County men riding Midlands high

Shropshire & Herefordshire recorded their third Midlands League win on the trot and are now only held off the top spot by holders Nottinghamshire - by more games won.

Nigel Chesters' men performed heroics at Oswestry on Sunday taking the morning foursomes 3.5-1.5, with the young second-up pairing of Hawkstone Park's Ashley Chesters and Mark Trow of Llanymynech recording a fine 3&2 victory.

Things didn't go so well at the start of the afternoon singles with only a superb win by Trow and a battling half from Matthew Harrison to show from the first six matches.

Trow recorded six threes in a row at one stage during his 4&3 win.

Harrison was one up thanks to a great up and down at the 17th, but his opponent Jake Larden birdied the 18th to add to the drama.

Home player David Probert then got S&H back on track. He was dormie two up on the 17th but missed the green at the 17th.

On the next hole he was on the green for three as his opponent lay two, but Worcester man Anthony Hill three putted to give Probert the half he needed for a win.

Last man out Barry Ruddick was winning comfortably while Shifnal's Jamie Brittain looked to be in trouble.

It came down to Patshull Park's Tim Roberts to dig deep in his battle. He came to the 17th two up and couldn't lose the match - but points were needed. He hit the green at 17 with his opponent Craig Richardson in the sand.

Richardson came out of the sand to within 20 feet, but Roberts made the putt to get the half needed for a 2&1 win which saw the side home 8-7.

After the match Chesters praised the visitors for putting up a good fight but congratulated his side for hanging in for a win.

"It was a gutsy fight, it's never over till the points are on the door," he said. "There were some good performances. It was slipping away from us , but we came back and kept it up.

"We are still unbeaten and if we can stay unbeaten at the end of the season it will have been a great result."

The county are away for their next match, a vital clash against Staffordshire at Newcastle on September 7, and a win there will set up a critical home tie against all-conquering Notts at Shifnal in the final match in October.

"Staffordshire are a team that has frustrated us in a past," added Chesters.

"We should have beaten them in the year we came close to winning the title and it cost us the league."

Shropshire and Herefordshire will be without the services of Mark Trow for the last two games as he returns to his studies in the United States, but should be bolstered by the return of Ludlow's Ollie Farr, who has been on duty with Wales.

By John Hindmarch