Ireland's hopes of winning the Women's Home International championship at Royal Dornoch received a severe blow yesterday when they were beaten by underdogs Wales.

Wales, with five teenagers in their team, were fired up for the occasion and bouyant after the success in the girl's internationals at High Post in Wiltshire last month.

Ireland lost all three foursomes, two of them on the home green, and from that point on they had their backs to the wall.

Curtis Cup international Becky Morgan, playing at the top of the order and by far the most experienced member of the Welsh side, proved much too strong for Emma Dickson and swept to a five and three success while British Women's open stroke-play champion Becky Brewerton showed no mercy to 17-year-old Martina Gillen, the youngest player in the Irish side from Beaverstown.

Gillen did not win a hole and slumped to an 8 and 7 reverse.

With Dickson and Gillen both losing Ireland were down and out. And there was no respite for them as Oonagh Purfield then suffered a two and one defeat and 32-year-old Suzanne O'Brien lost the last hole to new cap Kathryn Evans and had to settle for a share of the honours.

Warrenpoint's Alison Coffey also went down and the only Irish winner on a disappointing day was the l9-year-old national champion Claire Coughlin from Cork. Coughlin was always in control of her match against Anna Highgate and won by 4 and 3. After the success against Scotland on Wednesday this was a bitterly disappointing result for the Irish who have finished runners-up for the past two years and had high hopes of victory this week.