STEVE LOVELL has been used to his fair share of success on the football field.

A former Wales international – for whom he made six appearances - the striker also scored 104 goals in 275 games for Gillingham, where he was top scorer in four consecutive seasons between 1987-1992.

But the affable 45-year-old, who also played for Millwall and Crystal Palace, is also an impressive amateur golfer and the newly-crowned Kent Messenger Group Sunshine Challenge Golf champion.

Lovell, who is currently manager of Sittingbourne and Gillingham’s Football in the Community Officer took the matchplay title at Sheerness Golf Club by edging out two-handicapper Richard Randall.

He said: "The Sunshine Challenge is a great competition and I can’t wait to represent the Kent Messenger Group in the national final in Portugal next month."

The four-handicapper had reached the semi-finals by winning through several rounds of matchplay locally against fellow KM readers.

Lovell will be joined by his wife Mary in the Algarve next month where he will battle it out against more than a dozen other regional newspaper tournament winners over three rounds of strokeplay golf.

Sheerness Golf Club was in excellent condition for the finals day and the KM would like to thank secretary Mr Alan Jones for the course’s hospitality.

* FULL STORY AND PICTURES IN THIS WEEK'S KMG PAID-FOR TITLES.