Beating Iceland was no more than the Irish expected, but there was a palpable lift in spirits when word came back that favourites England had lost the other semi-final here at Ljunghusens GC yesterday. So, in today's final, Ireland will face Scotland in quest of their first European Men's Amateur Team Championship since 1987.

Irish skipper Eddie Dunne argued diplomatically afterwards that Scotland had to be an outstanding side to achieve such a result. But it can be taken his players would prefer not to be facing an English side which will provide the bulk of the Walker Cup line-up to be announced next week.

Either way, Ireland continued to perform admirably. The expectation of a clear-cut win over Iceland presented its own burden, but the players responded with an impressive 5-2 victory.

As Zimbabwe's cricketers have illustrated, limited selection options need not militate against quality. And while Iceland's golfers are few in number - only 60 players are four handicap or better, as I indicated earlier in the week - yesterday's side displayed a technical soundness which reflected top-level coaching.

The Scottish victory was rather special, however, especially from a country which had failed to make the top flight in Italy two years ago. What made it all the more impressive was that they recovered from the formidable handicap of losing both the morning's foursomes.

So, how did player-captain Craig Watson lift his players at lunchtime?

"I pointed out that facing such quality opponents was, in itself, a wonderful incentive to play well," he replied. "And, of course, we had nothing to lose."

Needing four of the five afternoon singles, the Scots struck from the outset, with Steven O'Hara, Mark Warren and Watson achieving early dominance over Richard McEvoy, Nick Dougherty and Jamie Elson, respectively. Deep down, they probably expected Luke Donald to win at number one, so the key match became that between Simon Mackenzie and Gary Wolstenholme at number four in the order.

As it happened, the Scots led in all five matches when Donald went one down to Barry Hume at the 12th. But Europe's top player soon recovered and was five under par when winning his match with a birdie on the long 18th.

Meanwhile, all attention turned on Mackenzie, who was level with the experienced Englishman after 12. Then came two crucial blows from the Scot. He sank a 25-foot putt for a winning eagle at the long 14th, and went two up at the next where, after Wolstenholme had missed from 10 feet, he holed a six-footer for a winning birdie.

In the wonderful ways of golf, Scotland had beaten a side which finished no fewer than 35 strokes ahead of them in the 36-hole qualifying stage on Tuesday and Wednesday.

By way of respecting their achievement, Dunne will field the same foursomes pairings of Michael Hoey/Graeme McDowell and Stephen Browne/Noel Fox, but with a changed singles order. Hoey will be followed by Fox, McDowell and Tim Rice, which means Browne takes over the anchor position.

Ireland shared the foursomes for a second successive day, but on this occasion victory went to the top pairing of Hoey and McDowell. Two up after nine, they were in control for most of the match and established what proved to be a decisive lead with a winning birdie on the long 14th.

A disturbing aspect of the other foursomes, however, was Fox's play of the tricky, 374-yard 17th. For a second successive day, he pulled his drive into water on this right-to-left dog-leg. Unlike Thursday, however, there was no way back and Ireland went to lunch level at 1-1.

The afternoon play was far more impressive. At the top of the order, Hoey became the sort of commanding figure one would expect of a British Amateur champion, going three up after eight against Haraldur Heimisson, a 21-year-old student at Louisiana Tech in the US. And he went on to win the 11th and 12th for an irretrievable five-hole advantage.

Rice came from two down after six to win the next three. But he eventually lost his match on the 18th where he drove into water.

Further back, however, Browne and McDowell never looked like losing. And Fox more than compensated for his morning lapse by coming from one down after nine to win his match two up. Particularly interesting was his play of the 17th where his drive went exactly where he aimed, leaving him with no more than a flick to two-and-a-half feet for a winning birdie. And he also won the 18th.

Then came Browne, who continued to impress against a 32-year-old opponent. A win in par at the short ninth left him three up, and he protected his lead with a wonderful bunker recovery at the 13th for a half in par.

McDowell, who carries four wedges to the exclusion of a three-iron, had a six-foot birdie putt on the 16th for approximate figures of four under par, when his opponent Otto Sigurdsson, another student at Louisiana Tech, conceded defeat.

From an Irish standpoint, it was a nice way to finish another day of delightful sunshine.