SONNING won their annual two-day game against Royal Guernsey Golf Club 13½-6½.

The hosts began day one well as Malcolm Reid and Peter Davidson won 2 up, but the next three matches all went to Guernsey with Frank Whittaker and Paul Robson (1 down), Peter Hodges and Graham Burgess (4&3), and Richard Ginn and John Platt (6&5) beaten by varying margins.

However, Sonning rallied and won five of the last six matches, with Duncan Forbes and Clive Jones (2&1), Bill Branagh and Chris Gurney Jr (5&4;),Richard Shillito and Peter Jones (2&1), Mark Sawyer and Alex Measures (6&5) and Paul Gold and Derry Lewis (7&6).

Despite Alan Jennings and Andy Keer losing 4&2, the home side went into day two with a 6-4 advantage.

Branagh and Ginn halved the opening match on Sunday, before Forbes and Davidson (1up) extended their lead.

Lewis and Sawyer (2up) were also victorious, though a 3&2 defeat for Jennings and Basterfield cut the gap to 8½-5½.

However, Sonning roared clear by winning the next four matches – Gurney Jr and Platt (4&3), Gold and Green (3&2), Jones and Measures (2&1) and Robson and Jones (4&3) – the rot only stopped for Guernsey when Shilitto and Burgess fell to a 5&4 defeat.

However, it was a brave effort from Burgess who had to play alone after Shillito was injured, and Sonning ended on a high when Hodges and Whittaker won 4&3.

  • SONNING Vets were defeated 3½-2½ in a hard-fought clash at Henley.

John Kirk and Paul Power snatched a remarkable half in the first match, having been five down with six to play.

Forbes and Branagh’s game went right to the last before they lost 1down, while Keith Conway and Richard Jones were well beaten along with Martin Dalton and Paul Cain (2down).

There were, though, two great wins from pairs Ken Stevens and Scott Trathen (1up) and John Allen and Danny Mclaughlin (2up) respectively.