MALTON & NORTON ladies are just two matches away+ from a trip to Spain after storming into the last 16 of the Daily Mail National Golf Club Classic.

The Welham Park women bested Bishop Auckland 4-1 in County Durham in their seventh round match of the prestigious competition, which starts with hundreds of clubs entering.

Spearheaded by Emma Brown, the +4 handicapper who has won most of the country's biggest amateur tournaments, the ladies now have a nervous week to wait before learning who they will meet for a place in the quarter-finals. The draw for the next round is made on Monday.

Brown was a comfortable 7&6 winner up in County Durham, while Judy Butler won 5&4, Wendy Jackson 3&2 and Carol Simpson 2&1. Malton only failed to grab a clean sweep after Jackie Roberts was narrowly defeated on the final hole.

Brown said: "It was a great result and we are absolutely delighted. It was a good team effort and everyone played well. We had quite a few people come up from Malton to support us and that was great as well. We got to round nine a couple of years ago and it is a great competition.

"It's really good to have a national knockout competition like this and everyone really enjoys it. The last four all go out to Spain to play the finals so it is fingers crossed and let's see who we get (in round eight). A home draw would be nice but we are happy to go away again. We have got a good strong team."

But while there was joy for the women, whose run continues, the club's men's team fell in their seventh round match at home against Lincolnshire's Normanby Hall.

The side, featuring Richard Brown, David Hague, Alex Wiggins, Ian Charlton and Gordon Kelly, was beaten 4-1.