The final match of the Men's Northern Counties League season saw our guys travel to the Tytherington Club to take on Cheshire on Saturday.

Although defeat in their previous game meant the teams league hopes had been dashed there was still a determination to end the season well.

The lads had an extra incentive to go out on a high. The game was to be Captain Simon Young's final match in charge after holding the Captaincy for the past 4 years. During Simon's tenure the team have experienced many highs as well as some lows but what cannot be denied is the incredible team spirit and belief that Simon has instilled in the squad and this was most evident at Cheshire on Saturday.

The morning foursomes got underway with cloudy skies and a stiff breeze evident. Fortunately, overnight rain had abated.

Regular pairing Jack Hunter (Workington) & Kieran Waters (Carlisle) led the team into battle in the top match and got their noses in front with a win at the second hole. No hole was won by either pairing until Cheshire drew level with a win on the 9th but gave it straight back again at the 10th. There was never more than 1 hole in this match but Cheshire pars on the 14th & 15th turned the game in their favour. Jack & Kieran took the 17th to send them down the last all square. A stunning approach from Cheshire left them a tap in for a birdie, Cumbria's approach to 18 feet realistically meant the putt had to go down to salvage a half. The attempt just slipped by and Cheshire duly holed from 18 inches to take first blood in the morning session.

Our second pairing saw Cumbria stalwart Will Bowe (Workington) team up with Rory Thompson (Carlisle). A couple of early errors along with a Cheshire birdie on the 6th saw the Cumbrians 3 down after a third of the round. A birdie of their own on the 8th closed the deficit but Cheshire birdies on 9 & 10 left our lads with an uphill battle. Each team won a couple of holes between them but Bowe & Thompson went down 4&2.

Not the start we were looking for.

Match 3 saw Rob Spence (Furness) combine with James Atkinson (Penrith). An early birdie on the 2nd got our lads in front but they gave back the initiative by bogeying the 4th hole. The match remained level until Cumbria again got ahead after their opponents drove into trouble on the 12th and they doubled their advantage thanks to a wonderful pitch by Spence into the 14th hole. Cheshire got one back at the 16th to leave a nervy finish but our guys were up to the challenge and saw out the match on the final green winning by 1 hole.

Kerry Morrow (Ulverston) paired up with young Brad Quayle (Seascale) in the 4th match out. Despite winning the first hole they lost the 2nd & 3rd to give up the advantage and were never able to recover. Some scrappy play against the steady form of their Cheshire opponents left them to much to do as they went down by 4&2.

Some Cumbria grit was required to stop the slide. Step forward Lee Sturrock (Brampton) & Ian Robinson (Kirkby Lonsdale). The quality of golf in this match might have been the best in any of the morning foursomes. 5 of the opening 9 holes were won with birdies and the pairs were locked all square through the front 9. The match was still level with one hole remaining, Cumbria really couldn't afford to lose another game in the morning session. Cheshire drove down the fairway but Sturrock just turned his drive over a bit too much and left his partner with a tricky approach from the semi rough with the ball on a severe uphill lie. Robinson played a quality shot that just had enough on it to land on the front of the green and settle around 25 feet from the hole. Cheshire's response was good also, but a little further from the cup. Cheshire's putt had a chance but thankfully stayed above ground. Sturrock then had a chance to claim a full point although it was a big ask. His attempt at the curling left to right uphill putt came up agonisingly short so the spoils were shared and the rot had hopefully been stopped.

Captain Simon had opted for experience in the anchor game and they don't come much more experienced than Martin Hand (Eden) who had recently been called up to the England men's senior team to take part in the home internationals in a couple of weeks time. His partner was Craig Morrow of Seascale. Their opponents were also an experienced pair who would be a tough nut to crack. Again, there was some great golf from both pairings in a wind that seemed to be increasing all the time. The game was nip & tuck the whole way and when they players boarded the 18th tee the Cumbrians were 1 hole to the good. After both tee shots found the fairway it would be a shoot out for where the points would go. Morrow hit a fine approach to around 20 feet below the hole. Cheshire's 2nd shot was superb and rested around 8 feet from the hole. Martin needed to hole the more unlikely putt to secure the point or hope that Cheshire missed theirs. Aggressive as always Hand went for the win. His putt just having a little too much pace as it caught the edge of the hole on its way past. Cheshire though saw their putt stay above ground and confirm a win for Cumbria in the final foursomes game by 1 hole.

