WALDRINGFIELD had a tense battle with Rookery Park which ended in favour of the home side when Steve Coonan sunk a 40-foot putt for birdie on the last green to beat Mark Harvey one up.

By Tony Garnett

WALDRINGFIELD had a tense battle with Rookery Park which ended in favour of the home side when Steve Coonan sunk a 40-foot putt for birdie on the last green to beat Mark Harvey one up. Coonan also teamed up with Peter Adams to beat Harvey and Shane Buckingham one up in the foursomes.

Graham Shillings won both his matches for Rookery Park. He partnered Richard Doddington to overcome Steve Richal and Shaun Ayles on the last green in the foursomes. Then he beat Waldringfield men's champion Karl Deravariere one up in the singles.

Rookery's juniors had mixed fortunes. Chris Soanes was called into the singles and duly beat Ayles 3 and 2. Ben Wallis secured a good half with Ashley Boother but Callum Monk went down to the experienced Richal.

Aldeburgh scored a dramatic victory away to neighbouring Thorpeness by six and a half matches to five and a half. Thorpeness had the edge after the foursomes but Aldeburgh produced a great fight back against last year's beaten Hambro Cup finalists.

Aldeburgh team captain James Reiss was four down after nine but hit back to beat Jamie Philpot one up. John Wybar had the same victory margin against Ivan Fryer while three-handicap Freddie Edmunds took a hold on his match against Ray Foreman and never loosened his grip.

The most amazing result came from Suffolk county captain Martin Youngs who had played for the Thorpeness Tolly Cobbold Cup side the previous year. Youngs was two up with two to play against Richard Newton with the overall outcome hanging in the balance. Newton won the 17th knowing he needed to secure a half to take the match to a play-off.

Newton was in trouble off the tee at the last. Youngs played a couple of safe four irons to secure the crucial success.

Stoke by Nayland had an early shock when Liam Brace and Michael Swan lost the top foursomes match against Danny Western and Patrick Goffin of Gorleston on the last green on the Constable course. Liam Brace and Swan are both playing in the Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath on Wednesday and Thursday. Owen Pearl is third reserve so has every chance of taking part.

Stoke by Nayland led 3-1 at lunch and were never in great danger although some of the singles matches were close. Western won his singles for Gorleston against Paul Whittle and Adam Hasel beat club captain Ian McKay, but otherwise Stoke made home advantage tell. The Suffolk were impressive against Felixstowe Ferry who have lost key players since last year. Rhodri Harston was away on national duty in Wales while Neil Meadows has joined Ipswich.

The Suffolk led 3-1 after the foursomes and then won four of the top five singles. Marcus Lee overwhelmed Matt Stockdale 7 and 5 to record The Suffolk's biggest win while Mel Pipe beat Gareth Mills 5 and 4 to give Felixstowe their only success in the singles.

Fynn Valley, even without Jamie Abbott who was on international duty in Peru, were too strong for Newton Green. Ryan Talbot was Newton Green's only winner when he beat Jordan Dymond 2 and 1. Their other point came after Hugo Dobson retired with sore ribs in his match with Steve Wordley.

The best match saw Chris Smith, the Suffolk county player, beat teenager Adam Woodhead 2 and 1. It was a brave fight by the Newton Green junior captain.

Bungay won all their foursomes against Diss and then took the first four singles matches with wins for Phil Vincent, Dickon Housman, Alastair Hall and James Williams.

Archie Moore of Diss was one over par at the eighth hole against Williams but found himself four down. In the singles Tom Bailey of Diss needed a birdie at the 17th to beat Doug Muttitt in a match of high quality but by that stage the Diss cause was already lost.

The second round on May 5 sees some intriguing ties. The powerful Stoke by Nayland side must travel to Southwold while Hintlesham will be at Waldringfield whose confidence will have been boosted by their success against Rookery Park.

A second away draw for Aldeburgh sees them at Bungay who were surprise packets last year under the captaincy of former Suffolk hockey player Simon Jamieson.

There will be a West Suffolk derby match between The Suffolk and Flempton while Bury St Edmunds, always a power, are at home to Rushmere.

Fynn Valley entertain Woodbridge, Stowmarket are at home to Halesworth and Haverhill can look forward to the visit of a strong Ipswich team.

Stenson Shield first round scores

THE SUFFOLK 9 FELIXSTOWE FERRY 3

Foursomes: (The Suffolk names first):

Simon Byford and Tim Pakenham beat Matt Stockdale and Andy Clark 2 and 1.

Mike Greener and Richard Tungate lost to Chris Schwer and Kenny Stewart 2 and 1.

Gareth Mills and Marcus Lee beat Toby Ayles and Paul Savage 3 and 2.

Steve Lankester and Doug Frew beat Mel Pipe and Nigel Fosker 2 and 1.

Singles: Pakenham beat Ayles 3 and 2, Byford beat Savage 2 and 1, Lee beat Stockdale 7 and 5, Lankester halved with Stewart, Greener beat Schwer one up, Mills lost to Pipe 5 and 4, Tungate beat Clark 3 and 2, Frew halved with Fosker.

