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Leinster a right on target
for their eighth successive win in the AIB Ladies' Interprovincial
Championship thanks to a 6 1/2 3 1/2 win over Connacht
at the Island yesterday.
That win, coupled with Wednesday's
success over Munster, means that the reigning champions must
beat Ulster in today's final match to claim the championship
for the 26th time since its inception in 1964.
Ahead by 2 1/2 - 1/2 after
the foursomes, Elaine Dowdall's 5 and 4 win over Lillian O'Brien
in the top singles match was a good omen, despite the fact that
Sinead Keane, Jennifer Gannon and Martina Gillen were all beaten.
Maura Morrin's two hole victory
over Darragh McGowan sent Leinster on their way and when Deirdre
Smith won four holes in a row on the back nine to turn a two
holes deficit into a 2 and 1 win over Michelle Holmes, victory
was almost assured.
Hazel Kavanagh clinched the
overall match when she birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th and 15th
holes to beat Deirdre Judge 3 and 2 in a cracking match.
Ulster, on the other hand,
lost 5 1/2 4 1/2 to Munster, with all their points coming
in the afternoon singles. The northerners lost all three morning
foursomes with Alison Coffey and Helen Jones succumbing 4 and
2 to Claire Coughlan and Tricia Mangan as the Munster ladies
fired six birdies in a sensational match.
In the afternoon singles Munster
did enough to win the two and half points need with Claire Coughlan
surviving a late comeback by Helen Jones to win her match by
sinking a ten-foot birdie putt at the last.
Jones was four down after ten
but won five holes in a row to go one up at the 15th before three
putting the 17th to give Coughlan a glimmer of hope, which she
gratefully exploited at the final hole.
Connacht 3 1/2; Leinster 6
1/2.
Foursomes: L. O'Brien & A. Geoghegan lost to E. Dowdall & H.
Kavanagh 3 & 1; E. MacMullen & D. McGowan lost to J. Gannon & S.
Keane 5 & 3; M. Holmes & D. Judge halved with M. Gillen & D.
Smith. Result: Connacht 1/2; Leinster 2 1/2 Singles: L. O'Brien
lost to E. Dowdall 5 & 4; S. Corcoran bt M. Gillen 2 & 1; E.
MacMullen bt S. Keane 3 & 2; A. Geoghegan bt J. Gannon 4 & 2;
D. McGowan lost to M. Morrin 2 holes; M. Holmes lost to D Smith
2 & 1; D. Judge lost to H. Kavanagh 3 & 2 Singles result: Connacht
3; Leinster 4.
Munster 5 1/2; Ulster 4 1/2.
Foursomes: C. Coughlan & T. Mangan bt A. Coffey & H. Jones 4
& 2; B. Gleeson Healy & E.R. Power bt J. McAuley & C. Smyth 4
& 3; M. Riordan & M. Sheehy bt E. Dickson & J. Black, 1 up. Result:
Munster 3; Ulster 0. Singles: T. Mangan lost to A. Coffey 3 & 2;
C. Coughlan bt H. Jones 1 hole; E.R. Power bt J. Black 3 &2;
B. Gleeson Healy halved with C. Smyth; S. Galvin lost to E. Dickson
3 & 2; M. Riordan lost to B. Lunney 2 & 1; M. Sheehy lost to
J. McAuley 4 & 2 Result: Munster 2 1/2; Ulster 4 1/2.
Summary (after two days) Leinster
2; Ulster 1, Munster 1, Connacht 0.
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©
Brian Keogh 2001
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