OLD THORNS celebrated the County Sevens’ 60th anniversary by becoming the first club to defend the Hampshire Inter-Club Knockout competition since Rowlands Castle crowned their centenary celebrations by winning the trophy on home turf back in 2002.

And in seeing off a brave challenge from Guernsey’s La Grande Mare – like their fellow finalists, also bidding to become the 12th club to have won the trophy more than once in six decades – they completed a remarkable hat-trick of appearances in the finals with some of the most dramatic scenes in the competition’s long history.

First, last year’s last-gasp hero Matt Bonney, who produced a world-beating chip on the 18th against Stoneham to break Old Thorns’ duck after losing to Royal Jersey two years ago in the final, survived a controversial ruling behind the 17th green at Meon Valley Golf & Country Club to snatch the winning point in the semi-finals – again against a desperately unlucky Stoneham team.

Ånd this time it was Old Thorn’s Sevens’ captain Paul Martin, who was left doing a premature jig of delight as he watched his five-foot putt for par roll into bottom of the cup on the 18th to beat La Grande Mare’s Ross Bateman, who recovered from a poor drive on the last to give himself a chance of a par from 20 feet, by one hole.

That gave the defending champions four points from the first five matches out on the course leaving Richard Williams and Bonney to shake-hands with their Guernsey opponents.

Wiilliams had lost on the 17th to Paul Cosnett, who won the hole to go three up, before news spread back down the fairway as their joyous team-mates jumped into the golf buggies to spark the celebrations.

Three of the first five matches reached the 18th green with only La Grande Mare’s C J Elmy making light work of beating Old Thorns’ ten handicapper Roy Randall, going five up with three to play.

Ten-handicapper Robert Craig beat Wasif Annees, playing off four, by two holes after the Channel Islander drove out of bounds on the last.

Then Old Thorn’s lowest handicapper Chris Knowles, playing off six, beat Louis Sheppard, off nine, 2&1.

Paul Gill, off 12, had to survive a soaking on the 17th, when slipped by the edge of the lake and went in up to above his knee, before regaining his composure to take eight-handicapper Wayne Harwood, down the 18th, hanging on to his one-hole advantage.

Seven-handicapper Richard Williams had been six down after nine against La Grande Mare’s Paul Cosnett, off five, but battled back bravely before losing on the 17th by three.

Bonney, trusted to bring his team home as he had been at Lee-on-Solent 12 months earlier when he chipped stone dead from the greenside bunker on the last, was one up in his match against the Guernsey club’s captain David Jeffrey as news spread of the victory.

He promptly took on his approach over the water at the penultimate hole, and when that ended up in the drink, he shook on a half.

Ironically, the morning’s drama also occurred on the 17th when Bonney’s approach went over the back of the green in his match with Andy Hickson.

The ball came to rest on some loose chippings beyond the white line marking the out of bounds. But when the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Golf Union’s referees had inspected the course earlier in the week, there was no line painted and the local rules stated any ball resting on the tarmac was out of bounds.

As those rules had been circulated to all four semi-finalists in advance, Bonney was not only declared in bounds, but also given a free drop.

To rub salt in the Stoneham wounds, he pitched to four feet to make his par to win the hole and go one up before claiming the last to make it 4-3 in a repeat scoreline of last year’s final.

Martin said: “We had three players from last year’s final in the team in Paul Gill, Robert Craig and Matt Bonney – I played in last year’s qualifying rounds but missed the final – and three of the other four players from last year’s team were here to watch us defend the County Sevens, including Peter Skidmore, who has moved to Crawley.

“Peter still wanted to be part of the proceedings, and caddied for Matt. I think that shows what a wonderful team spirit there is at Old Thorns.

“We have a comparatively very small membership compared to many of the clubs we have played over the last three years getting to the finals.

“We beat Hayling 5-2 on their own course back in the first round, which was an amazing feat in itself as links golf is not what we are used to at all.

“After that we had home draws against Paulton’s Park, Portsmouth and Bramshaw Manor in the quarter-finals.

“To win the Sevens in the 60th year when so few teams have successfully defended the title, makes our win even more satisfying.”

In the other semi-final Ryde, who had ended Blackmoor’s hopes of winning the Sevens for the first time since 1980, lost 5-2 to La Grande Mare but took third place by beating Stoneham 41/2-21/2 in the consolation match after lunch.