Norfolk’s first team came out second best against Cambridgeshire on a day of fine margins at Great Yarmouth & Caister Golf Club.

The hosts lost out 4.5-7.5 in their latest Anglian League clash – but the score-line only tells half the story of a hard-fought series of games.

No less than five of the ties ended up all-square to leave the Norfolk camp ruing what might have been.

The morning foursomes saw Norfolk duo Tom Rutherford and Brandon Hobley clinch victory and Carl Green and Callum Rana teamed up to claim a half-point.

But the visitors held a narrow lunchtime lead and forged further ahead with rising star Oliver Toyer beating Simon Clark in the opening singles tie.

Green and Rana bagged respective halves and big-hitting Nic Sperrin further fuelled home hopes with a stunning success.

But Cambridgeshire got themselves over the line, despite resistance from Scott Wright and Rutherford who both picked up half-points late in the afternoon.

Norfolk County Golf Union manager Alex Piccolo assessed: “It was a battle from game one. We definitely fought hard – we just didn’t have that extra one per cent to get us the win. It was that close all day.”

Norfolk’s second team finished up tying 6-6 in an away match with their Cambridgeshire counterparts.

The morning foursomes were split 2-2 at Girton Golf Club before the visitors came out on the front foot in the afternoon singles.

Scott Sealey produced a solid display to notch up his second victory of the day and teenager Luke Johnson showed heart in holding off his opponent down the closing three holes.

Cambridgeshire fought back in an ebb-and-flow encounter and it looked as if the Lions may end up with nothing for their efforts.

But Sean Rafferty’s swashbuckling style brought him a fine win and it was left to Liam Caffyn – the youngest member of the team – to bring the afternoon to a thrilling and deserved conclusion.

Caffyn, 15, stood all-square on the tee at the par-5 18th hole and was a little unlucky to see his drive bounce into the face of a fairway bunker.

The Dereham youngster took his medicine and pitched out before sending a glorious 240-yard 3-wood onto the left side of the green.

After his opponent found trouble down the right, Caffyn stayed ice-cool to two-putt from 50 feet for a par that gained him a gutsy win and ensured that Norfolk shared the spoils.

Norfolk County Golf Union captain Nic Cains said: “Liam showed a lot of courage at the end. He needed to win his final hole for us to half the match and he dug deep and did it. That was really good and overall I felt the boys performed well and can take plenty of positives away from the match.”

Anglian League result – Norfolk 1st team 4.5 Cambridgeshire 7.5 (Played at Great Yarmouth and Caister Golf Club)

Foursomes (Norfolk players named first)

Simon Clark and Nic Sperrin lost 4/3 to Danny Loveday and Oliver Toyer

Carl Green and Callum Rana  A/S v Luke Ryan and Matt Pearce

Scott Wright and Matt Strudwick lost 3/2 v James McLaughlin and Sam Arthur

Brandon Hobley and Tom Rutherford won 2/1 v Andy Grimwood and Jake Plumb

Singles

Clark lost 5/4 v Toyer

Green A/S v Loveday

Rana A/S v Pearce

Strudwick lost 1-down v McLaughlin

Sperrin won 5/3 v Ryan

Wright A/S v Arthur

Hobley lost 4/2 v Plumb

Rutherford A/s v Grimwood

Anglian League result – Norfolk 2nds 6 Cambridgeshire 2nds 6 (Played at Girton Golf Club)

Foursomes (Norfolk players named first)

Peter Murphy and Liam Caffyn lost 4/3 v Chris Handy and Charlie Evans

Luke Johnson and Quin Monaghan lost 3/1 v Will Grimbaldeston and Hamish Morrison

Sean Rafferty and Jamie Fox won 2-up v Ellis Kerr and Tristan Evans

Josh Chamberlain and Scott Sealey won 8&6 v Paul Tiplady and George Whitehall

Singles

Chamberlain lost 3&1 v Handy

Sealey won 2/1 v Morrison

Johnson won 1-up v C Evans

Monaghan lost 7/6 v Grimbaldeston

Fox lost 3/2 v Kerr

Murphy lost 2-down v T Evans

Caffyn won 1-up v Whitehall

Rafferty won 2/1 v Tiplady

Norfolk 2nds (photo below)

Back row (l-r): Peter Murphy, Sean Rafferty, Luke Johnson, Nic Cains (Norfolk County Golf Union captain), Quin Monaghan. Front row (l-r):  Jamie Fox, Liam Caffyn, Josh Chamberlain, Scott Sealey.