UK Women's League, Abingdon, Sunday 6 July 2003

At Abingdon on Sunday, Havering Mayesbrook’s ladies 4^th place finish has given them a wonderful opportunity to gain promotion, in only their second season in the National League.  Coupled with their win at Stoke in the first of the three match programme, they now occupy second place in the league.

As in the previous match, the 800m pairing of Faye Fullerton and Laurie Cossey again came up trumps with another fine double victory in the A and B string races.  Faye’s time of 2.10.0 breaking the Abingdon track record, and Laurie’s 2.17.8, her fastest of the season, confirming that she is returning to the form that made her a South of England finalist last year.  Further points were earned in the 1500m when team captain Debbie Sullivan, also recording a season’s best, and newcomer to the senior ranks Ria Lyons, setting a new PB, finished 2^nd and 3^rd in their respective races.

Claire and Nina Brennan consolidated the Club’s position over the 100mH and 400mH.  Claire, with a 4^th place in the sprint and a 2^nd in the longer race, notched up new PB’s in both events.  Nina then matched her older sister with a fine performance in the B 400mH, to take the runners up spot.

Sprinters Laura Jones, Claire Sargent and Terri Johnson, and 5000m runners Hayley Hawes and Eleanor Mole all picked up valuable points.  There was a special cheer for high jumper and pole vaulter Sue Deboos, when she volunteered as a late replacement for the B string 400m, typifying the spirit that exists within the team.

In the field events, Sarah Deacon took third place in a very competitive hammer competition, ably assisted by throwing partner Melanie Harrison, who took the B string honours.  Later in the day the roles were reversed, with Melanie claiming third place in the A string discus, and Sarah winning the B.

With wins hard to come by, Sue Deboos’s third place in the B pole vault, backed up with solid performances from Hannah Gamester, Corrina Keevil, Sargent, Cossey, and the Brennan sisters, maintained the teams overall position in the top half of the match.

In the 4x100m relay Gamester, Sargent, Johnson and Jones brought the baton home in 6^th place, and then the meeting closed with a rousing victory from Sullivan, Lyons, Cossey and Fullerton in the 4x400m recording 4.03.9, the Clubs fastest time of the year.

The ladies now move to Peterborough on August 3 for the final match.  With the home Club at the top of the league, they have an excellent chance of promotion, after being relegated last season.  A win, or even a second place to Peterborough from the Havering team would ensure them Division 3 competition next year, but with Radley and Milton Keynes also in the hunt, all is still to play for.

HAVERING MAYESBROOK RESULTS