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Elaine Dowdall was Ireland's
unbeaten heroine as England took the Ladies' Home International
championship for the 23rd time at Carlow yesterday.
The star-studded English champions
beat Wales 5-4 for their eighth success in nine years as Ireland
saw off Scotland 5 1/2 - 3 1/2 to finish a brilliant second.
Eavan Higgins' side put up
yet another fighting performance and once again Wexford swinger
Dowdall was the pick of the bunch as she finished undefeated
with five wins and one half in her six matches.
Yesterday, the 23-year-old
arts graduate partnered Hazel Kavanagh to a two and one win in
the foursomes and then held her nerve in the singles for a solid
two and one win over Heather Stirling. Level after fourteen,
Dowdall won the 15th with a par before taking the 16th with a
birdie four and then firing a seven iron to just four feet at
the tricky, par-three 17th for another birdie to send Ireland
on their way.
"I'm delighted with the
way I played," she said. "We didn't win the championship
but we did well as a team and to finish second to this England
side is no disgrace." "To have a hole in one against
England on the second day was something I'll never forget and
to be three or four under par again today was very pleasing."
In the morning foursomes Claire
Coughlan and Martina Gillen come back from four down after eleven
holes to halve their match at the 18th. But there was no luck
for top pair Alison Coffey and Eileen Rose Power as Lynn Kenny
and Lesley Mackay birdied the 15th and 17th to beat them two
and one as the sides went in at 1 1/2 1 1/2.
Back to full health after her
stomach upset on Thursday, Curtis Cup star Coffey made amends
after lunch when she fired seven birdies on her way to a three
and one win over Laura Moffat. Despite going out in three under
par, Coffey was one down at the turn before she turned the match
around with birdies at the 10th,12th, 15th and 16th.
While Dowdall and England's
Rebecca Hudson were the only unbeaten players in the championship,
Ireland stalwart Kavanagh won five points out of six with a three
and two singles win over Lesley Mackay yesterday.
And 19-year-old Martina Gillen
got a singles win at last when she pitched in from 40 yards for
an eagle three at the 16th on her way to a one hole win over
Kenny.
England 5;
Wales 4
Foursomes E. Duggleby & F. More bt B. Brewerton & E. Pilgrim
3 & 1; K. Fisher & R. Hudson bt S. Jones & L. Davis 3 & 2; K.
Andrew & F. Brown lost to K. Evans & A. Highgate 5 & 4. England
2; Wales 1
Singles R. Hudson bt B. Brewerton 2 & 1; F. More bt L. Davis
4 & 3; E. Duggleby lost to E. Pilgrim 3 & 2; S. Heath halved
with A. Highgate; K. Smith halved with K. Evans; K. Andrew lost
to S. Jones 2 holes. England 3; Wales 3.
Ireland 5 1/2;
Scotland 3 1/2
Foursomes: A. Coffey & E. R. Power lost to L. Kenny & L. Mackay
2 & 1; C. Coughlan & M. Gillen halved with A. Laing & L. Morton;
H. Kavanagh & E. Dowdall bt C. Hargan & L. Moffat 2 & 1. Ireland
1 1/2; Scotland 1 1/2
Singles: A. Coffey bt L. Moffat 3 & 1; E. Dowdall bt H. Stirling
2 & 1; Y. Cassidy lost to L. Morton 3 & 2; S. Keane lost to A.
Laing 2 & 1; M. Gillen bt L. Kenny 1 hole; H. Kavanagh bt L.
Mackay 3 & 2. Ireland 4; Scotland 2.
Overall: 1, England 3 pts; 2, Ireland 2 pts;
3, Scotland and Wales 1/2 pt each.
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© Brian Keogh 2001
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