Dransfield at the double

Jason Dransfield claimed the prized scalp of serial winner Phil Archer after an enthralling Cheshire & North Wales Matchplay Championship final at Wilmslow - the day after sharing top prize in Andrew Murray's charity pro-am at Stockport.

The Heswall assistant admitted he had struggled against Ringway-attached Oliver Pantoja in the semi-finals before eventually prevailing on the home green.

He then stepped up a gear against Birchwood's Archer, fresh from helping GB&I retain the PGA Cup against the United States at Foxhills, but still found himself two down after five holes.

"I started playing a lot better from the seventh and had a run of six birdies, going one up for the first time on the eleventh," he recounted.

He also birdied the 13th but a bogey at the 15th reduced the margin to one although he immediately regained the initiative by picking up shots on the ensuing two holes, rolling in from 25 feet on the 16th then settling the issue at the next.

Dransfield, 35, beaten at the first stage last year, recently started his PGA year three course at Heswall after a previous spell at Didsbury.

He added: "I turned professional 12 years ago and played EuroPro Tour and competed in Asia and the United States then, after a break, seized the opportunity to join the PGA."

Archer edged out Royal Liverpool's Michael Jones, a previous winner of the title, by one hole in the semi-finals.