Golf: Twin successes see West and Fife fight it out for title

In what was sweet revenge for a heaviest-ever defeat at the hands of the same opponents earlier in the season, West beat East 8-2 at Silverknowes.

The pattern was set early at the Capital course, with West establishing a 7½-2½ lead after eight holes, a score East never improved on to the end.

In the top match – a clash between the last two Lothians Order of Merit winners – host club man Graham Robertson was never behind before winning by two holes against Ross Noon.

Behind them, Lothians champion Alan Anderson broke his duck for West with a 4 and 3 win over Stephen Neilson before Benn McLeod put East on the board with a 2 and 1 success over another local man, Tom Caldwell.

Gary Corrigan, five-under for 15 holes, and Scott McLory, six-under for the same distance, added to West’s total with wins over Stephen Simants and Scott Cunningham respectively. Louis Gaughan and Mark Timmins both won by 4 and 3 to take the home side over the winning line before Ryan Boyle and Andrew Loch added the icing to the cake.

In the final match, former Lothians champion David Warner delivered East’s second success of the day as he led all the way in beating Stuart Crookston.

The win puts West on six points from four games, leading the title race on “goal” difference from Fife, who have a game in hand.

In their latest outing, Fife overcame a tricky-looking trip to Baberton as they recorded an emphatic 7-3 win.

David Miller gave the home side the perfect start by winning the top match against Ian Bell, but only Sean McGarvey and Lee Morgan added to the Mid tally.

The defeat leaves Mid marooned at the foot of the table, having lost all four matches to date.

Fife have home advantage, at Charleton, when they entertain West in that tasty encounter on December 4, when East host Mid at North Berwick.