Hampshire suffered heartache as Essex claimed the South East Challenge League title at their expense for a third consecutive year.
Essex denied former England international James Knight the chance to extend the final match down the 19th hole, securing a 7-5 win.
Last year, Blackmoor's county champion Sam Parsons witnessed the title snatched from his grasp with an outrageous birdie by Essex's England U16 international Charlie Croker at the first-extra hole.
Essex sealed a 7-5 victory, leaving Parsons unable to rescue Hampshire.
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Hampshire Challenge League captain Harrison Pake was in disbelief as Freddie Warn survived a late onslaught from Knight.
Knight needed a birdie on the last to tie the final at 6-6 and force a play-off for the second year in a row at Sudbury's Newton Green GC.
Knight, who made his England debut alongside Europe's Ryder Cup hero Luke Donald in 1995, had enjoyed a summer renaissance.
The 50-year-old had forced his way back into the Hampshire first-team for the first time in more than 20 years.
He was one down with two to play when he stiffed his approach into the 17th, leaving a couple of inches for the birdie he needed to extend the game.
But a 40-foot birdie attempt on the 18th missed, leaving Warn with a five-footer for the winning par.
Pake was reasonably pleased with his side’s start to the final, trailing Essex by 2.5-1.5 at lunch after the morning foursomes.
The skipper, from Stoneham GC, had sent out Parsons and North Hants’ James Atkins in the top match in the alternate shot format.
They lost 3&2, but Knight – playing with junior Ben Cox – levelled the match by beating Warn and Will Wright by the same margin.
Pake, playing with Rowlands member Harry Fairclough, were up against it down the back nine but fought valiantly.
With coach Kevin Flynn and county secretaries Richard Arnold and Chris Harrison calling the shots, Hampshire fought their way back into the final by winning three of the first four singles.
But Romsey’s Cox quickly lost by the same margin against Joe Dobbyn as the defending champions moved a point ahead again.
Parsons won on the last to level the match for a third time.
Fairclough had been two-up with five to play but was caught by Carter, who won three out of four holes, including the 17th, giving Essex the trophy for the third year in a row.
Hampshire won the first Challenge League title in 2022.
Report by Andrew Griffin
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