HAMPSHIRE captain Colin Roope’s goal to win the South-East League came another step closer after a fine win in the sweltering heat against Sussex at Littlehampton on Sunday (writes Andrew Griffin).

And while the 81/2-31/2 scoreline may have flattered the visitors, Roope was delighted to keep their unbeaten run going into the final match in the South Division – against his old county Surrey at Hayling, on August 4.

Victory then would give Hampshire a place in the South-East League final.

A second draw of the season would still leave Hampshire in the driving seat as Kent or Dorset would have to win both their remaining games to have any hope of overhauling the English county champions’ superior game points total, having won 25 out of 36 so far.

A delighted Roope said: “It was a great result, although a five-point winning margin makes it look a lot more comfortable than it really was.”

Hampshire led by a point after the foursomes, but Jordan Sundborg lost the second singles out 6&5 to ex-US college ace David Wicks, even though he didn’t make a single bogey.

Hampshire’s early lead evaporated as fellow Shanklin player Conor Richards lost the top game 3&2.

Roope said: “I was stood by the tenth and with the top two games going Sussex’s way, I was not sure where we could get four wins from. It was looking a bit grim for a while.”

Blackmoor’s Tom Robson had been two down, but made four birdies on the spin to get to one up, while Martin Young was two down at the turn.

Only Meon Valley’s George Saunders, and Romsey debutant Owen Grimes, the new county champion, were in front.

Roope had predicted that Young would be a crucial player for the team after giving up the captaincy.

And so it proved as Young made a birdie at the short but risky par-four 10th to halve his deficit and then hit a remarkable recovery at the 14th to save par and then made another great up-and-down at the par-five 15th. Another laser-like drive on the last set up a winning par from 10 feet.

With Jason Stokes and Saunders both holding on to win 2&1, Young’s eventual win on the last was the icing on the cake as Sam De’Ath won by the same margin in the bottom match.