CROYDON Harriers youngsters enjoyed considerable success in the opening Downs Cross Country League event at Epsom last Sunday.

They registered two individual wins and a team victory to set up the series well after a pre-season scare which saw running on Epsom Downs under threat.

Their under-13 squad, led home in first place by the tigerish Harvey Stainthorpe, took the keenly contested team win. Trinity School pupil Stainthorpe struck decisively for the finish with about 50m remaining.

Improving Kartik Iyer was next home for Harriers in eighth and the club's A-scoring quartet was completed by Stirling Gibbons (10th) and Andrew Statter (11th). Stevie Lawrence (15th) was the third girl finisher in the field of 38 and helped the B team finish seventh with six behind them.

In-form U15 Patrick Lucas won by nearly a minute in his category, having won a tough Surrey Schools League race at Oxted the previous day when running for John Fisher School.

Younger brother Matthew, Croydon's only U13 runner finished a pleasing 15th in the field of 60.

The Croydon Harriers' men finished a modest 20th of 30 teams in the Reigate Priory Relays the day before with Andy Del Nevo contributing their fastest leg (16mins 29secs). U17 Mark Plackett, one of the club's best prospects, finished an excellent second for Trinity School in their Surrey School's League match.

This Saturday, the Trinity juniors will contest the English Schools semi-final at Dartford, and with well balanced teams featuring athletes like Peter Chambers and Harvey Stainthorpe, have a good chance of reaching the final.

On the same day, Croydon Harriers host match two of the Surrey Men's League in Lloyd Park while the women travel to Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking for their match.