Midlothian Captain Tracy Laughland accepts the runner-up trophy
from Baberton Captain, Harry Waugh

Title Decider 4 ½- 4 ½, Northern Counties win with higher “games won” total

Midlothian’s hopes to become Scottish County Champions in our centenary year were cruelly dashed today at Baberton on the last day of the 2009 championship.
After leading the foursomes 2-1,  we went into the singles needing only three points to clinch victory.  Were we expecting too much?  Sometimes it seems you can wish for something too much…  it’s as if the more you want something the more unobtainable it becomes.
Early on the signs were good…four of the team were up,  and wins from Jane Turner (4/3 against Pam Mackay) and Claire Hargan (3/2 against Alison Bartlett) put another two points on the board.  Karen Marshall lost to youngster Julie Vass,  but we still had Rachael Watton, Louise Fraser and Claire Macdonald with chances to win, and we only needed one more point.
Alas it was not to be… Rachael got a half in her match against Jenny Milne, but Louise and Claire both lost on the 18th to Hannah McCook and Cara Gruber respectively.
At any other time a halved match would be considered respectable in the circumstances,  but in the countback our 8½ points from the Galloway game,  plus 5½ points from Renfrewshire game gave us only 14 points.  Northern Counties had beaten Renfrewshire by 7½ points and beaten Galloway by 7 points… a total of 14½.
Getting to the County Finals is a feat in itself given the competition in the East Division,  and our girls should be proud that they got so close to a winning position.  They all worked extremely hard over the gruelling three days, and this experience can only strengthen their resolve to come back next year stronger and more determined.

NORTHERN COUNTIES 4 ½, MIDLOTHIAN 4 ½

Foursomes: Kelsey MacDonald and Hannah McCook lost to Jane Turner and Rachael Watton 6 and 5; Cara Gruber and Pam Mackay lost to Claire Hargan and Wendy Nicholson 1 hole; Alison Bartlett and Jenny Milne bt Kirsten Blackwood and Claire MacDonald 1 hole (1-2).

Singles: Mackay lost to Turner 4 and 3, Bartlett lost to Hargan 3 and 2, Milne halved with Watton, Julie Vass bt Karen Marshall 5 and 4, McCook bt Louise Fraser 1 hole, Gruber bt Claire MacDonald 2 holes (3 ½-2 ½).

Midlothian Team at Baberton this morning
L to R: Margaret Rodgers (President), Louise Fraser, Rachel Watton, Jane Turner, 
Linda Caine (Selector), Karen Marshall, Tracy Laughland (Captain), Claire Hargan, 
Mary Richardson (Vice-Captain), Wendy Nicholson, Kirsten Blackwood, Claire Macdonald.
Click on the image to see it larger in a new window.
[Image courtesy SLGA]
Midlothian just pipped on countback