NO doubt about the shock result of round nine of the matchplay championship – or of the season so far for that matter!
Belford's 10-2 home victory over runaway league leaders Goswick A has put a new perspective on the title race, giving renewed h
ope to the Border club's nearest challengers.
Goswick were missing two of their regular sextet in Elliot Wilson and Lewis Fairbairn due to county commitments but were otherwise at full strength.
The result saw Alnmouth make up ground on the leaders by defeating Warkworth 10-2 over the Foxton Hall course to reduce the gap to 12 points with a game in hand while Magdalene Fields A won 8-4 at Wooler to stay second nine points back.
It was a night of mixed fortunes for Fields' John Blackie. He holed in one at the third in his match with Paul Routledge but six holes later – and two up at the time – he slipped and twisted his ankle and left the course in a buggy, the match effectively over.
Dunstanburgh's 7-5 victory over Burgham Park kept them in fourth place.
Results:Belford 10 Goswick A 2
J Young beat A Potts 4 and 3; K Greshon lost to P Swinney 1down; F Tait beat B Martin 2 and 1; R Lumsden beat G Greenaway 1up; G Hulley beat A Rodger 3 and 2; D Greshon beat S Slater 6 and 5.
Magdalene Fields B 7 Seahouses 5
N McLachlan beat JD Hogg 4 and 2; A Marshall lost to SJ Priestley 3 and 2; N Deary lost to S Olver 3 and 2; B Fairley halved with G Hornsby; K Nisbet beat CP Taylor 1up; K Atkinson beat R Ritchie 2 and 1.
Wooler 4 Magdalene Fields A 8
S Lowrey beat S Jackson 3 and 2; D Wilkinson lost to D Meakin 5 and 4; M Redpath lost to P Richardson 4 and 2; D Grey lost to M Neil 1down; P Routledge beat JW Blackie (retired hurt); P Stenhouse lost to P Moffet 4 and 3.
Linden Hall 8 Percy Wood 4
S Johnstone beat R Gander 3 and 2; S Hornsby beat M Woodhouse 5 and 4; J Smiles beat J Nicholls 2 and 1; M Robson lost to J Taylor 3 and 1; S McKay beat L Nicklen 8 and 6; A Winter lost to A Cathrae 2 and 1.
Rothbury 8 Alnmouth Village 4
D Arkle halved with M Dodd; P Evans halved with M Allinson; AT Oliver beat J Luke 6 and 5; M Arkle lost to CP Wass 1down; A Stephenson beat J Jobson 3 and 1; C White beat I Robertson 6 and 4.
Dunstanburgh 7 Burgham Park 5
M Carss beat A Keenan 4 and 3; G Stephenson halved with D Harmer; N Cairns lost to G Dodd 1down; J Stevenson beat J Bone 5 and 4; S Potts lost to N Rushworth 4 and 3; D Glyde beat C Mackenzie 6 and 5.
Alnmouth 10 Warkworth 2
P Simpson beat R Young 1up; J Eggleston beat R Balmbra 3 and 2; H Sutherland beat G Henderson 4 and 3; J Southward beat S Glass 3 and 2; S Taylor lost to C Graham 6 and 5; J Hood beat M Graham 7 and 5.
Goswick B 10 Alnwick 2
M McGonigle beat G Ridley 3 and 1; S Wilson beat A Tate 3 and 1; Rudi McCulloch beat D Harrison 1up; G Campbell beat W Belisle 1up; M Jones lost to C Donaldson 2down; Ryan McCulloch beat G McInally 7 and 6.