Cheshire 3.5 Cumbria 2.5

Even though the team were behind after the morning session this is nothing new and they had successfully overturned a morning deficit already this season. In fact, the team had only lost one afternoon singles session all season. This is testament to the belief that Simon has instilled in his team during his term as Captain. He knows his teams can compete, they just have to believe in themselves.

The one point deficit turned into two when Hunter lost the battle of the County Champions going down by 4&2 to Oscar Craig. The pair will do battle again at Woodhall Spa this coming weekend in the England Golf County Champions tournament.

Thompson balanced the books as he was in inspired form to defeat the home club's course record holder by 2&1.

Midway through the afternoon it was looking grim for the visitors and the fairytale ending for the Captain looked to be slipping away. However, the grit and determination that the team now possess was no more evident than in the 3rd singles match. Kieran Waters found himself 4 down with only 7 holes to play. A birdie at 12 followed by a winning par at 13 gave Kie a sniff of a result and when he birdied 14 as well he was within 1 hole. A winning par on 17 squared the match and Waters hung on to save a half from a match that looked dead and buried.

The next 3 games all went the distance. First Bowe, the epitome of grit, refused to succumb to pressure as he came from 1 down late in the game to clinch the win on the final green. Spence had been in a tussle all afternoon and he too came from behind and managed to secure a half in game 5. Atkinson was in fine form all day and some back 9 birdies ensured he just kept his nose in front for long enough to clinch a full point on the final hole.

With 6 singles games still out on the course Cumbria just had the edge but at this point there was only one of the remaining matches that looked certain to be heading our way.

Brad Quayle had been up early in his match but his opponent had fought back and ultimately won 2&1. Kerry Morrow cancelled out this loss by winning his game on the 17th.

When word reached the skipper that Craig Morrow, who had been imperious all afternoon, had closed out his match by 5&4 we had 6 points from the singles. Needing 7 to seal an overall victory it was left to the final 3 matches out on the course to try to get us over the line.

Robinson had been 3 down after 6 holes but had rallied to be level after 16. Sturrock had looked to be cruising at 4up with 5 to play but his opponent had cut the deficit to 2 holes with 3 to play. Hand was in a battle royal in the anchor match and was a hole down with only a few remaining.

When Robinson won the 17th and Sturrock halved his 16th it meant that 7 singles points were assured and the game won. The lads knew better than to settle for halved matches, their Captain would want them to go for the jugular. They all finished in style. Robinson winning the last for good measure and a 2 hole win, Sturrock securing a good half on 17 to close out his match 2&1. It was left to Martin Hand, with Captain Simon acting as his caddy for the final few holes, to add the icing to the cake. He'd battled back to get to 1 up playing the last and had found the green in 2, a dodgy first putt left a nasty 5 foot putt to win his game. With Simon's final instructions 'be positive' still ringing in his ears as he stood over the putt, Hand proceeded to strike the least positive putt all day. However, fate determined that the ball would fall into the hole with its final breath and Simon would get the win and the fairytale that his Captaincy had truly deserved.

Final Score Cheshire 6.5 Cumbria 11.5

This afternoon fightback, not the first this season, was an example of everything that Simon had been drumming into his teams over the past 4 years. Even when things looked like they might go against us midway through the singles, the lads knuckled down and fought for every hole and every point, he should be very proud.

Although Young rested himself from this game, wanting to focus on being Captain in his final match instead of combining playing alongside, he will be back as a player next season, strengthening a team that is moving in the right direction.

The final league table shows Cumbria in 4th position, half a point more over the season would have had us in 3rd. It feels like it has been a better season than that. Along with this superb win, there was also a fantastic win over Lancashire and Cumbria were the only county to take points of Yorkshire, the league champions for the 11th year running.

The squad will work hard over the winter and come out ready for the new challenges next season.

The future looks bright.