RUNCORN golfers comfortably retained the annual Triangular trophy against their neighbours Widnes and Helsby.

Going into the final leg at their home course on Sunday, they trailed Helsby by two points, but victories by eleven of their pairings and halves in two other fourballs enabled Runcorn to amass an aggregate score of 55 points.

Captain Frank Keane led the way, partnering John Bradshaw to a 3 and 2 triumph over Helsby captain Geoff Spilsbury and Andy Don.

Helsby, with the aid of a win by their president, Ron Jones, and Ken Janson who defeated Widnes' leading pair Merv Jones and Sam Patmore, claimed second place with 13 points, two ahead of Widnes.

Helsby totalled 48 points, seven points in front of a disappointing Widnes line-up.

A busy weekend for Widnes golfers began on Saturday with the Mainland trophy, in which Clive Bancroft extended his fine run of summer form by notching a four-under nett score of 65 off a 12 handicap.

That gave him the edge on a better back nine over Chris Harris, who recorded a 65 to finish a stroke clear of Arthur Jennion. Mark Fraser again took lowest gross with a 73.

Widnes junior Gareth Roberts hit a hole-in-one playing for South Lancs in a scratch match against Bury on Monday.

Gareth, a seven handicapper, holed his nine iron tee shot at the 128-yard fourth to contribute to an emphatic 16-2 victory.

But he found his glory shared with Bury's Ben Simpson, a nine-handicapper who hit a hole-in-one at the 140-yard 12th.

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