SONNING were edged out 10½-9½ in their Ball Trough Trophy trip to Royal Guernsey.

Having won the trophy 13½-6½ at home in June, Sonning travelled in high spirits, and day one began well as Duncan Forbes and Malcolm Reid won the first match of the competition.

The next four matches however were exceptionally tight, each being decided on the 18th. Guernsey won three of them until a valiant half by Peter Hodges and Graham Burgess.

Mark Sawyer and Alex Measures, and Chris Gurney and captain Bill Branagh were the only other two pairs to record a point, and Sonning trailed 6½-3½ overnight.

The visitors began to fight back in tricky conditions on day two, Branagh and vice captain Richard Ginn producing some fine golf to snatch a victory on the 17th green.

The next game was lost, but Reid completed a perfect weekend as he partnered Peter Davidson to a win, and with Gurney and John Platt gaining a half, Sonning had cut the deficit to 8-6.

Forbes and Graham Burgess won the next match, but another Guernsey triumph made it 9-7 and Sonning’s hopes of retaining the title were fading.

However, Richard Shillito and Sean Green romped to a 6&5 win and Paul Robson and Alex Measures were also successful, and despite Royal Guernsey claiming another point, Sonning trailed 10-9 with one match left out on the course.

It came down to the 18th green, but Sonning’s putt to win the match and halve the contest overall lipped out, meaning they shared the final game and went down by a solitary point.