Alison Coffey captured the Leitrim Cup as leading qualifier in the Lancome-sponsored Irish Women's Close Championship at Co Louth yesterday, when a second round 77 gave her a total of 149 - one under par. It brought the Warrenpoint player her second trophy in seven days, coming after the Ulster Women's title she won at Royal Portrush.

Scoring became predictably high as fresh, north-easterly winds brushed firm, fiery greens. So a best-of-the-day 76 from Yvonne Cassidy, who played the six par-fives in three-under, held considerable merit.

There was no major casualty, nor should there have been, when the cut came on the decidedly generous figure of 173 - 23 over par. And entering today's matchplay stage much attention will focus on Claire Coughlan, Lillian Behan and Suzanne O'Brien, winners of the title for the last three years, and on local player Jennie Gannon, the Irish Girls champion of 1997.

All of the fancied players, with the possible exception of Oonagh Purfield, were among the top 10 qualifiers. And at the other end, local member Aine Dogget averted the need for a three-way play-off for two places on 173 when she withdrew to the benefit of Sheena O'Brien-Kenney and Geraldine Ryan. O'Brien, who carded only two birdies in a 78 for 152 to be the second-leading qualifier, took the positive view that she had achieved the primary objective by getting among the leading 32. But she admitted: "I'm not happy with the way I played."

Behan, on the other hand, had no complaints after she, too, shot 78. Winner of the Leitrim Cup last year, the Curragh player exuded the refreshing enthusiasm which characterised her early competitive years.

"With the conditions so tricky, anyone can win," she said. And what of her own chances? "I'm playing well enough to do it," she replied.

Given the length of the 6,254 yard layout and its six par fives, Behan's power-hitting will clearly be an advantage. Yet it was ironic that the only par-five she birdied yesterday was the 11th, which was out of reach into the wind. In the event, she punched an eight-iron to 10 feet and sank the putt.

Cassidy reaped the reward of a determined, three-week build-up to the event, which included lessons from her father, Jimmy, the Dundalk club professional. Her birdies on the par fives came on the third, where she ran an eight-iron in to 10 feet; the sixth, which she reduced to a drive, three-wood, three-iron and five-foot putt into the wind, and the ninth, where she got up and down from off the green.

Coffey has benefited significantly from plenty of competitive exposure in recent weeks. Before capturing the Ulster title on the Valley stretch at Portrush last Thursday, she was at Royal Troon where she gained a top-10 finish in the Scottish Women's strokeplay.

At 5ft 6in and weighing an athletic 9st, she also claims to be reaping the reward of considerable gym work last winter. Either way, she had the determination and skill to overcome the miserable start of double-bogey, bogey, having driven into rough at the first and three-putted the second.

Indeed her play around the turn was most impressive, given the testing conditions. Indicative of the wind strength was that she was through the green at the 407 yard ninth with a seven-iron second shot, before chipping and putting for a birdie.

From there, she went par, birdie, birdie, birdie, sinking putts of 10 feet and 15 feet at the 11th and 12th and then getting up and down from the fringe at the long 13th.

"The winner here this week will have to putt well and stay out of the rough," she said. She has been doing both rather well.