Ulster University captured the Irish Colleges Match Play title in a nail-biting finish against UCC at Woodbrook.

Ryan Gribben, the Ulster team captain, holed the winning par putt at the 19th hole in partnership with James Lindsay against Bill Murray and Paul Tobin for UCC.

Before the climax, Ross Dutton had defeated Ben Murray by a margin of 2/1, giving Ulster first blood, but Greg O’Mahony struck a blow back for UCC with a win of his own against Neil McKinstry, also at the 17th.

UCC had led the foursomes match playing the last, but failed with a 15-foot par attempt to win the match, and after both sides struggled slightly into a stiff breeze on the long first hole, it was Gribben and Lindsay who fared better with a winning par, the UCC pair narrowly failing to get up and down from 25 yards.

Woodbrook Golf Club had been an oasis of green grass in the middle of the snowstorms that engulfed the greater Dublin area in the morning as UCC and Ulster University (a) advanced from the semi-final.

Ulster (a) saw off their counterparts Ulster (b) in the first semi-final with relative ease thanks to a foursomes win from Ryan Gribben and James Lindsay and a singles success for Ross Dutton.

UCC, meanwhile, beat Trinity College in the second semi-final thanks to wins from the Murray brothers – Bill and Ben – in the first two matches.

Bill partnered Paul Tobin to a 4/3 fursomes success against Daniel O’Byrne and Ray Crotty while Ben saw off Harry McHugh at the 17th.

In the Plate Final, Maynooth University came through on the final green in a tight finish against a gallant University of Limerick side.

Earlier that morning, Maynooth came through against IT Carlow while UL beat DCU in the Plate Competition. Kyle McCarron and Cathal Butler provided the winning points for Maynooth in the Plate final.

Ulster University (b) ½ Ulster University (a) 2 ½

Tori Alexander & Henry Clarke lost to Ryan Gribben & James Lindsay 8/7

Ali McQuillan lost to Ross Dutton 3/2

Stefan Greenberg halved with Neil McKinstry

Trinity College (a) ½ University College Cork 2 ½

Daniel O’Byrne & Ray Crotty lost to Bill Murray & Paul Tobin 4/3

Harry McHugh lost to Ben Murray 2/1

Rachel Taylor halved with Greg O’Mahony

Maynooth University 3 IT Carlow 0

Jack Walsh & David Brady  beat Jack Alton & Cathal O’Neill 7/6

Kyle McCarron beat Brian Doran 4/3

Cathal Butler beat Craig Bolger 5/3

University of Limerick 2 Dublin City University 1

Sean Mernagh & Daniel Nagle beat Andrew Bonham & Jonathan Doherty 19th

Andrew McCormack beat Jack Blake  5/3

David Foy lost to Jonathan Quinn 19th