Golf: Weekend wins put Gullane on verge of Winter title

First up in a double-header last weekend was a rescheduled fixture on Saturday and the league leaders had little difficulty in dealing with the visit from Tantallon, chalking up a comfortable win which nicely set up their Sunday trip to Dunbar.

That match, the final away fixture of this campaign for Jeff Aitken's men, was always going to be a defining tie in this season's competition.

Defeat would open the door for second-placed Longniddry but, with the challengers facing a tough match themselves against defending champions Craigielaw, Aitken also knew a victory might be good enough to secure the title with a week to spare.

In the end, Scott Walker and Duncan Low secured a last-green win in the top tie against Stephen Neilson and Scott Knowles and that tipped the scales in favour of the visitors.

With Longniddry prevailing over Craigielaw, the 3-2 win wasn't enough to finish the job just yet, but Aitken knows that so long as his team avoids a whitewash at home to Haddington next week, the title will be coming to Gullane for the first time since 1981.

Dunbar's defeat came hot on the heels of their home draw with Haddington on Saturday.

The solitary point from two home ties was less than the 11-times champions had hoped for over the weekend and puts them back in the battle to avoid relegation with only an away fixture at Craigielaw to come.

With their course closed due to adverse weather, Royal Musselburgh sacrificed home advantage in their tie against Kilspindie, but still came away with both points and a 5-0 margin that all but secures third position and their place in the top flight next year.

In Division 2, North Berwick's home win over Musselburgh Old was too little, too late in terms of the promotion race.

However, with both Glen and Whitekirk recording substantial home wins, the race for the title is set to go to the wire.

Glen remain in pole position, but they arguably face the tougher opponents when they take on Musselburgh Old in next Sunday's final round.

Team captain Innes Christie can't afford a slip-up, but he now knows a share of the spoils at the Racetrack will be enough to secure the title and automatic promotion.