GLENN Clark was hot out of the traps to grab victory in Colchester Golf Club’s coveted County Standard Silver.

On a day when low handicappers came to the fore in the testing medal event – filling the top four places – Clark, playing off six, fired two birdies in the first three holes on his way to a sizzling nett 68.

But it was a close-run thing with Richard Withnall (3), Roger Wright (4) and Dan Nicholls (3) all hot on his heels, just one shot back after nett 69s.

Clark showed his class from the off with birdies at the second and third.

Two bogeys brought him back to level par gross for the front nine but things looked to be slipping away after a dropped shot at 11 and a double at 12.

A fine birdie three at the long 15th steadied things but he had to survive a late wobble, with dropped shots at both the last two holes, before victory was assured.

All three players in second place had significant tales of “what if” - having got themselves into great positions.

Runner-up on countback, Withnall racked up 15 pars with a birdie two at the 13th and bogeys at four and 14 the only variations in the first 17.

But he was left to count the cost of a disappointing dropped shot on the last to finish one shot off the winning score.

It was even worse for Wright who birdied holes one, five and nine to turn on a brilliant 34, two shots under par gross.

But his hot run of form over recent weeks deserted him on the back nine with bogeys on five of the last nine holes to come home in 39.

Nicholls also came off the rails from what looked like a comfortable winning position.

He started with a bogey but had an eagle three on the second and birdies at five and nine to turn in an astounding, three-under, gross 33.

A bogey at the tenth followed by four pars still left him at two-under gross on the 15th tee.

But his game agonisingly got away from him with a bogey, par, bogey, double-bogey finish – four dropped shots – to miss out by one despite a gross 72.

Seven players finished in fifth place on level par 70 – Ian Parry (8), Dominic Bibby (15), Peter Quinn (16), John Blackmore (3) , Kris Lee (10), Peter Manby (10) and Cai James (2).

The Ladies Silver Trophy team travelled to Colne Valley and came away with a nail-biting 3-2 victory.

Cathy Burchell (10) secured a win for Colchester on the 18th as did Judith Robertson (13).

Jenny Mitchel and Maureen Devenish both lost and the match went down to the wire.

But Bee Pertwee (18) held her nerve for a 3&1 match-winning success.

Meanwhile, Patricia Walker (25) and Ann Salmon (32) took the Coronation Foursomes on countback from Chris Clarke (23) and Janet Tebbutt (25).

The winners will play the next round at Romford in July.

George Shelmerdine (17), helped by birdies at nine and ten, took the Vets Stableford with 37 points to finish one ahead of Graham Griffiths (13) and three clear of David Withnall (23), Trevor Cock (15), John Napier (18), Michael Berry (18) and Gerry Woodruff (17).

There were two impressive 5-0 victories in the County Youth Shield.

The Scratch team beat Stoke by Nayland at home and the Handicap team whitewashed Elsenham away.