WALDRINGFIELD 7 ROOKERY PARK 5

Foursomes: (Waldringfield names first):

David Sharp and Ashley Boother beat Simon Goldsmith and Ben Wallis one up.

Steve Richal and Shaun Ayles lost to Richard Doddington and Graham Shillings two down.

Steve Coonan and Peter Adams beat Mark Harvey and Shane Buckingham one up.

Karl Deravariere and Roy Ross halved with Matt Lay and Paul Donovan.

Singles: Boother halved with Wallis, Richal beat Callum Monk 2 and 1, Ayles lost to Chris Soanes 3 and 2, Sharp beat Doddington one up, Deravariere lost to Shillings one down, Adams beat Buckingham 5 and 4, Coonan beat Harvey one up, Ross lost to Donovan 2 and 1.

THORPENESS 5.5 ALDEBURGH 6.5

Foursomes: (Thorpeness names first):

Ronnie Armstrong and Richard Newton halved with Christo Lloyd and James Reiss.

Jamie Philpot and Ivan Fryer lost to John Wybar and Roger Taylor 5 and 4.

Richard Baker and Mark Henderson beat Andrew Kirk and Martin Youngs 3 and 2.

Ray Foreman and Gavin Stroud beat Freddie Edmunds and David Wybar 6 and 5.

Singles: Philpot lost to Reiss one down, Heston Hood lost to Lloyd 4 and 3, Henderson beat Taylor 3 and 2, Fryer lost to J Wybar one down, Foreman lost to Edmonds 6 and 5, Baker beat D Wybar two up, Newton lost to Youngs two down, Stroud beat Kirk two up.

FYNN VALLEY 10 NEWTON GREEN 2

Foursomes (Fynn Valley names first):

Chris Smith and Warren Goddard beat Ollie Rush and Steve Wordley 5 and 4.

Paul Dobson and Hugo Dobson beat Rob Sims and Ryan Talbot 4 and 3.

Jordan Dymond and Daniel Hedges beat Greg Bartlett and Mike Polly 4 and 3.

Bradley Wilkins and Aaron Bowen beat Adam Woodhead and Barry Steel 5 and 4.

Singles: Goddard beat Rush 4 and 2, H Dobson retired against S Wordley, Dymond lost to Talbot 2 and 1, Smith beat Woodhead 2 and 1, Hedges beat Sims 4 and 3, P Dobson beat Steel 4 and 2, Bowen beat Polly 3 and 2, Andy Munro beat Bartlett 4 and 3.

STOKE BY NAYLAND 9 GORLESTON 3

Foursomes (Stoke by Nayland names first):

Liam Brace and Michael Swan lost to Danny Western and Patrick Goffin one down, Greg Hills and Rob Murray beat Ray Thomson and Adam Woods 5 and 4, Scott Brace and Aaron Parkes beat Chris Duffy and Adam Hasel 3 and 2, Tom Everett and Ian McKay beat David James and Kevin Woods 5 and 4.

Singles: Owen Pearl beat A Woods one up, Paul Whittle lost to Western two down, Hills beat Thomson one up, Swan beat James two up. S Brace beat K Woods one up, Everett beat Goffin 5 and 4, Murray beat Duffy 5 and 4, McKay lost to Hasel 4 and 3.

UFFORD PARK 4.5 RUSHMERE 7.5

Foursomes (Ufford Park names first):

Joe Payne and Matt Boardley lost to James Wright and Michael Buck one down.

Peter Collins and Barry Jones lost to Glen Goldsmith and Shaun Masterson 2 and 1.

Ricky Dzierozynski and Dominic Rosser beat Curtis Mann and Joe Simpson 4 and 2.

Rod Powney and Ollie Smith lost to Peter Robinson and Kevin Eagle 3 and 2.

Singles: Payne lost to Mann 3 and 2, Boardley beat Masterson 5 and 3, Jones lost to Buck one down, Collins lost to Wright one down, Dzierozynski beat Goldsmith two up, Rosser beat Simpson 2 and 1, Powney halved with Ben Tawell, Smith lost to Eagle 5 and 3.

BUNGAY & WAVENEY VALLEY 8 DISS 4

Foursomes: (Bungay names first):

Phil Vincent and Doug Muttitt beat Darren Maskell and Jason Sewell 2 and 1.

Alex Cameron and Dickon Housman beat Archie Moore and Kevin Halil 4 and 2.

Alastair Hall and Richard Long beat Guy Griffiths and Mark Farrow one up.

Nairn Black and James Williams beat Charlie Taylor and Tom Bailey two up.

Singles: Vincent beat Sewell 5 and 3, Housman beat Maskell 4 and 2, Hall beat Halil 5 and 3, Williams beat Moore 3 and 2, Black lost to Griffiths 5 and 4, Long lost to Taylor 2 and 1, Cameron lost to Farrow 5 and 3, Muttitt lost to Bailey one down.

Second round (to be played on May 5): The Suffolk v Flempton, Southwold v Stoke by Nayland, Waldringfield v Hintlesham, Bungay and Waveney Valley v Aldeburgh, Haverhill v Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds v Rushmere, Fynn Valley v Woodbridge, Stowmarket v Halesworth.