PONTNEWYDD, one of the oldest clubs in Wales, won the Towergate Welsh Amateur Team Golf Championship for only the second time in their history at Porthmadog in North Wales.

To do so they had to overcome fellow Gwent side Newport, the defending champions, and did so by three matches to one with one halved.

Pontnewydd's only previous success in the championship came back in 1986 at Conwy. For a long time it looked as though Newport, led by Chris Dinsdale but without the services of their hero of a year ago, Brian Lee, would retain their crown as they led in most of the games.

Then, however, there was a turnaround at the most crucial stage of the final - on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes - which led to young Leon Clarke and Shaun Cameron winning their matches against former Gwent champion Gareth Hughes and ex-junior star Paul Harris respectively.

Each of them got home on the final green - and those successes were the keys to the Pontnewydd triumph.

Mike Hayward, veteran of so many of their successes over the years, also won his match, beating Tim Randle by two and one.

The only Newport winner was Dinsdale at the top of the order. He overcame Welsh junior international Tim Hayward - nephew of Mike - by four and three while in the bottom match Chris Mayo and Mark Skinner were still out on the course when the tie was all over, so they deemed their game to be a half.

Pontnewydd's non-playing captain Brian Langley said: "We are absolutely ecstatic and now the celebrations can begin.

"We have not drunk all week but we are going to have a good drink now."