A draw - but Union boss still frustrated
TEAM boss Chris Mear admitted "it felt like we had lost" after his Halifax, Huddersfield Union side had thrown away a golden opportunity to register a first win of the season in the Yorkshire Inter-District league on Sunday.
Mear's men were held 18-18 by East Riding at Fixby, having led 9-3 after the morning foursomes and done well in the top afternoon singles contests.
However, Iain Powell and final two David Stafford and Ben Crowther both let strong positions slip and the battling visitors snatched a share of the spoils.
"We grabbed a draw from the jaws of victory," said Mear, whose side had lost their seasonal opener 23-13 against Leeds at Wetherby on May 17.
Mear had banked on his five Huddersfield GC players making their course knowledge tell and they didn't let him down by earning 12 of his side's points.
Halifax-Huddersfield were sitting pretty at lunch after wins by Richard Broadley and Andy Shaw, Danny Stocchero and Brad Tupman, Sam Bridges and Frank Greaves and Ben Crowther and David Stafford plus a half for Graham McLean and Chris Ingham.
When Broadley and Shaw won the opening two singles matches, only six more points were required for a first victory of the season.
Two more Huddersfield players, Stocchero and Tupman, had wins in the middle order but the home challenge tailed off badly with the only other point coming from Hebden Bridge's Powell, who should really have won.
Powell was three up with three to play but three putted the 16th, lost to a birdie on the 17th and then hit his drive at 18 into the right hand deep rough, had to take a penalty and had a six.
Stafford was all square after 17 but hit an awful shot on the last and lost the hole while Crowther was two up after 11 but came off the 16th a loser after an inspired opponent had fired three birdies in four holes.
Mear took heart from good performances from the likes of Tupman, Stocchero and Broadley and said there would not be wholesale changes for the match away to Harrogate in 11 days' time.
RESULTS (Hx-Hudds names first) - Foursomes: R.Broadley and A.Shaw bt M.Helyard and M.Killen 2 & 1, I.Powell and J.Fairhurst lost to P.Lockwood and M.Daley 5 & 3, G.McLean and C.Ingham finished all square with A.Wright and J.Sloan, S.Bridges and F.Greaves bt R.Webster and L.Nicholls 2 up, B.Tupman and D.Stocchero bt A.Lockwood and D.Woodhead 2 up, B.Crowther and D.Stafford bt L.Adamson and M.Bentley 3 and 2.
Singles: R.Broadley (Huddersfield) bt M.Helyard (Hessle) 3 and 2, A.Shaw (Huddersfield) bt M.Killen (Cottingham) 2 and 1, J.Fairhurst (Huddersfield) lost to P.Lockwood (Hessle), I.Powell (Hebden Bridge) finished all square with M.Daley (Hainsworth P), S.Bridges (West End) lost to A.Wright (Hessle) 3 and 2, G.McLean (Meltham) lost to J.Sloan (Brough) 2 and 1, C.Ingham (West End) lost to L.Nicholls (Ganton) 1 hole, F.Greaves (West End) lost to R.Webster (Bridlington) 5 and 4, B.Tupman (Huddersfield) beat D.Woodhead (Hessle) 5 and 3, D.Stocchero (Huddersfield) bt A.Lockwood (Hessle) 2 and 1, D.Stafford (Todmorden) lost to L.Adamson (Ganton) 1 hole, B.Crowther (Dewsbury) lost to M.Bentley (Ganton) 3 and 2.
STANDINGS (matches played in brackets): Sheffield (2) 4pts, East Riding (2) 3, Harrogate (2) 2, York (2) 2, Leeds (2) 2, Bradford (2) 2, Halifax-Huddersfield (2) 1, Teesside (2) 0.
HX-HUDDS ORDER OF MERIT: D.Stocchero (Huddersfield) 12, B.Tupman (Huddersfield) 12, B.Crowther (Dewsbury) 10, A.Shaw (Huddersfield) 9, R.Broadley (Huddersfield) 9, S.Bridges (West End) 9, I.Powell (Hebden Bridge) 8, F.Greaves (West End) 8, G.McLean (Meltham) 6, C.Ingham (West End) 6, S.Martin (West End) 5, D.Stafford (Todmorden) 4, J.Fairhurst (Huddersfield) 2.
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