COLNE Valley Golf Club's seniors team achieved a memorable victory over a strong Romford team in round one of the Essex Seniors Team Championship.

As past multiple finalists and winners of this competition and with home advantage, Romford were favourites for the tie, but after a few holes, the scores coming in started to suggest a close battle.

After nine holes, from a total of 11 singles matchplay games, Colne Valley were narrowly up in six and all square in three, and an upset looked possible. This form continued through the closing holes with Colne Valley eventually running out 6½-4½ winners.

There were some exceptional individual performances on the day and the prize for Colne Valley's victory is a second-round tie away at Benton Hall.

This was the seniors' fifth match of the year against other clubs and so far they are unbeaten.

Meanwhile, Colne Valley went down 6-3 to Romford in the brand new John Day Trophy - an Essex competition for higher-handicap seniors.

Brian Samuel and Geoff Earnshaw won their matches and Phil Carr and Paul Therrien halved theirs, but the other five were lost against a strong Romford team playing on their home patch.

Colne Valley still have hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the Jubilee Cup after a dominant display at Rochford Hundred.

The club's team won the match by an impressive 7½-1½ margin, with all the singles winning their games.

If Colne Valley win their next match at Ilford, there is an outside chance of them qualifying for the knockout stages.