Golf: Haddington caught cold in Winter as Gullane win

HADDINGTON resumed their campaign in the East Lothian Winter League following a seven-week break enforced by snow and ice but were caught cold by visitors Gullane at the weekend.

In a close encounter at the top of the order, Duncan Low and Scott Walker came out on top for the visitors against Steven Lamb and Law Hardie.

With an advantage established in the lower order matches, that result tipped the scales in Gullane's favour and, in the end, the Haddington skipper Andrew Doctor's emphatic win, in the company of Keith Nicholson, proved to be the only one for the hosts. That result saw Gullane move into a share of the lead in a league they last won 29 years ago, and sent their hosts into a relegation scrap with Royal Musselburgh, Dunbar, Tantallon and Craigielaw – four teams that have, between them, claimed the league title in 18 of the last 19 years.

Meanwhile, leaders Longniddry slipped up for the first time this season on the road at Royal Musselburgh.

After eight straight wins, Chris Wood and Michael Bacigalupo tasted defeat for the first time this term at the hands of the experienced pairing of Ian Gordon and Cammy Boyd and that was enough to secure victory for Royal. That result didn't alter the league position of either team, but the title race suddenly seems wide open and, with three, perhaps four teams to be relegated this term, there's plenty still to play for at either end of the table.

As usual, the Dunbar v Craigielaw clash was a tense affair. In recent years these teams have gone head to head for the title more often than not, but this time it was a battle for survival.

With three out of five matches going the distance, there was really nothing to pick between the sides but, in the end, it was a triumph for experience over youth, with John Archibald and Gary Queen securing the vital point for the hosts on the final green.

In Division 2, both North Berwick and Winterfield bade farewell to their promotion hopes after suffering home defeats at the hands of Glen and Whitekirk respectively. However, the wins were significant for both visiting sides, who will now slug it out for one guaranteed promotion spot over the next five weeks.

Musselburgh Old kept their slender promotion hopes alive with a hard-earned win at home to lowly Thorntree.