WORCESTERSHIRE'S John Bickerton is still looking for his first European Tour golf win after finishing second in the Madeira Island Open.

Ireland's Des Smyth denied the Droitwich Golf Club member by becoming the oldest-ever winner on the European Tour.

Smyth carded a final-round 66 for an 18-under-par total of 270 at Santo da Serra and a two-stroke victory over Bickerton.

Thirty four days after celebrating his 48th birthday, Smyth thereby eclipsed the previous oldest winner in the Tour's 30-year history, England's Neil Coles winning the Sanyo Open in 1982 at 48 and 12 days.

It also meant he has now won a tournament in each of the last four decades, his first coming in 1979 and the last in the Madrid Open in 1993.

Bickerton was philosophical in defeat, a final round 69 giving him his third runners-up spot on tour after two close shaves in 1999. But he did have the consolation of a £38,000 runners-up cheque.

"I'm happy," insisted the 31-year-old Midlander who was glad to be playing at all having been forced to withdraw from the Qatar Masters last week after contracting a stomach virus and gland infection in Dubai that left him unable to get out of bed for several days.

"I just let a couple of holes slip. On the 11th I knocked it into the edge of the water from the tee and took my shoes and socks off and tried to play it but knocked it into trouble.

"That was my only bogey but it was a good one in the end. Then I missed a couple of birdie chances coming in but I'm happy. Second ... again!"

The lead changed hands numerous times on an edgy final day with three of the top six finishers seeking their first tour victory.

One of those, Welshman Stephen Dodd, had never finished higher than fifth in a tournament or better than 140th on the Order of Merit in four attempts.

But the former 1989 British Amateur Champion, who played in the triumphant Walker Cup team that year and with Sandy Lyle and Curtis Strange in the 1990 US Masters, briefly led after his third birdie of the day on the seventh and only fell out of contention with bogeys on 14 and 16.

A birdie at the last however secured him a tie for third and the consolation of a cheque for £16,582, his biggest prize on tour.