Bradley among Sandiway best
BOTH the CUGC and Sandiway Golf Club are looking to enjoy their postponed Centenary programmes – CUGC in 2021 and Sandiway in 2022.
Sandiway provided a course in fantastic condition, enjoyed over three great days of competition from the top players in Cheshire who gave unanimous praise for the course.
This was backed by top class hospitality, service and support both on and off the course by the Sandiway members and staff and the CUGC officials.
The opening day saw the qualifying rounds of the main match play competition and Sam Prince (Stockport) set the pace with an opening round of 66 which was matched in round two by young home star Liam Gobin who led the qualifiers with a 133 total, two less than former champion Chris Chilton (High Legh Park).
It was closer in the oneround qualifier for the Seniors championship with Blyth Bell (Royal Liverpool), Richard Mallard (Chorlton), Gareth Bradley (Bramhall and Nick Ryan (Ringway) all locked on 74.
Then next day it was down to serious business of the match-play rounds to get it down to the last four in the main championship, the seniors’ championship and the handicap plate for the final day.
Getting through to the finals were Cheshire team Captain Jon Beesley (Mere), twice a previous winner, and Jake Hibbert (Delamere Forest), Seniors Captain Gareth Bradley against David Beech (Mere) and in the handicap plate Tom Kitchen (Heswall) and Chris Round (High Legh Park).
They were all able to enjoy some lovely weather and a sublime course with the top prizes being won by Jake Hibbert 2/1, Gareth Bradley 3/2 and Tom Kitchen 6/5.
A terrific way to conclude some top golf on a magnificent course and a great beginning and advert for the Centenary season.
Back at Bramhall it was close in a Men’s singles Stableford with a cpo on 37 points going in favour of Dave Braddock from Tim Ramsey and Chris Wilde in division one.
It also needed a cpo on 40 points in division two to see Thomas Kelly home from club legend Mike Jones.
The Men’s Invitation Day at Bramhall was won by Andy Greenall and Mark Hampshire with 44 points, one more than Lee Broome and Joseph Booth.
The tightness continued for Bramhall Ladies in a Team of Four competition for pro Scott Parry’s prizes.
A cpo on 81 was won by Helen Phillips, Carolyn Eadsworth, Gill RidleyFink and Caroline McGeorge from Ro Horton, Lynda Skilton, Jan Johnston and Linzi Webster and Vicy Clewley, Ruth Seabrook, Ali Hicks and Claire Fitzpatrick.
Collette Bryan won a medal with 73, one less than Rosa Sheard and Sarah-Jane Moore.
Cheadle ladies played for the Robert Brown Trophy and Beverley Van Ross cruised to victory in division one with 38 points, five more than Sue Barker and Susan Shaw.
In division two Veronica Dean was also out on her own with 35 points, three more than Karen Emerson.
Cheadle’s men played for the Treasurers Millenium Bowl and cricket legend Richard Battye was first past the post with 38 points, two more than Will Nicholson and Gordon Gilbody.
The May medal at Disley had the three divisions led in by Joseph Bradbury 70, Andrew O’Brien 68 and Will Wragg after a cpo on 70 with Dennis Major.
The third round of the Senior Shield at Disley was led in by Mark D’Souza with 38 points from Paul Sturgess 37.
The May medal at Gatley had division one led in by David Woodworth with 71, one less than Chris Whitehead.
In division two Gary Clarke was out on his own with 68 four clear of Mike Brennan junior.
The Development Cup at Heaton Moor was led in by Peter Hodgkinson with a good haul of 41 points taking him clear of Jeremy Ju 38 and Jacob Thorp 36.
It needed a cpo in the Development Trophy on 38 points to take Dale Barber into top spot from John Gough.
Moor’s ladies played for the Gibbon Bowl and Lynda McConville took top spot after a cpo on 67 with Emma-Louise Fusari.
The third ladies medal at New Mills was won by Jenny Forshaw with 68 three shots clear of Ann Brown and Jane Howard.
The 9-hole Stableford had a clear winner in Angela Adamson with 14 points.
