ILFORD AC went out with a bang in the fifth and final Essex Cross Country League race at Colchester. Ilford s men s team were able to achieve their best result over the five league races at Saturday s three-lapped course of Abbey Fields A seventh-place

ILFORD AC went out with a bang in the fifth and final Essex Cross Country League race at Colchester.

Ilford's men's team were able to achieve their best result over the five league races at Saturday's three-lapped course of Abbey Fields

A seventh-place finish out of the 21 teams gained 353 points for the team of six scorers, which included Iain MacDonald (43rd), Darren Bottrill (48th), Kevin Newell (58th), Terry Knightley (60th), Andy Catton (69th) and Neil Crisp (75th).

John MacKenzie (104th), Tony Nixon (110th) and Matt Maple (121st) also competed for the men.

The women's team finished ninth out of 18 teams with a score of 194 points. Natalie Crisp was first to score for Ilford in 40th place with a terrific effort in her Essex League debut.

Nicola Hopkinson (48th), Sally Gillam (50th) and Pam Jones (56th) were the runners who completed the team.

Ilford's Thomas King finished the under-15s boys' race in 30th place. The final team standings for the Essex League had the women in 10th place and the men's team in 11th.

Individual standings reflected the best scores from four of the five races, with veterans Terry Knightly (42nd) and Bree Norden (22nd) ranked the highest finishes for Ilford runners.

The Essex Cross Country Championships will be held at Hadleigh on Saturday.