Haywards Heath have reached the Davies and Tate Trophy final for the first time.

They will face four-times winners Worthing at Cowdray Park, Midhurst, on September 13.

Heath, who removed defending champions West Hove in the quarter-final, knocked out Royal Eastbourne 7.5-4.5 at Worthing in the last four. It was their first semi-final since 1974.

Worthing staged a spectacular recovery from 2.5-1.5 down after the foursomes to eliminate Copthorne 6.5-5.5 at Haywards Heath.

Royal Eastbourne, also aiming to reach the Trophy final for the first time, were powerless to prevent Heath taking a 3-1 foursomes lead.

They did not let the advantage slip although Les Chandler, the team manager, said: "With five holes remaining in the last four singles it could have been anybody's game."

Rob McNeil sank a 20-foot putt in the foursomes for him and partner Andy Hull to win at the last hole against Ben James and Mark May. Alistair Malins and Gerry Honeysett also had a narrow win over Steve Clarke and Bradley Manton.

Only James Harper and Jack Hepburn were able to record a victory in the morning for The Royal when finishing 4&3 against James Miller and Ben Arnold.

In the singles, Craig McCollum came out of the blocks like a rocket and demolished Manton 9&7. At the finish McCollum was four under par.

Malins' 2&1 win over Jack Hepburn improved the position but then came defeats for Hull, who went down 5&4 to Matthew Hepburn and Richard Wigmore lost 4&3 to Harper.

As Haywards Heath showed signs of slipping it came as a great relief for McNeil to beat Clarke 3&2. Ben Arnold lost on the last green to Charles Veasey but Honeysett's half with James and Miller's 3&1 win over May sent Haywards Heath into uncharted territory.

At Haywards Heath, the fairways were dry and burnt so the course was bound to play short and the luck of the bounce was always a factor.

Eric Reekie, Worthing's team manager, thought the narrow, tree-lined fairways would favour Copthorne and did not change his opinion after the foursomes.

He said: "Copthorne played the better golf as a team in coping with the conditions and we were lucky to pinch an extra half point from the Craig Newman-David Fluke match with Adam Patterson and Mark Logan."

This was something of an understatement. After being three down through ten, Newman and Fluke managed to claw their way back to level on the 18th tee. Fluke hit a four wood just short of the bunkers while Patterson pulled his drive out of bounds to gift Worthing that extra half point.

Reekie said: "The order of the singles became crucial as pulling back the one point deficit was not going to be easy.

"Assuming Copthorne put their big guns at the front and back I tried to cover these with our top guns and hope for a half in these four matches, then take our chances in the middle order with the possibility of getting at least three points."

But the plan came unstuck. Through 13 holes, Newman and Arwel Roberts were three holes down with Rob Granger and Nick Pinfield playing too well to prevent a recovery from the Worthing players.

Granger closed his match out with an eagle on the 16th, beating Newman 3&2, while Pinfield prevailed by the same margin over Roberts.

Reekie said: "Things were not going our way in the last six matches either and through 13 we were up in two, down in two and level in two. It was not the time to pat my lads on the back."

By the time he trudged to the 16th green as a command point Worthing were hanging on by a slender thread.

Once installed, Fluke had gone to the 18th all square with Tom Eaton after being two down through 13. Andrew Tolman, all square at 13th, had just beaten Patterson 3&2 and Scott Williams, one up at 13, had accounted for Rob Couchman by the same score.

Joy for Alan Laverty at the hands of Paul Cleverley who won 4&3. Steve Godley's win at the 18th over Mark Logan made the overall situation 5.5-3.5 in Copthorne's favour and Worthing were left with the huge task of winning the remaining three matches.

Keith Hale was having a terrific tussle with Doug Arnold, the England Seniors champion, and was one up playing 16 which they halved after Arnold holed from 15 feet and Hale three-putted from twice that distance.

Fluke sunk a 30-foot birdie putt on the last to beat Eaton. Then Hale gained a notable 2&1 victory over Arnold with a par at 17 and it was all down to Godley on the 18th.

Before a sizeable gallery, Godley favoured the left side of the fairway with his tee shot and Pinfield blocked out right. He had no choice but to play a low punch approach under the trees that hopped over the bunkers and finished on the back of the green. Godley chipped to within three feet from just short of the green. While Pinfield got his par it was not good enough as Godley's winning putt went down amid scenes of jubilation.