In this, the final league match of the season, four teenagers; Blane Breheny, Matt Hill, Niall Johnston and Robert Sutton were selected.
The pairs in the morning foursomes worked out well with all four pairs finishing strongly, particularly over the last couple of holes, so Bedfordshire took a lead of 3 1/2 to 1/2 into lunch. Middlesex were stung by this and came out really fired up for the afternoon singles. Roberto Laino (Bedford & County) played very steadily and lead 3 up at one stage only to be pegged back to level after seventeen holes, but he sunk a great birdie putt from off the eighteenth green to win 1up.
16 year old Matt Hill (Leighton Buzzard) who only made his debut for the County Team two weeks earlier, played sound golf and won on the 16th 3-2 - another excellent performance. Unfortunately in the meantime we had lost 5 other matches leaving Andy Taylor (South Beds) in the last live game. Andy had been drafted in at the 'eleventh hour' (in fact at 7.30 am that morning) and, having won his foursomes with Charlie O'Brien in the morning, fought back from 3 down at one stage to halve his game and give Bedfordshire the critical half point to halve the Match.
Captain Paul Kirkwood was pleased, and a little relieved, to finish his two years as County Captain on a positive note - well done Paul.
Two weeks earlier, Bedfordshire had included 5 teenagers in the match against BB&O at South Beds Golf Club on Sunday (2nd August). The Team was completely overwhelmed by a strong BB&O side in the morning foursomes although Captain, Paul Kirkwood and Matt Hill, who performed very well, took their match to the 17th.
In the afternoon, first game out Roberto Laino gained a very creditable half although he was disappointed having been 3 up with 3 to play and was then blitzed with 3 birdies by his opponent. Unfortunatly that was the only score in the singles but Craig Nield led for most of his match only to lose on the eighteenth. Matt Hill played excellently on his debut and took his game to the eighteenth and two other youngsters, Blane Breheny and Robert Sutton, only lost at the 17th. |
2010