THE Dunham Forest Trophy finals day is one of the highlights of the Manchester Alliance’s season with the last four teams, who have won through from an entry of nearly 100 clubs, enjoying a great day of golf at the traditional and magnificent venue of Dunham Forest Golf Club.

The morning semi-finals saw Manchester Golf Club, winners of the trophy in 2011 and 1996, take on Reddish Vale, who were enjoying their first finals day for 40 years.

Manchester won three of the first four matches with victories for Andy Allen, Andy Westwell and Aiden Hoosten with Vale replying through Vaughan Stott.

With professional Paul Woodcock winning a walkover, due to Vale’s Andrew Myers suffering from injury, Manchester eased their way into the final with Ryan Jackson earning a consolation point for Vale.

It was much closer in the other game – a local derby between Bolton Old Links and Harwood – as wins for Michael Tunstall and James Whitworth for Links were matched by Steve Hunt and Joe Donnelly for Harwood.

It was still locked at 3-3 as Anthony Stirling won one-up for Harwood and Links professional Sean Owen levelled with a 3&2 success over Dale Affleck.

The crucial win for Links came from Nick Jackson, who beat Martin Durham on the 20th to give them high hopes of repeating their last win in the competition in 1975.

The final was nip and tuck for most of the day before Manchester put on a late surge to triumph 4½- 2½ with wins from Allen, Hoosten, Graeme Jackson and Roger Smithies with Keith Irwin halving his match with Whitworth.

Picking up the points for Links were Karl Bowker and Owen.

Alliance president John Dowd, from Flixton Golf Club, said: “All four teams can be very proud of reaching finals day in one of the biggest knockout competitions in the country and playing some superb golf with birdies and eagles coming at very regular intervals.

“Once more we are indebted to Dunham Forest Golf Club for their superb hospitality and again providing a top-class course.”

England Golf have launched the Golf Express to get people into golf and two local clubs are involved in the scheme.

Marple are running a nine-hole golf express open tomorrow with free entry for members and £8 for visitors. The contact is Keith Buchanan at keithkarenbuchanan@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, Cheadle are holding a golf express open on October 6 with a £10 entry and a range of great prizes. The contact there is John Sandford at John.Sandford@mck.co.uk.