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Masters Surprise with Second |
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Gerry Lynch receives support from Dara Furey as he brings City's Masters home in second place (Photo: Cathy McDermott) City of Derry athletes continued their impressive start to the winter season with top six finishes in three events at the Lisburn Road Relays. Despite missing both Allan Bogle (illness) and Gregory Roberts (unavailable) the Spartan men took sixth in a red-hot feature event contested over four legs of 3300 metres in Wallace Park. Team coach Noel McMonagle shuffled his pack from the previous weekend by promoting 18-year-old Conor Bradley from the B team and putting him on the crucial opening leg. The youngster performed well on a talent-laden opener to come home a close-up fifth. Diarmuid Grant moved up to fourth with a 9:54 timing before passing the baton to Ciaran Hurley.
The versatile Eoghan Furey comfortably retained the sixth place on the final stint with a 10:50 effort. City’s second string took tenth of the 20 teams after solid performances from Pajo Hamilton (10:44), Oran McBride (11:14), Dara Furey (11:09) and Dominic Hazlett (10:55). Ciaran Hurley (Photo: Cathy McDermott) Upfront St. Malachy’s warmed up in impressive style for next weekend’s English AAA Championships with a facile victory. After a brief early glitch which saw Abbey’s Paul Pollock out pace Dominic McAllister on the opening leg, the green and whites romped away from the opposition to win in 38 minutes five seconds. Former schools champion Kevin Seaward hit the front on the second three-lap stint around a crowded Wallace Park before Thomas Frazer increased the advantage by the end of the penultimate leg. Although Joe McAlister was visibly limping during his warm-up he was still able to stroll around in nine minutes 43 seconds to seal Malachy’s first win in the race. Raheny Shamrocks, 90 seconds back at the tape, were rewarded for the trip up from Dublin with a fine second place. Pollock’s opening leg inspired Abbey to take the third spot ahead of North Belfast with Annadale fifth. With Declan McCarthy resting up for next weekend’s trial for the veterans’ cross-country international and Mick Keely a later withdrawal, City Club Secretary Gerry Lynch was called into action in the masters’ relay. Dermot Connelly had an exceptional run on the first stage to put the City old timers in second at the first changeover with an 11:03 clocking. Noel McMonagle (11:24) slipped a place which Mal McCausland (11:59) regained on the third leg. Gerry Lynch (12:21) ran a controlled final stint to guide the Spartans home in second place behind Willowfield.
Ireland’s World Mountain Running Championships representative, Cathy McCourt (8:01), slipped back to seventh at the final changeover with the B team holding to tenth through Jackie McMonagle (8:30). Shelagh Bodkin (Photo: Cathy McDermott)
Himalayan Heroine Hannah Shields (8:06) worked hard to move the red and blacks up to fifth at the tape with Paula McGilloway (8:55) bringing the B squad home eleventh of the 18 finishers.
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Although
the Corkman slipped to sixth at the final changeover, he ran well above his
Larne form to clock 10 minutes 20 seconds, ten seconds slower than in the
Antrim seaport but on a course 100 metres longer. 
Earlier
the City women’s team took fifth in their 3 x 2200 metres contest. Shelagh
Bodkin (7:45) ran a storming opening leg before handing over in sixth place
one place ahead of B team runner Suzanne McGilloway (7:54)