Lisa Croke’s Revive Active team scored an excellent win this afternoon (13th) against Old Conna in their Leinster South semi-final.
Lisa’s crew had three away matches plus a late withdrawal through injury to contend with but still managed to pull it out of the bag. Mary Hutch had to pull out this morning and Lisa stepped in herself to replace Mary.
At home Aisling Marmion & Amanda Lawless were first out and Aisling got into the grove early on the front nine. The pair were four up through six, suffered their first loss on the seventh but restored the margin with an excellent win on the eighth. The next three were shared but Amanda was now the inform player in the group and her win on twelve had them five ahead with just six to play and she made an excellent bogey on the thirteenth to win the hole and the match 6&5.
Jennifer Moore & Aine O’Rourke were out next at home and were up against it from the off. Six of the front nine holes were halved and the other three went to Old Conna. The next win was going to be vital. Ten and eleven were halved and unfortunately twelve went to the visitors who were playing some excellent golf shots. Jennifer & Aine got their first win on the thirteenth but a loss on fourteen gave them a mountain to climb and the match was done, 4&3 when the fifteenth was halved.
Away from home, player/manager Lisa, was paired with Regina Barry and was out first. Lisa & Regina were playing well but just couldn’t get a win on the front nine whatever they did. Losses on the par three second and the tricky fifth were enough to have them two down at the halfway point on the course. As sometimes happens, fortunes turn on the back nine and so it was today as Lisa & Regina won the tenth and eleventh to bring the match back to all square. It was nip and tuck from there with Old Conna going ahead after twelve before a Greystones win on fifteen got the match back to all flat once again. The sixteenth was halved again but the long par three seventeenth went to the home team and they went back ahead at what looked like a crucial time.
Niamh Kielthy & Sophie Lumley were second out in Old Conna. Their match started slowly, with the three opening holes being halved. From there Niamh & Sophie were in the accendancy however, moving two ahead after five and despite a loss on the sixth, had earned a three up lead after nine. The Greystones duo extended their lead with a win on the tenth, they lost the eleventh but three consecutive wins on the next three holes closed the match, 6&4.
2-1 to Greystones
Our final match on the course in Old Conna saw Iris Haughton & Orla Delaney tee it up. Each team won one of the opening two holes and, while Old Conna went ahead with another win on the third, the Greystones pair were two ahead after seven, having won three on the trot. From this point on however the Old Conna pair made their home advantage count with three wins, from eight to ten and a further three without reply from the twelfth to the fourteenth to get the match to dormie four up in their favour. A half on fifteen was enough for a 4&3 home win and to level the tie at two all.
It now all came down to the remaining match on the course, with Lisa & Regina one down playing eighteen. It was never in doubt …. excellent wins on eighteen and on the first tie hole took the team to the Leinster South final.
Many congratulations to Lisa, Jean Taylor (who looked after the home team today) and all the team on an excellent performance all round.
