ROYAL ABERDEEN V MURCAR LINKS FINAL IN MAITLAND SHIELD

Royal Aberdeen, the hosts, will play neighbours Murcar Links  in Friday evening's (tee off 4.45pm)) final of the City of Aberdeen's double foursomes for the Maitland Shield, sponsored by the Cults Hotel.: In tonight's semi-finals over the Balgownie links, the two clubs whose members play on links land KOd the two clubs who are based inland. Royal Aberdeen beat Banchory by six holes, while  Murcar Links won by two holes against Deeside.. Banchory made more of a fight of it than their six-hole overall defeat would suggest. Both ties were still close at the turn and it was only over the closing holes that Royal Aberdeen's Allan Reith and Mark Halliday paved the way for a two-hole win over Lee Morrice and Adam Lindsay. It was much the same story in the second-string match with Steve Buchan and Donald Macandrew using their local knowledge to advantage to beat Innes Miller and Lindsay Smart by four holes. The Murcar Links v Deeside semi-final could have gone either way. Murcar's Clark Brechin and Anthony Bews secured a halved match against David Halliday and Allan Ross when they won the last hole - Brechin holing a 15ft putt. That meant the outcome would be decided by the second stringers. Former international Bryan Innes and Duncan Raitt took Murcar through to the final by finishing two up on Ron Evett and Paul Lawrie's older son Craig.  SEMI-FINAL RESULTS Royal Aberdeen bt Banchory by six holes (Allan Reith and Mark Halliday 2, Lee Morrice and Adam Lindsay 0; Steve Buchan and Donald Macandrew jun 4, Innes Miller and Lindsay Smart 0). Murcar Links bt Deeside by two holes (Anthony Bews and Clark Brechin 0; David Halliday and Alan Ross 0; Bryan Innes and Duncan Raitt 2, Ron Evett  Craig Lawrie 0). .