Dispatch Trophy R3: Champs Mortonhall survive scare – now vengeful Stew Mel lie in wait

Defending champions Mortonhall survived a scare to set up a last-eight clash against a Stewart’s Melville FP side looking for “revenge” in the Edinburgh Evening News Dispatch Trophy.

Mortonhall needed a win at the last from their back couple of Alex Main and Steve Scott to force extra holes against Kilspindie in the golfclubs4cash-sponsored event before the same pair birdied the 19th to seal victory.

“I’m glad I didn’t know how the match was standing as I hit my tee shot at the last,” said Main, who piled pressure on their opponents by finding the fairway with a 3-wood.

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Mortonhall had lost the 18th in the front match and Ian Dickson, who was partnering Duncan Hamilton, admitted: “That was a good one for us to win after that.”

Both Stewart’s Melville FP pairings were under par for the holes played in edging out a Murrayfield team that included brothers Ali and Stuart Thurlow 3&2.

Playing at the front for Stew Mel, Stuart McLaren and David Donaldson got off to a fast start to be two up after three, while Alan Anderson and Ally Ritchie turned the back game on its head by winning three holes in a row from the seventh with birdies.

“It was a good win against a young but very good Murrayfield side,” said McLaren. “Now we will be looking for revenge against Mortonhall after losing to them in the second round last year.”

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Edinburgh Leisure, won now run the event, kept a fairytale run going with an impressive 8&7 win over Sunflower Financial Planning, a new team made up of four Duddingston members.

Matty Harper and Jamie Wright birdied the second, fourth, 11th and 12th to finish five up in front, while Matty Craigie and Scott Finlay turned four up before killing off a threatened fightback at the rear.

“It would be fair to say we are happy,” said a beaming Harper, who plays off five at North Berwick. “We got ahead and kept the pressure on. Roll on Thursday night!”

Dirleton Castle will be tough opponents for them after the club within Gullane made it to the third round on their debut after a 4&3 victory over three-time winners Harrison.

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The Braids club looked to be staging a fightback but Dirleton Castle have a strong side in Greg Houlston, Murray Saunders, Stuart Menzies and Benn McLeod.

“We are happy to be through to the last eight and are not fearing anyone,” said McLeod, a plus-two handicapper who works at Gullane as a greenkeeper.

Turnhouse used a fast start from their back pairing of Steven Armstrong and Keith Watt to beat Lothians Boys 7&6.

“We got off like a house on fire,” said former Lothians champion Armstrong of a par-birdie-birdie-eagle burst, the latter seeing Watt roll in a 30-footer after his partner had found the green with a rescue.

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Both Lothians Boys pairings birdied both the 10th and 11th as they earned praise from their opponents for “keeping on fighting”.

Mark McAdam, who works for the title sponsor at their Loanhead HQ, overcame an untimely bout of illness to help Munro Heating progress with a 6&4 win over Ye Monks of Ye Braids.

“It just came on after six holes, but I soldiered on and actually hit it all right,” said McAdam after joining forces with Troy O’Conner, Clark Munro and Fraser Martin to set up a Thursday meeting with Turnhouse.

Royal Burgess, playing in the event for just the second time, pulled off the shock of the night with a 4&2 success over six-time winners Silverknowes.

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“That is a big scalp for us up here,” said Neil Sneddon of a victory secured along with Grant Heeles, Jim Fraser and Angus Rigby.

Silverknowes had fought back to all square in both matches but the Barnton side, helped by a cracking drive from Heeles at the 14th, got their noses in front again when it mattered.

Royal Burgess now face Lochend, conquerors of five-time champions Carrickvale in the opening round and still going strong.

They beat Dunbar in the second match of the night to go into extra holes, squeezing through when a par proved good enough there at the back.

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“It is fantastic for the club,” said Lochend stalwart Davie Graham of reaching the last eight along with Jason Harkins, Gary Cheyne and Alan Thompson.

Third-round results

Edinburgh Leisure (M Harper and J Wright 5; S Findlay and M Craigie 3); Sunflower Financial Planning (S McLean and O Hughes 0; J Blurton and G Munro 0).

Edinburgh Leisure won 8&7

Dirleton Castle (G Houlston and M Saunders 0; S Menzies and B McLeod 4); Harrison (S More and D Waugh 0; S Knowles and A Stewart 0).

Direlton Castle won 4&3

Mortonhall (D Hamilton and I Dickson 0; S Scott and A Main 1); Kilspindie (A Hall and G Porteous 1; R Green and G Robertson 0).

Mortonhall won at 19th

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Murrayfield (G Edkins and A Thurlow 0; S Thurlow and L Dunlop 0); Stewart’s Melville FP (S McLaren and D Donaldson 2; A Ritchie and A Anderson 1).

Stewart’s Melville won 3&2

Lothians Boys (N Canavan and C Paterson 1; S Gallacher and J Beveridge 0); Turnhouse (B McDermott and J McVey 0; K Watt and S Armstrong 8).

Turnhouse won 7&6

Ye Monks of ye Braids (G Marsters and A Hay 0; M Ahern and F Rennie 0); Munro Heating (T O’Connor and M McAdam 5; F Martin and C Munro 1).

Munro Heating won 6&4

Lochend (J Harkins and G Cheyne 0; D Graham and A Thompson 5); Dunbar (B Shearer and G Thomson 5; D Kilfara and B Kane 0).

Lochend won at 19th

Silverknowes (T Caldwell and G Robertson 0; M Paterson and K Reilly 0); Royal Burgess (N Sneddon and G Heeles 2; J Fraser and A Rigby 2).

Royal Burgess won 4&2