L’ANCRESSE’S dream of a first Hampshire Sevens golf title ended in the pain of a 4-3 last-green semi-final defeat at the woodland Rowlands Castle course yesterday morning.

Steve Mahy’s side of single-figure handicappers were edged out by Southsea GC, the match going to the 18th of the last match out on the course.

Jamie Blondel (pictured) halved the last in par when he needed to win it and with that the door to the final closed on the islanders.

Mahy said it was ‘like losing a semi-final in football’ and was worse than coming off second-best in the final.

‘It was very disappointing and because I’m not going to be doing the team next year it would have been nice to have gone out on a high,’ said the captain who had gone out at the top of the order and lost 4 and 3.

Mahy had to give four shots to his opponent who duly won all of them in a steady performance.

The L’Ancresse captain was left to rue an ordinary morning on the tricky greens under blue skies.