Golf: arrickvale and Silverknowes to meet after play-off drama

CARRICKVALE will meet Silverknowes in the final of the Edinburgh Municipal Golf Clubs’ Winter League after both teams kept their title hopes alive with play-off wins in the last four.

Of the two, Carrickvale will feel happier to be in the title showdown after they overcame Harrison in a thriller at the Braids.

With the sides locked together at 2-2, they had to nominate pairings for a sudden-death shoot-out, with Stuart More and Dougie Waugh going back out for Harrison against Allyn Dick and Paul Cunningham.

Dick and Waugh were short of the green with their drives and pitched on to around 15 feet but were unable to convert birdie putts.

More was just short of the green and putted up to around four feet while Cunningham, who had driven the green, rolled his eagle attempt to about two feet.

More then missed, leaving Cunningham to roll in his second putt to clinch Carrickvale’s place in the final.

“What a great game and it could have gone any way,” said delighted Carrickvale team manager George Alexander.

It was also a tight affair down at Silverknowes as Lochend almost pulled off a shock victory against their hosts.

Kevin Reilly and Graham Robertson were Silverknowes’ play-off pair and they were up against David Graham and A Thomson.

Reilly lipped out from ten feet to win it at the first before Robertson holed a 30-footer across the green for a birdie-2 at the next.

Graham then hit the hole from ten feet but the ball stayed out to give Silverknowes what Keith Reilly admitted was “a very lucky win.”

The 38-hole final – played over 18 holes at both courses – takes place on Saturday week.

Silverknowes 2, Lochend 2 (Silverknowes won at second play-off hole): Kevin Reilly and G Robertson lost to D Ireland and N Donaldson 2 and 1; T Caldwell and S Adamson bt R Binnie and C Farwell one hole; Keith Reilly and M Paterson bt S Turner and P Ross 2 and 1; C Scott and P Heggie lost to D Graham and A Thomson one hole.

Harrison 2, Carrickvale 2 (Carrickvale won at first play-off hole): S More and D Waugh bt S Hermiston and D Ewen one hole; B Byars and G Millar lost to A Dick and P Cunningham 3 and 2; J White and S Knowles lost to G Yorkston and D Coyle one hole; M Robson and D Munro bt R Tait and S Yuill one hole.