LANCASHIRE coasted to an emphatic 15-3 victory over Northumberland at Southport and Ainsdale to retain the Daily Telegraph Northern Counties League salver with a 100 per cent record.

And skipper Paul Williams, in his first season at the helm, attributed the success to a “tremendous team spirit” which prevailed throughout the season as they swept aside all before them.

“We beat Cumbria by the same margin in our opening match and carried that form into each one after that. All our players pulled for each other and I could not have asked for anything more from them,” he said.

Williams also paid tribute to the youngsters, especially county champion Haydn McCullen and Adam Stone.

“They helped to galvanize the team spirit,” he added.

And he is in no doubt that the confidence running through his squad will be a key factor when Lancashire make their fifth appearance in six years in the English County Finals at Minchinhampton next month.

The writing was on the wall for Northumberland when they lost the foursomes by five points and, despite some close matches in the singles, they were always fighting a lost cause.

Sean Towndrow made the most of playing on his home course by overwhelming Chris Petts 8&6, the biggest margin of the day, with McCullen eclipsing Darren Smith 6&5.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire beat Cheshire 13-5 at Lindrick and Cumbria won 14-4 against Durham who finished with the wooden spoon.

FOURSOMES: Paul Howard (S&A) & Paul Kinnear (Formby) halved with Andrew Minniken (Northumberland) & Jake Storey (Alnmouth); Mark Young (Longridge) & Ciaran Doherty (Bury) bt Simon Lee (Newcastle United) & Sean Heads (Hexham) 2&1; John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) & Haydn McCullen (Delamere Forest) bt  Darren Smith (Northumberland) & Seton Wakenshaw (Whitley Bay) 3&1; Richie Blundell (Hillside) & Sean Towndrow (S&A) bt Chris Petts (Ponteland) & Paul Caldicott (Northumberland) 4&3; Adam Stone (Lancaster) & Sean Blinkhorn (S&A) bt  Eliot Wilson (Goswick) & Peter Sym (Ponteland) 3&1; Michael Hunt (Pleasington) & Henry Tomlinson (Royal Lytham) bt Martin Carss (Dunstanburgh Castle) & Jamie McFarlane (Westerhope) 4&2. SINGLES:   

Young bt Minnikin 1h; Howard bt Heads 2&1; Carroll bt Lee 1h; Kinnear bt Storey 2h; McCullen bt Smith 6&5; Doherty lost to Wakenshaw 3&2; Stone halved with Caldicott; Towndrow bt  Petts 7&6; Blundell bt Wilson 4&3; Tomlinson bt Sym 2h; Blinkhorn by Carss 2&1; Hunt lost to McFarlane 1h.

                                                                                                            DAVID BIRTILL

FINAL TABLE

                                    P         W        D         L          F          A         Pts

Lancashire              5           5          0          0         66           24         10

Yorkshire                  5          4          0          1         59           31         8

Cheshire                   5          3          0          2         40.5       49.5     6

Northumberland     5          1          1          3         32.5       57.5     3    

Cumbria                    5          1          0          4         39.5       50.5     2

Durham                     5          0          1          4         32.5       57.5     1

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