European champions Scotland stayed on course to add the Home Internationals title to their trophy cabinet this year, after a nail-biting 8-7 victory over England yesterday.
Over the wonderful links of Royal Portrush, Scotland’s Men’s side are seeking to emulate their Boys’ counterparts, who won their team title in Wales last week.
If they do so, against hosts Ireland today, it will be the first time since 2006 that Scotland have claimed both the Men’s and Boys’ Home Internationals in the same year.
Having edged out England in the European semi-finals in Sweden last month, Ian Rae’s men knew their opponents would be out to turn-the-tables.
Inevitably, a close match was played out with the morning foursomes just going Scotland’s way 3-2 after Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) and Fairstone Scottish Amateur runner-up Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) battled to halved matches.
Robertson and McDonald, among Scotland’s Walker Cup hopefuls, are now unbeaten in their last seven foursomes matches together.
The experienced pair of Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) and Barry Hume (Haggs Castle) racked up a big 6&5 win over Dan Brown and Alfie Plant, with new Scottish Amateur champion Robert MacIntyre from Glencruitten and Drumoig’s Connor Syme almost as impressive in taking out Sean Towndrow and Paul Kinnear 5&4.
But England turned the tide in the singles with top pair Ashley Chesters and Jimmy Mullen beating McDonald and Robertson respectively, before Young and MacIntyre, the left-hander by the emphatic margin of 6&5, replied with victories.
Wins for Brown and Plant put England back in the driving seat and Towndrow took them to the edge of victory after his win over Falkirk’s Ryan Campbell.
However, the Scots dug deep and Clark and Howie levelled the contest with narrow one-hole successes, before it was left to Syme to hold his nerve in the bottom match – beating Kinnear for a second time, 2&1.
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