Scotland captured the European Men's Amateur Team Championship for the first time since 1995 when they overwhelmed Ireland by 5-2 in the final here at Ljunghusens GC on Saturday. It was a bitterly disappointing performance from a highly-rated Irish team which had promised much, especially when finishing runners-up to England in the qualifying stage.

The Scots clearly deserved their success, if only for a superb semi-final performance in overcoming a 2-0 foursomes deficit to beat England by 4-3 on Friday. And there was rich irony in the fact that Ireland faced the same challenge after losing the morning foursomes.

Unlike the Scots, who rallied magnificently against the odds, Ireland submitted meekly while three singles matches were still alive. With victory secure, the Scottish playing captain, Craig Watson, conceded his match to Stephen Browne when the Irishman was one up after 13, but it was officially called a half.

Then, Marc Warren at number three insisted on finishing his match against Graeme McDowell, in the hope that he might enhance his Walker Cup prospects. But while he succeeded in halving McDowell's two-hole lead, the Irishman eventually took the 18th for a two-hole victory.

And Tim Rice also finished strongly to come from two down after 13 for a halved match with Simon Mackenzie.

With a 2-0 lunchtime lead, Scotland needed only two singles points to capture the title for a fifth time since it was launched in Barcelona in 1959. The first one came with remarkable ease when Noel Fox, at number two in order, lost the first eight holes to Steven O'Hara. A birdie from Fox at the short ninth represented only a temporary respite and the match finished two holes later.

This meant that Michael Hoey had to win the top match against Barry Hume to keep Ireland's fading hopes alive. And to his credit, the British Amateur champion made a fight of it after three-putting the ninth to turn four down.

He won the 12th and 13th in par, birdie to close the gap to two holes. But typical of the Irish effort overall, he then proceeded to pull his drive into a hazard at the long 14th, which he lost to a par. And the end came at the next where Hume, clearly relieved at being given back control of the match, holed a 10-footer for a winning birdie three.

So, in terms of team morale, the foursomes outcome would appear to have been decisive from an Irish standpoint. And it was a close call. Both matches were alive right up to the finishing holes. Fox and Browne were level after 16 against Warren and Craig Heap, but they lost the 17th and 18th to birdie, par.

All of which heightened the importance of the top foursomes in which Hoey and McDowell came from two down after nine to win the next three holes in birdie, birdie, par against Scottish Walker Cup aspirants Hume and O'Hara. In a tremendous battle, the pairings were level going down the 18th where Hoey, and then O'Hara, drove into trouble.

After the hole had been halved in bogey, the match went to sudden death. And the end came at the second tie hole where, from the middle of the fairway, albeit with a sidehill lie, McDowell shanked the ball 30 yards wide of the green into horrendous trouble from which there was no productive escape.

On Saturday night the British and Irish selectors met to finalise the Walker Cup side to defend the trophy at Sea Island, Georgia, next month. And despite this set-back, it seems certain that Ireland will have both Hoey and McDowell in the 10-man line-up.