birdie to be dormie three.
Hewson won the 16th with a par but McWilliam closed her out with a half in 4s at the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.
That put the Scots level at 2-2 overall but England soon reasserted their position with wins by Hollie Muse (3 and 2 over Joanne Free), Emma Allen (one hole over Jillian Farrell) and Sammy Fuller (5 and 4 against Chloe Goadby).
Scotland's tail did wag, enabling them to gain a win and a square match from the last two ties to finish.
Claire Robertson beat Eloise Healey by 2 and 1 after being one or two up for most of the match.
Molly Richmond, three down to Emily Toy, on the 15th tee, won the 15th with a par, the 16th with a birdie and the 17th with a par to be all square on the 18th tee.
The last hole was halved.
on final day at Lanark
England and Ireland meet on the final day of the Girls' Home International Matches 2015 at Lanark with the Stroyan Cup going to the winners and the Swansea Spoon to the losers who will finish runners-up in the final
They are the only two teams with two wins out of two.
It promises to be a cracking match to decide who are the Under-18 girls champions. Last year England edged to a 5-4 over Ireland but the Irish feel they have a stronger line-up than they had last year, led by GB and I international Olivia Mehaffey who has won four out of four ties over the first two days.
Ireland have never won the Stroyan Cup.
Scotland and Wales, who have lost both their matches, meet in the other final-day match which will decide third and fourth places. Scotland, the last country other than England to win the Stroyan Cup (2006 and 2007) will be motivated by a desire not to finish bottom of the table two years in a row.
Defending champions England, seeking a record eighth title in a row and a 13th success over the past 15 years, beat Scotland 5.5 to 3.5 after establishing a 2-1 foursomes lead, then winning the singles 3.5 to 2.5.
Ireland established a 2-1 advantage over Wales in the foursomes before taking the singles 6-1 for a 7-2 victory margin.
Mehaffey won by 3 and 2 over Lucy Jones who put up a very good performance against her highly-rated opponet.
Lucy was either one or two up over the first half of the match before Olivia won the ninth with a birdie and the 10th with a par to get on level terms.
Mehaffey then won the 12th with a birdie to lead for the firt time, following by successes at the 14th and 16th for a three-hole lead. The Royal County Down Ladies player was roughly one under par for the holes played.
Ciara Casey was also approximately one under par in her 5 and 3 victory over Wales' Angharad Evans.
Ciara, having birdied the second and the fourth, was four up at the turn. She lost a hole for the first time at the 11th but successes at the 13th and 15th saw her home.
Elisa Corcoran won by two holes against Wales' Bethan Morris after birdieing 2 at the seventh to lead for the first time. She followed that up with gains at the ninth, 10th and 15th with a birdie to take a three-hole stranglehold on the tie.
Morris did not give up. She birdied the 16th and won the 17th with a par but, one down on the 18th tee, she lost the last hole with a bogey for a two-hole defeat.
Julie McCarthy scored Ireland's fifth singles win. She beat Jordan Ryan by 4 and 3
McCarthy surged into a three-hole lead in the match, helped by birdies at the second and sixth. Ryan cut her deficit to one hole by winning the seventh and 11th. McCarthy won the 12th, 13th and 14th to go four up and a half at the next finished the contest.
Ella Griffiths gained Wales' only afternoon point. She beat Lisa O'Shea by 2 and 1 without ever being behind in the match.
Griffiths birdied the 13th to go two up and went three up with a par at the 14th. O'Shea won the 16th but ran out of holes after that.
Scotland's Junior Vagliano Trophy player Shannon McWilliam scored a notable win over England's GB and I team player Alice Hewson in the lead-off singles
McWilliam won by 2 and 1 with one under par figures while Hewson was level par.
The Scot made a flying start by winning four of the first five holes, birdieing the first, second and fourth. Hewson was able to match her opponent's birdie for a half at the second but she lost the fifth to a par to be four down on the sixth tee.
Hewson had a purple patch round about the turn in which she birdied the eighth to win that one and took the 10th and 11th with pars to be only one down on the 12th tee.
McWilliam kept her cool and won the 14th with a par, tne the 15th with a birdie to be dormie three.
Hewson won the 16th with a par but McWilliam closed her out with a half in 4s at the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.
That put the Scots level at 2-2 overall but England soon reasserted their position with wins by Hollie Muse (3 and 2 over Joanne Free), Emma Allen (one hole over Jillian Farrell) and Sammy Fuller (5 and 4 against Chloe Goadby).
Scotland's tail did wag, enabling them to gain a win and a square match from the last two ties to finish.
Claire Robertson beat Eloise Healey by 2 and 1 after being one or two up for most of the match.
Molly Richmond, three down to Emily Toy, on the 15th tee, won the 15th with a par, the 16th with a birdie and the 17th with a par to be all square on the 18th tee.
The last hole was halved.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 6:40:00 pm
<< Home