CLAIRE Blackshaw rolled back the years to clinch the Lancashire Women's County Championship for the second time in her career at Formby last weekend.

And now the Blackburn member has set her sights on the Northern Counties Team Championships as Lancashire bid to crack Yorkshire's stranglehold on the famous trophy.

The 31-year-old pharmacist admitted she never thought she would become County champion again, after last lifting the title 11 years ago.

Twice, she has finished a runner-up since, in 1996 and 1998.

But Blackshaw was a model of consistency as she cruised to victory in this year's competition in testing conditions at windswept Formby.

After brushing aside friend and county colleague, Natalee Evans, in the semi-finals, Blackshaw blitzed Gillian Nutter over her home course in the final to clinch the title for the first time since 1989. I first won it 11 years ago but I never thought I would get the chance to do it again," said Blackshaw, who triumphed 4 and 3.

"It's a big honour because Lancashire is a strong county so it's nice to come out on top.

"My semi-final against Natalee was very close. "I was only one up after 15 but then won 16 and 17 so it went right to the wire, even though I ended up winning 3 and 1. In the final, I lost the first hole but won the fourth to get back all square.

"Then I went two up by the ninth, won the 12th to go three up, and the 15th to go four up.

"But again it was close because I had to work hard to halve a lot of the holes."

Blackshaw used all her experience to tame the Formby course and she believes she has added more consistency to her game since she last won the title.

"I think I'm more consistent and my putting has definitely improved," said Blackshaw.

"But Formby is a course on which you need to hit the fairways so I used my three wood quite a bit which might have sacrificed length but at least I was in play."

Now Blackshaw is focusing on the Northern County Championships which are set to take place at Ilkley GC next month.

And, with international stars like Kim Andrew, Natalee Evans and Kirsty Fisher set to join her in the Lancashire side, she believes the Red Rose county have a great chance of beating old rivals Yorkshire, who have won the title for the last two seasons.

"Yorkshire remain the team to beat but we've got some good players in the Lancashire squad and, hopefully, we can all hit form at the same time."

Then it's back to the individual stuff when Blackshaw will prepare for the Pleasington Putter and the Birkdale Scratch Trophy later in the summer.