Senior East League winners Leicestershire & Rutland defeat Senior West Winners Worcestershire seniors in League Play Off Final

Senior East League winners Leicestershire & Rutland defeat Senior West Winners Worcestershire seniors in League Play Off Final at Gaudet Luce Golf Club after a tight morning foursomes encounter.

Leicestershire & Rutland travelled to Worcestershire to take on the home county in the season climax of Midland Senior League winners for the overall title of Midland Senior League Champions.

With the morning foursomes being closely fought over the front nine holes. The home County held a slender 1-point lead with wins for Anthony Hill & Duncan MacPherson, Lee Richardson & Jason Lane and Mark Dunkley & Grant Wilson, whilst the visitors chalked up victories for Craig Hancox & Steve Critchley and Graham Marshall & Mark Illsley. The third pairing of Darron Henn & Phil Dyke shared the honours with Darren Horne & Andy Bradshaw. Worcestershire led by 3.5 to 2.5 at lunch.

In the afternoon fourballs over the full 18 holes of the undulating Gaudet Luce course the visitors needed to strike an early blow against the home county to reverse the momentum and to stop Worcestershire getting further ahead. The opening game of Anthony Hill & Duncan MacPherson and Adrian Firman & Ian Wicks went all the way to the 18th tee all square. The visitors winning the final hole to finish 1 up and take an early lead in the match. The 2 points on offer for each win being vital for both teams in the Fourballs.

The second game of Dave Marshall & Richard Tatterfield against Craig Hancox & Steve Critchley went the same way with a 1 up victory for the Hancox & Critchley pairing to get Leicestershire & Rutland three point ahead overall.

In game three the visitors held a slender lead coming into the last hole and finished off the 18th with another win to finish 2 up and really push the visitors noses in front. Now leading by 5 points, Leicestershire & Rutland needed only one more victory from the remaining 3 games to secure an overall win.

However, in the fourth game of Lee Richardson & Jason Lane finishing off Andy Rasterick & Andy Hollis early with a 4&3 win, the fightback by Worcestershire had begun.

However, when Graham Marshall & Mark Illsley registered a 3 & 2 win in game 5 over Pete Desmond & Tony Cook, the victory for the East League winners was assured.

The final game 6 of Martin Downing & Matt Horton recorded the same 3&2 win over Mark Dunkley & Grant Wilson meaning Leicestershire & Rutland finished with a victory of 12.5 to 5.5 although the contest was much closer than the score suggested. The first three games of the afternoon could have gone either way, which would have made the finish much tighter but in the end the trophy was returning to the East Midlands.

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