BURGHILL Valley posted 85 stableford points to claim third place in the latest Shropshire & Herefordshire Winter Alliance team competition at Hawkstone Park and moved into second place behind Hill Valley in order of merit.

With the best two scores to count at each hole, the club's assistant professional Keith Preece received valuable support from his amateur playing partners Paul Eaton, Matt Harrison and Mark Wright.

Preece carded a fine 39 points for a fourth place finish in the professionals competition and moved up to fourth place in their order of merit.

Lionel Ricketts found the frost holes to his liking when he recorded 52 points to win Burghill seniors' February stableford.

Results: 1 Lionel Ricketts 52 pts, 2 Ted Andrews 51, 3 Ivor Cooper 49, 4 Fred Thomas 49.

February medal: 1 Les Herbert nett 68, 2 Max Cooke 71, 3 Ken Lewis 72, 4 John Freeman 72; best gross: Trevor Waldron 88.

Texas Scramble: 1 Rory Tyrrell, Chris Furber and Jeff Kramer 59.9, 2 Bob Faulkner, Bill Jones and Lionel Ricketts 61.4, 3 Bill Lewis, John Howard and David Busby 62.3.

n Belmont members turned out in force for the official drive-in of their new club captain Albie Powell and the ladies' captain Hilary Hall.

Geoff Foster won the stableford competition that followed when he beat Jason Warren on a card countback.

Results: 1 Geoff Foster 42 pts, 2 Jason Warren 42, 3 Dave Tedstone 40, 4 Neil Powell 39, 5 Alan Perry 38, 6 Jeff Treadwell 38.

n Angela Wilkes, Lynn Herman, Rob Pritchard and Dave Herman combined well to win Kington's March mixed team medal scramble with a nett 59.2.

Second place went to Pam Layton, Sylvia Lloyd, Nigel Layton and Roy Lloyd on 59.9, with Gill Lloyd, Janet Pennell, Mike Lloyd and Barry Pennell third on 60.1.

Ladies' pairs stableford scramble: 1 Barbara Passey and Enid Crowe 35 pts, 2 Janet Pennell and Sue Purslow, 3 Gill Lloyd and Vera Howell.

n Ross-on-Wye ladies held their Bowmaker stableford with the best two scores at each hole counting in the competition played over 16 holes.

Results: 1 Janet Hyndman, Mary Palmer and Patti Smith 74 pts, 2 Joan Malim, Julia Wilde and Jenny Berrington 71.

John Hebdon carded a splendid 38 points to win the seniors' three-club stableford competition over only 16 holes.

Nine-handicapper Hebdon used his driver, nine iron and putter with great effect to finish three points clear of Vernon Thompson and Cliff Price, with Price relegated into third place on a countback.

They finished a point clear of David Rees, Des Gibbs, Steve Matthews and Mike Pay.

n Captain-elect Norman Sockett and his wife Hazel carded the top score of 46 points to win their section in Herefordshire GC's March stableford.

Results, division 1 (0-19): 1 David Hemming and Ann Wheatstone 43 pts, =2 Cecil Wheatstone and Jackie Peck, Roy Eckley and Jenny Cooke, John Buckley and Doreen Heslop 42; division 2 (19+): 1 Norman and Hazel Sockett 46, 2 David Shuttleworth and Sarah Lawrence 45, 3 Di and Derek Powell 42, 4 Dave and Ann Evans 41.