Blackmoor’s Sam Parsons endured a fraught debut for Hampshire as he could only watch opponent Taylor Carter roll in a putt from just inside five feet to claim the Daily Telegraph Salver for Essex at Frilford Heath on Sunday.

Needing to win the 18th hole on the Oxfordshire heathland’s Red course to tie the score and claim a share of the South Eastern League final for the first time since 2012, Parsons was being supported by all his team-mates whose games had already come to a conclusion.

The landscape gardner hit a safe shot into the middle of the fairway just past his opponent. Carter found the back level of the sloping green but Parsons came up just short of the putting surface. He produced a perfect approach, leaving his ball stone dead for par.

That shifted all the pressure onto the Essex man whose first putt lacked pace and finished above the hole.

But Carter showed nerves of steel to roll the ball home confidently for a four and send his team-mates into raptures having pulled off their second Salver win in five years – both times against Hampshire when they were considered favourites.

Parsons had been one up with three to play but pulled his approach on the short 16th into the front bunker and could not get up and down, while Carter got a free drop from a rabbit scrape and holed a 12-footer to get out of jail with a birdie.

Last year’s winner of the Handicap Trophy in the Hampshire Order of Merit had produced his most consistent season in the men’s ranks in 2018, earning the 25-year-old a call-up into the county’s eight-man team for the season’s climax.

He was sent out in the penultimate game after a disappointing morning foursomes session saw last year’s English county champions trail the North Division champions by three points.

When Hampshire captain Colin Roope sat down for lunch, he was drawn into a Ryder Cup scenario when he was forced to put out some of his big guns early to try to turn the leaderboard light blue.

Essex needed just three points out of eight out after lunch to win the Salver for a sixth time since the competition was founded in 1964.

Hampshire arrived at Frilford looking to claim a 10th win to close the gap on Surrey’s record of 14 victories and Kent, who have 11.

But even when Rowlands Castle’s Tom Robson, who had finished 12th in the Brabazon Trophy when the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship was held at Frilford in May, started birdie-eagle against Jordan Slater, the South Division winners were still up against it.

The match was on a knife edge with Roope’s men up in five matches and only down in two with one all square at the turn.

Last year’s captain Martin Young won five holes in a row against Will Percival to follow Robson to a second 4&3 victory to make it 3.5-2.5.

Current captain Roope struggled against teenage talent Curtis Knipes, who ultimately claimed a 4&3 win.

Hayling’s Toby Burden was in control of the bottom match, eventually claiming a 3&2 win over Ali Plumb, while Parsons had his nose in front against Taylor.

Even when Jersey’s Jason Stokes lost 2&1 – having been four down after eight against Callum Pipe – Roope’s other two debutants from Stoneham were faring well.

Ryan Moody chipped in at 11 to extend his lead and held off Arron Edwards-Hill, winning 2&1.

And former Hampshire junior champion Alex Talbot saw his shy at the 18th with driver scoot up against the edge of the out of bounds line behind the green – via the roof of a Porsche in the nearby car park, next to the clubhouse.

The 2016 Daily Telegraph Junior Championship finalist made an unlikely half after Ricky Lee – the only survivor from the 2014 winning team – missed a three-footer.