HALIFAX,Huddersfield got back on the winning track in theYorkshire Inter-Union League with an expected win, by 20-16, over basement side Harrogate at Bradley Park.

But it was a close affair, victory being clinched by Ben Crowther on the penultimate hole of the final golf singles.

After heavy rain, the match was played with local rules being applied on lifting and placing and relief from flooded bunkers.

The foursomes started well for Halifax, Huddersfield with top pairing Richard Broadley and Andy Shaw winning 3&2.

West End pair Sam Bridges and Ryan Greenwood had a much closer game but eventually ran out winners by one hole, Mear saying: “I have to praise these two lads who have improved in leaps and bounds and both of them are very valuable team members.”

The veteran pairing of Frank Greaves and Graham McLean also had a close encounter before winning on the last hole but then Harrogate hit back.

Broadley’s top singles against Steve

Whitwham was level after eight but he eventually lost 3&2.

Shaw is in fine form at the moment and outplayed Phil Kitching, winning 6&5, Greenwood played exceptionally well to beat Luke Searle on the last and stablemate Bridges controlled his game to win 3&2.

McLean was unlucky to lose to a last hole birdie while Greaves produced yet another gritty performance, showing why he leads the order of merit. He beat James Coldwell 4&3.

The match then turned around quickly with losses for Appleyard, Colcombe, and Ellison, meaning Harrogate were in front at 12-14, but good news was delivered by Bower, the 15-year-old Meltham player, who closed out Chris Henderson by 6&5 to level at 14-14.

Stafford, meanwhile, was all square against Mark Edmiston playing 16 and a solid par won him the hole. Two regulation figures followed, giving the Todmorden lad a debut singles win to give Halifax, Huddersfield an 18-16 lead.

That left Crowther last on the course and one up on Darren Brown playing 16. He holed from eight foot for par to stay ahead then played solidly to the middle of the green on the 17th while his opponent had a free drop.

Brown played a great recovery shot to eight feet and Crowther raced his birdie putt four feet past. Brown holed and Crowther followed him in to go dormie, meaning Halifax, Huddersfield had the match won. For good measure, Crowther made a solid par up 18 to make the final score 20-16.

Foursomes: A Shaw (Bradley Hall) & R Broadley (Huddersfield) bt S Whitwham (Harrogate) & J Coldwell (Knaresborough) 3&1; S Bridges (West End) & R Greenwood (West End) bt T Moorhouse (Harrogate) & I Douglas (Pannal) 1 hole; F Greaves (West End) & G McLean (Meltham) bt C Wilding (Oakdale) & C Henderson (Oakdale) 1 hole; A Appleyard (Bradley Hall) & J Ellison (Huddersfield) lost to P Kitching (Rudding Park) & K Parker (Ripon City) 3&2; D Stafford (Todmorden) & M Colcombe (Longley Park) lost to L Searle (Romanby) & D Brown (Bedale) 4&3; B Crowther (Dewsbury) & J Bower (Meltham) lost to M Bennison (Knaresborough) & M Edmiston (Oakdale) 4&3.

Singles: Broadley lost to Whitwham 3&2; Shaw bt Kitching 6&5; Greenwood bt Searle 1 hole; Bridges bt Parker 3&2; McLean lost to Douglas 1 hole; Greaves bt Coldwell 4&3; Colcombe lost to Wilding 4&2; Appleyard lost to Bennison 1 hole; Ellison lost to Moorhouse 5&4; Stafford bt Edmiston 1 hole; Crowther bt Brown 1 hole; Bower bt Henderson 6&5.

Woodsome Hall assistant David Astin kept in touch with the leaders going into today’s final round of the Leeds Cup, the PGA North Region’s flagship event at Cobble Hall.

He added a 70 to his opening 68 and though he was five of the pace, he was in with a chance of a nice pay-out.

A shot further back was Huddersfield’s Paul Carman but Lee Shepherd, Warren Lockett and Nathan Stead all missed the 36-hole cut.