HYNDBURN Athletic Club hosted the third round of the Red Rose Cross Country League at a soggy Wilson Playing Fields on Sunday.

The course had minor amendments this year, and was further tweaked on the day because of the heavy rain.

The home club started brightly when Reece Farnhill helped his team to second in the U11 Boys' race with a fine fourth, as in the girls' race Pendle AC also secured their best finish with Amy Moran fourth.

Near neighbours Black-burn Harriers put out a large contingent across the age groups and set the tone with team victories in both U11 races.

Elizabeth Greenwood relegated Sally Searson to second after her wins at Blackburn and Bury, but Searson will go to the final fixture at Marl Pits the week after next with four points in hand.

Rossendale's Callum Davidson leads the U11 boys, but for the second time was headed by Robert Smith of Oldham, and with three out of four results to count Smith a warm favourite for the title.

There were lean pickings for our locals in the U13s with due respect to Emily Fletcher of Blackburn, and Rossendale's Danny Walsh, respectively second girl and third boy.

Normal service was resumed in the U15s though as Blackburn took individual and team honours in each race.

Anthony Hauserman obliged for the boys, while Beckie Taylor headed a dominant show from the girls with four of the first five.With three wins out of three, Beckie has already clinched the league title.

Talking of domination, Rossendale's U17 men produced a 1-2-3 clean sweep with Joe Kelly, Ashley Kay and Jordan Beard, and the club's women weren't far behind as Emma Flanagan and Katie Ireland were first and second.

Emma finished clear of junior (U20) winner Alison Leonard (Blackburn Harriers) and all but two of the seniors. With two firsts and a second she is another certain of league success.

Rochdale's woman-of-the-moment Carly Needham won her third senior race of the season - last week she was named as the reserve for Great Britain's European Cross Country Team after a stunning run at Liverpool.

Chorley Harrier Lynne Clough finished third and leads the veteran standings by six points.

Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Anna Kelly and Sue Burns were first and second in the over 45s while club mates Mark Aspinall and Ian Greenwood matched them in the M45s.

Garry Wilkinson and Barry Mitchell won the M40 and M60 classes. Tom Cornthwaite was the class of the senior race.