North East power to overdue win

Able to send out their strongest side as a result of the event being decided over one weekend instead of being spread over a season, they beat Renfrewshire, the defending champions, 4.5-0.5 in the final over the Montgomery course on the banks of Loch Leven.

"We've got strength in depth for the first time in a few years," said winning team captain Mike Pocock.

"In addition to the six players in the team, James Byrne isn't here while Mark Halliday could feel unlucky to have been left out of the team.

"After snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (against Renfrewshire in the semi-finals] last year, the players were up for it and all of them have done us proud this weekend."

For David Law, the success completed a hat-trick of national titles. The Hazlehead 19-year-old, who was a toddler the last time North East lifted the title, won both the Scottish Boys and Scottish Amateur Championships last year, while it also marked a welcome change of luck for one of his team-mates, Kris Nicol.

In his previous two events, the Lytham Trophy and Irish Open Stroke Play Championship, Nicol had finished runner-up, but the 25-year-old Fraserburgh player was not to be denied on this occasion, doing his bit in the final with a fine 4 and 3 win over Craig Watson, the former Amateur champion.

Played in a format similar to that in the European Team Championship, the experienced Brian Innes and his young partner, Anthony Bews, drew first blood for North East as they notched 3 and 2 win over Bryan Adam and Gordon Stevenson in the sole foursomes match. Behind them, Law fought back from being two down early to earn a half against Matthew Clark, while Nicol, Scott Larkin and Philip McLean were always in the driving seat as they delivered wins at the bottom of the order.

Nicol, who attributes his recent good form to improved putting, was four-under for the 15 holes played in beating Watson, closing the match out in style by hitting a 3-wood to three feet for an eagle – his second in five holes.

McLean, a Paul Lawrie protege who won the Edward Trophy earlier in the season, was equally impressive against Andrew Farmer, the current Scottish Mid-Amateur champion. The 23-year-old had five birdies in winning that one 5 and 4, signing off by holing from 40 feet for a 2 at the short 14th.

"Everyone was saying we were the favourites and we certainly came here with a strong team but we still had to get the job done," said McLean.

"It's great that we've been able to do that and provide North East with a first win in the event for a number of years."

Innes revealed he'd been trying to do that for more than a decade, during which time he'd suffered disappointment five times in the final stages.

"At 40, I'm the oldest in the team by 15 years and the boys were reminding me about that in the bus on the way down," he said.

In the morning semi-finals, North East squeezed out a 3-2 win over Ayrshire in a match that saw all five games go to the 16th green or beyond. In a battle between two of the country's brightest young talents, Jack McDonald beat Law by 3 and 2, but Larkin survived a mid-round wobble to beat Ewan Brown at the 17th hole in the deciding encounter.

Renfrewshire lost the foursomes tie in their match – Mark Timmins and David Miller won three holes in a row from the 13th against Adam and Stevenson – but progressed thanks to strong performances in the singles matches from the two Clarks, Matthew and Ronnie Clark, Farmer and Watson, the latter overcoming a distinct distance disadvantage to earn a half against Mark Hillson.

In Saturday's stroke-play qualifying, North East had secured the top seeding by a commanding 17 shots.

The on-form Nicol led the way with rounds of 73 (Bruce) and 68 (Montgomery) as he finished second in the individual standings behind Clackmannanshire's Scott Borrowman, who had eight birdies in his six-under 67 on the Bruce before adding a 72, one-over, on the Montgomery.