Scotland Lose to England in the Girls' Home Internationals

Report By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scotland’s Under-18 girls team have tasted the highs and the lows of golf on consecutive days at the girls' home international matches for the Stroyan Cup at Fairhaven Golf Club.
Quite rightly proud of their come-from-behind 5-4 win over European champions Ireland on Tuesday, the Scots were humbled 8-1 by England today on a very hot day at the Lancashire venue.
England, the defending champions, are currently different class at this age level and when it is eight-a-side – or they certainly have looked it this week. They simply have more good players than any of the other countries.
On Tuesday, they slaughtered Wales 8-1 and 24 hours later they did the same to the Scots team who are no duffers by any means. Several of the Under-18 Scots will graduate to the adult line-up in the not too distant future.
England had to settle for a 2-1 lead from the foursomes when Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) won their alternate shot tie by two holes over Holly Clyburn and Alexandra Peters.
Holly is the new England girls champion and Alexandra is the Fairhaven women's course record holder, having won the Fairhaven Junior Open girls' title for the past two years. So that was a great win by Eilidh and Rachael.
But it was to prove the sole crumb of comfort.
England whitewashed the Scots 6-0 in the singles with defeats for Germany-based Rachael Taylor (3 and 2 by Holly Clyburn), Sammy Leslie (4 and 2 by Kelly Tidy), Rachael Watton, failing to win for the first time in four outings as she went down by 5 and 4 to Nikki Foster, Eilidh Briggs (3 and 2 by Hannah Turland), Alyson McKechin (2 and 1 by Heidi Baek) and Lesley Atkins (5 and 4 by Alexandra Peters).
Ireland came from 4-2 down to beat luckless Wales 5-4 but, even with the brilliance of the 14-year-old Maguire twins giving them a chance of securing three points – one in the foursomes and two in the singles – it is almost impossible to see them beating England in their last match.
Scotland finish by playing Wales – and, judging by the way the Welsh played against the Irish, it could be a close one.
DAY TWO RESULTS

IRELAND 5, WALES 4
Foursomes: Lisa & Leona Maguire lost to Katie Bradbury & Chelsey Herbert 1 hole; Carla Reynolds & Patrice Delaney lost to Amy Boulden & Gemma Bradbury 2 and 1; Laura McCarthy & Emma O’Driscoll bt Chloe Williams & Natasha Gobey 3 and 1 (1-2).
Singles: Leona Maguire bt Gobey 5 and 3, Paula Grant lost to Gemma Bradbury 3 and 2, O’Driscoll bt Herbert 1 hole, Reynolds lost to Katie Bradbury 6 and 5, McCarthy bt Kelly Miller 1 hole, Lisa Maguire bt Boulden 3 and 2 (4-2)

SCOTLAND 1, ENGLAND 8
Foursomes: Ailsa Bain & Sammy Leslie lost to Heidi Baek & Kelly Tidy 3 and 2; Sammy Vass & Rachael Taylor lost to Hannah Turland & Hayley Davis 2 and 1; Eilidh Briggs & Rachael Watton bt Holly Clyburn & Alexandra Peters 2 holes (1-2).
Singles: Taylor lost to Clyburn 3 and 2, Leslie lost to Tidy 4 and 2, Watton lost to Nikki Foster 5 and 4, Eilidh Briggs lost to Turland, Alyson McKechin lost to Baek 2 and 1, Lesley Atkins lost to Peters 5 and 4 (0-6) .

HOW THEY STAND
England 2pt, Scotland 1pt, Ireland 1pt, Wales 0pt.

FINAL MATCHES
England v Ireland, Scotland v Wales.