New Mills men were in medal mode and Darren Cooper was too hot to handle in division one with a scorching 63 taking him four shots clear of Martin Wild, Jake Unsworth and Simon Ignotus.
In division two James Ignotus was even hotter cruising to victory with 62, four less than Graham Nevett and Dean Mohreb.
Next day the Pro’s Stableford needed a cpo on 35 points to take William Freeman into top spot from Mitchell Salthouse.
Romiley’s men played two rounds for the All Winners and Ordinary medal and in round one
Peter Watson set the pace with 67.
Next day Adrian Nuttall was the hotshot with 71, three less than Doug Mills and Elliot Simmonds.
A Stableford for Romiley ladies had Lady Captain Lynn Nuttall in firm control after a cpo on 35 with Sharon Dineen and Maureen Codling.
The second Cheshire Union Life Members Golf Day had excellent hosts in Astbury Golf Club both on their challenging and well presented course, good support and fine clubhouse hospitality.
It needed a cpo on 44 points to see Alsager duo Ian Hulson and Malcolm Heath shake off Houldsworth duo Clive Warren and David Williams.
The Alsager pair went one better than the first meeting at Heswall when they were runners-up.
Next in on 42 were Cliff Bagnall (Alsager) and Marc Williams (Hartford), one more than Prestbury’s consistent pair of Fred Bridge and Simon Moorhouse.
The draws have been made for round one of the final two Inter Club Knock Out Tournaments for the
Manchester and District Golf Alliance, the biggest organisation of its kind in the country.
They represent opposite ends of the Golfing spectrum with the Men’s Seniors KO and the BMW Junior Team KO
The seniors competition has grown in strength year on year and Manchester Golf Club will again stage finals day.
The current holders are Chorlton Golf Club and they will host Blackburn in the last 64 in round one.
Local teams in action in round one are: Reddish Vale v Pleasington, Walmersley v Marple, Houghwood v Houldsworth, Cavendish v Ashton-onMersey, Sale v Disley.
The Juniors KO will see the final again held at the traditional venue of Lowes Park and holders Ringway GC visit Bramall Park in round one
Action for local teams sees: Bramall Park v Ringway, Hazel Grove v Sandiway, Reddish Vale v Manchester
The only teams with byes into round two are Dunham Forest and Warrington
COUNTY ............................ 0 HARTLEPOOL UNITED .. 1
COUNTY’S play-off campaign came to a heart-breaking end on Sunday, as former Hatters striker Rhys Oates fired a late winner to see Hartlepool through to the National League play-off final with a 0-1 win at Edgeley Park.
In a naturally tight affair, Oates pounced with less than quarter of an hour remaining after a slip by Ash Palmer to fire Dave Challinor’s side into a final showdown with Torquay United at County’s expense.
The Pools’ late winner crushed County’s promotion hopes in a first full campaign under the tenure of owner Mark Stott, with much of the club transformed over the past twelve months – but with an eighteengame unbeaten run ended on a blisteringly hot June afternoon, with it went a chance at playoff glory for Simon Rusk’s side.
Much of the talk throughout the week prior had been around the fitness of star striker Paddy Madden, out of action since a rolled ankle in a 1-1 draw with Dagenham last month.
After silence on the matter from Edgeley Park for the last few weeks, Madden was named in the starting line-up alongside the returning Will Collar, who had also been ruled out for a month with a muscle injury.
And Rusk’s gamble on the fitness of his marquee signing appeared to have paid off after just six minutes in front of the 2,500 home supporters, as the Irishman latched onto Macauley SouthamHales’ pullback from close range but somehow skewed wide with the goal gaping.
County had started brightly in front of a buoyed Cheadle End, but the lively Oates fired a warning shot as he surged past James Jennings and forced a superb block from skipper Liam Hogan at the other end.
With both sides exchanging spells of possession, half-time came around with no change to the scoreline in the first play-off fixture of the campaign to be contested cagily – all three of the previous fixtures saw a minimum of five goals scored.
