Oswestry ladies capped a highly-successful year by becoming the Shopshire county Scratch League champions.

It was a great achievement by the club, whose last success in the competition came in 2011.

They reached the final after beating Lilleshall and Bridgnorth home and away in their fixtures.

They met Wrekin in the final in Shrewsbury, and knew they were up against it as they had played them earlier in the league campaign and had lost 2-1.

But when it mattered, the Oswestry girls found their form on a breezy day and romped to a 3-0 victory.

The team members were Victoria Bradbeer and Victoria Raffles, who both play off four, three-handicapper Tania Pearce and team captain Gemma Thornell, who plays off five.

Ladies’ captain Jo Davies said: “It was a tremendous achievement and underlines the strength of the club in ladies’ golf.

“Unlike many clubs, we have thriving ladies’ and junior sections and have some very talented players here.

“Victoria Raffles, for example, has just played her 10th match for the county and has been accepted for a golfing scholarship in America.

“And we almost had two county titles to celebrate, but just lost out in the league campaign.”

That competition saw Oswestry beat Llanymynech home and away, and made the semi-finals by the narrowest of margins after playing Arscott and winning one match and losing the other, clinching victory on holes won.

The semi-final went down to the wire, too. They lost at Market Drayton but won at home, and it was all down to holes won – and this time they lost out.

“Market Drayton were the best team, even though we put our top ladies in the side,” said Jo.

“All the games were played in great spirit.”

The ladies who played in the competition were Margaret Dunbar, the team captain, Marie Male, Jane Jones, Sarah Weaver, Margaret Ratcliffe, Margaret Green, Judith Thornell, Gemma Thornell and Tania Pierce, whose handicaps ranged from three to 20.