Sidmouth seniors were beaten 4-2 in the away match of their two-leg meeting with Exminster and so succumbed to an overall six to five-and-a-half defeat, writes Chris Grubb.

The second leg was played just five days after the teams had met at Sidmouth when the home side had won 4-2.

Sidmouth seniors captain Hugh Dorliac and Paul Blay were first out for the visitors, but with Hugh feeling the weight of a three shot cut to his handicap after an incredible qualifying round on Monday, they fought well to stay on level terms, until losing the short fifteenth hole and never recovered, eventually losing two-and-one.

Phil Spencer and Barry Venn played the Exminster captain and were, at one stage, four holes up, only to be pegged back and finally losing by one on the final green!

This was most certainly a game of two halves!

Les Pratt and David Stone also went down to opponents who played well on the day. A four-and-two win for Brian Cole and John White gave Sidmouth hope for a draw and, when Ken Rothwell and Brian Le Masurier came home with a two-and-one success after a tough match to reinforce that idea, it was a blow to the team when the final pair of Frank Hart-Ven and Vic McCarthy went down four-and-three.