Champions West Hove were given a scare before progressing to the fourth round of the Davies and Tate Trophy at Seaford.

After tieing the foursomes, West Hove were down in seven of the singles and level in the other with seven holes played.

But the holders showed great determination to stop the rot and entered the quarter-finals by 7.5-4.5 when they entertain Haywards Heath on May 17.

Captain Steve Nielsen said: "At one point it looked like we were onto a hiding but the lads dug in and turned it round."

The climax of West Hove's fightback focused on the lower order when the champions claimed the last three singles.

The teams could not be separated after the foursomes when the form of Seaford's 16-year-old Kieron Doherty and Butch Walker, winner of the Turner Cup at Easter, was duly noted by Nielsen.

He gave gave a Trophy debut to Tony Humphrey who formed a successful combination with Tom Coulson.

Humphrey also came through with a second point in the singles, defeating Walker by 2 & 1 after being two down most of the way.

The singles battle between Nielsen and Doherty ended with a 3 & 1 victory for Nielsen who paid this tribute to the teenager: "His putting was unreal."

Tim Marshallsay was three down with five to play against Seaford's Martin King in the top singles and then holed a five foot downhill putt to keep the match alive.

At the 17th they were both on in regulation and equally a flagstick distance away from the hole.

They tossed a coin for who putted first and King holed his. Marshallsay matched the birdie and was still one down. The tricky 18th green held no terrors for Marshallsay who canned a 23-footer to earn a valuable half.

The Dyke and Lewes squared the singles after the home club established a 3-1 foursomes lead and went through 7-5.

David Travis, the Dyke No. 1 missed the match because of a shoulder operation while Michael Mudie is in Australia.

Paul Lewis, who with Dave Wilson lost 5 & 4 in the foursomes to Henry Hilton and Steve Verth, asked to go out first in the singles. This was the spot normally occupied by Travis and Lewis wanted to get the ordeal over quickly.

And, surprise, surprise, the five handicapper defeated Lawrie Tremlett, Lewes' top gun, two up.

A notable foursomes win for Chris Bladen and Kieron Townsend saw them two down with three to play against Andy Gale and Lewes team captain Peter Franklin.

When mistakes crept in the Dyke pair won the last three holes.

Richard Oades, five up after eight, was given a tremendous fight by Gale.

They were level at the 15th but Oades managed to hang on and win 2 & 1 to snuff out the challenge of the Lewes man.

Chris Bladen, who joined The Dyke from Hill Barn last year, beat Henry Hilton 4 & 2 but father Tom Hilton upheld the family honour with a 2 & 1 win over Malcolm Stalker as Lewes went down in a blaze of glory.