ILFORD AC walker Scott Davis claimed a top-10 finish at the Molly Barnet and CAU Inter-County Championships on Saturday.

ILFORD AC walker Scott Davis claimed a top-10 finish at the Molly Barnet and CAU Inter-County Championships on Saturday.

At the outset, an Essex and International duo of Dan King (Colchester AC) and Davis were amongst a leading group in Coventry.

These included the eventual winner in 41 minutes 50 seconds, namely Ireland's Brendan Boyce, who soon broke clear, dragging fellow Carnegie athletes, Alex Wright, Tom Bosworth and Johanna Jackson in his slipstream.

The chasing group of King, Davis, Michael Doyle from Ireland and Tommy Taylor (Birchfield) but left in the leader's wake, were still travelling at a very fast rate themselves, as evidenced by Davis 22.10 at the half-way mark.

King was the first to go after the Leeds Carnegie University based athletes, but his valiant effort to get on terms with Jackson in particular was repelled by a strong surge from the British female number one from the 6k point.

The Essex man was then left adrift and although tiring rapidly in the closing stages was rewarded with fifth in 44.22, signalling that he is now ready to regain his best form.

The 6k point also saw attacks from Davis and Doyle. Though the man from Ilford was unable to match the acceleration of his Irish counterpart, he drew well clear of Taylor and was rapidly closing on King at the finish only to run out of road.

He was rewarded with sixth place in 44.44, his best time as a senior. The quality of Doyle's surge was spectacular, taking him past Jackson and King and enabling him to mug Bosworth for third almost on the finish line in 43.37 to the latter's 43.39. The Irishman was only six seconds adrift of second placed Alex Wright in 43.31.

The excellent performance from Davis was supported well by some fine showings from his Ilford team-mates.

The comeback and rapid improvement from Francisco Reis continues and although unable to hold off Steyning's Jim Ball in the final stages he returned a very good 51.10 for 11th place.

A little behind in 14th was the ever-consistent Steve Uttley, finishing in 53.25. The Ilford trio were, however, cruelly denied the coveted Club Team Trophy by the narrowest of margins.

They lost the trophy on countback by virtue of their last man finishing just one position behind Steyning's last man.

Davis, Uttley and King formed the Essex Team that successively retained the famous Inter-Counties Trophy.