Golf: Red Rose hold off Cheshire charge

Jun 10 2008 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

LANCASHIRE are top of the Northern Counties League and unbeaten following their second victory, against Cheshire at St Annes Old Links.

With the powerful Yorkshire side already beaten this year, Lancashire are chasing their first league win since 1997.

But these are still early days and the victory against Cheshire was a tense, nerve-stretching engagement.

In the morning foursomes John Carroll (Huyton and Prescot) with Gareth Clark (Manchester) and James Wilson (Formby), paired with Adam Andrews (Ashton-in- Makerfield), won for Lancashire. Alex Hogben (Ringway) with Josh Sims (Caldy) and James Murphy (Shrigley Hall) with Craig Lewis (Prenton) won for Cheshire and with two matches halved the rivals went in level 3-3. The singles produced a see-saw struggle. Lancashire surged into an immediate lead. Carroll (6&4), Clarke (1-hole), Michael Hunt (Pleasington, 5&4), Mark Young (Longridge, 3&2) and Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park, 2&1) all won to put Lancashire into a commanding lead with five matches won and another halved at the halfway stage of the singles. But Phil Bolton (Chorlton cum Hardy) won 2&1 to start Cheshire’s determined recovery. Tom Boys (Royal Liverpool), making his county debut, won by two-holes, and there were wins for James West (Altrincham, 3&2), Lewis (3&1) and Murphy (1-hole).

The Cheshire fightback almost succeeded, but the Lancashire edged the singles 6½-5½ and the match 9½-8½.