Andy exacts revenge as his team triumph

L'ANCRESSE sit top of the four-club CI League after the first round of matches and a memorable De la Rue Shield win over their local rivals the Royal Guernsey. The result was in doubt right until the end with Luke Blondel halving the final match out against Nigel Le Noury to keep the L'Ancresse team in front.

The Royal led by a point after the morning foursomes, but Andy Eggo got L'Ancresse back on level terms with a 4 and 2 win over island champion David Rowlinson in the top singles match.

Their rematch, just a week after the island championship final, was quite by accident, but the L'Ancresse number one was delighted to get the win, not only for himself but more importantly the team.

'I was happy for the win but in this you're playing for your club and it's a different thing.

'I was three under after 16 and there was a couple of missed short putts as well,' said Eggo who had surrendered a big lead in the Guernsey final.

Eggo said it was a very even match and in the end it was down to who putted the best.

'I had more putts go in the hole than he did,' he added.

Steve Mahy, Danny Bisson and Ian Thomas were L'Ancresse's other winners, while the Blondel cousins collected vital halves.

Danny Blondel looked good for the full point when he birdied the 16th to go one up on former island champion Mick Marley.

But the Royal man salvaged a share of the point when he birdied the short last.

Luke Blondel, the island's top left-hander, was one down with two holes remaining to Nigel Le Noury in the last match out.

But a birdie three up the 17th brought Blondel level and a half in three at the last left the Royal Guernsey contingent disappointed.

In Jersey, La Moye and the Royal Jersey GC drew their match and the Alexander Forbes CI League comes to its conclusion when L'Ancresse hosts the final four inter-island club matches over the weekend of 3-4 July.