Worthing clash with West Sussex in the semi-final of the Sussex Inter-Club matchplay knockout.

The other decider is between Lewes and holders East Brighton. So the two big guns, Worthing and East Brighton, are kept apart at this stage. Unless West Sussex upset the form book, it looks like a Worthing v East Brighton final.

However, Lewes have got this far for the first time and will have their own ideas about who makes the big day on September 16. Both semis are to be played at neutral courses on August 12. The venues will be announced later when the club staging the final on September 16 will also be known.

Powerful Worthing have to consider themselves slightly fortunate as they were held 6-6 at East Sussex National and only went through on a countback of holes by

25-14.

They were inaugural winners of the championship in 1971 and West Sussex registered their only win the following year and lost to Copthorne in the final 10 years ago. In the quarter-finals, the Pulborough club impressed with a 7-5 victory at Royal Eastbourne where most sides have bitten the dust. East Brighton triumphed 7-4 at Hollingbury Park while resolute Lewes shaded Willingdon 6-5.

Worthing's close call at Little Horsted was such that they had to recover from a 6-2 deficit. The big surprise of the singles came with 16 year-old Jack Budgen upsetting experienced Scott Nightingale 5 & 4. Jack was five under when they shook hands.

Nick Griffin, only 15, was another ESN turn-up defeating Nigel Harrington by one hole. Craig McCollum, also a member of Sussex Boys', lost to Peter Drew by 3 & 2. The tied foursomes set up a great singles struggle. With Worthing 4-2 down, Andrew Moseley and Harrington were going up the 18th all square with James Peppiatt and Nick Griffin respectively.

As pressure mounted, Peppiatt sank a 25-footer for par after being in trees to force Moseley to look at a six foot putt for the half. He missed. Next, Griffin holed his 25 ft birdie putt and Harrington failed from eight feet. Now Worthing were 6-2 adrift.

However, three other matches were going their way and the focus was on Scott Williams. Worthing's "ice man" who was two up on David Casey playing the 15th. By this time team manager Eric Reekie was punching the calculator button.

It revealed that Williams only needed to halve a hole for Worthing to win on countback and a pair of threes at the 16th completed a happy but breathless triumph much to the delight of the 40 members encouraging the team.

Charles Goodall, Willingdon's team captain, though his side would be underdogs at Lewes, the 1992 Plate winners. But there was nothing to chose between the teams and it was Andy Gale's 3 & 2 defeat of Rob Hampson that sealed gallant Willingdon's fate after the foursomes deadlock.

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