There was a train of thought around wary home supporters at the interval that Hartlepool, led by the wily Challinor, would look to kick on after reaching the half-time break with the scores level – and that seemed to be the case early on into the restart.
A big penalty appeal kickstarted the second half as Liam Hogan tangled with Mark Shelton, with referee David Richardson waving away the contentious challenge, before John Rooney saw another big chance come and go as he half-volleyed straight at Brad James from close-range.
Substitute Elliot Newby entered the fray and immediately became involved in a hugely con
troversial incident, as midfielder Gavan Holohan connected with a high boot flush on Newby’s jaw.
County reacted angrily, with referee Richardson opting merely for a yellow card – a decision which TV pundits, and even Holohan himself on social media, felt may have been a fortunate one for the Pools man.
Newby later spurned another glorious opportunity as he scuffed Tom Walker’s low cross wide of target – and, as seemed inevitable following some big County chances missed, Hartlepool took their one on the day.
Palmer looked to step out of defence only to be dispossessed on halfway, with the unmarked Oates free to advance and fired low in off the post from distance.
County’s usually solid defence will look back at the winner with regret, but even then, former Hartlepool man Richie Bennett almost wrote a dream script when he met a Walker cross but headed straight at ‘keeper Brad James late on.
With that, County’s season came to a sickening end – a season like no other, both on and off the field.
Regardless of the ups and downs of a lengthier than ever campaign, the bottom line for The Hatters is that indifferent home form (County finished 10th in the home form table) and a failure to beat the top sides left the side undone. The Hatters failed to beat Hartlepool in three games during the season, as well as no success against Notts County in three, and Torquay and Sutton in two – all under two different managers.
Simon Rusk, Liam Hogan and others spoke afterwards about a burning desire to use the “pain” of Sunday to put things right and go all the way next season.
As a first decade in nonleague becomes a second decade, disappointed County fans will be hoping that that is just the case.
COUNTY LINE-UP (3-4-1-2): Hinchliffe; Hogan ©, Palmer, J. Jennings; Southam-Hales, Croasdale, Collar (Newby, 60), Walker (Bennett, 80); Rooney; Madden, Cardwell (Reid, 73).
‘We will use this to get where we want to be next season’
COUNTY boss Simon Rusk and his players reflected on a “very painful day”, as The Hatters were knocked out of the National League play-offs with a 0-1 defeat to Hartlepool United in the semi-finals at Edgeley Park on Sunday.
With less than fifteen minutes remaining, former County forward Rhys Oates struck to guide Dave Challinor’s side into the National League promotion final against Torquay United at Ashton Gate this Sunday.
The slender defeat ended an eighteen-game unbeaten run for Rusk’s side, and with it, County’s chances of a return to the EFL after a ten-year absence.
“It’s a very painful day. We’re desperate to get the club back where we belong, and it wasn’t to be on the day,” said Rusk.
“But these are the things that drive you on, and we will use this to get where we want to be next season.”
Over 2,500 County supporters were in attendance in County’s first ever competitive match to be played in the month of June and watched on as
The Hatters spurned several glorious chances to win the game and even a late Richie Bennett chance to take the tie to extra-time.
Some dejected supporters stayed after the final whistle to applaud the players off after their first ever National League play-off campaign, and Rusk was quick to reserve praise for the supporters who have gone for so long this season without being able to attend Edgeley
Park owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
“A big part of next season will hopefully by having our fans back with us regularly.
“They’re just fantastic, and I now know how much this club means to people.”
“I’ve been mindful and respectful of what I’ve inherited from Jim (Gannon) - I appreciate it was a difficult change, but I do see it as my opportunity to have my own pre-season and help us grow. I am really looking forward to the challenge of getting us back to where we belong.
“I absolutely believe in myself to get this club back where we belong. Football is my whole life, and I’ll be giving everything to see us succeed.”
“I’m proud of the group this season, but we’ll take some time to reflect, and we’re desperate to go for it.
“This difficult feeling will be used to drive us, I am confident of that.”