NORTH-WEST LONDON YOUNG ATHLETES LEAGUE

SOMETHING had to give in the U11 girls race between Eva Goodhart from Thames Valley Harriers and Millie Bradbury on Saturday.

The TVH runner and her counterpart from Ealing were neck-and-neck on points and wins going into the finale at Hendon - and young Millie was favourite over the firm ground.

But Eva, from the Shepherd's Bush club, belied the pre-race doom-mongering to belt away from the start and open up a massive 18-second gap by the tape.

Picking up the theme, the Valley U11 boys also rose to the occasion at the death. Joe Cooper romped to second and there was terrific back-up from Tommy Gould in his first race of the season, and newcomer Abraham Da Costa.

It was the first time TVH had lifted the U11 team title since 2000, but Sasha Tory is no stranger to success.

She won the U15 girls category without setting foot in north London, having won all the previous four races.

But team-mate Katherine Spooner was a great back-up to come home a lone second,but not as splendidly isolated as Jo Mobed, who won the U17 race only three seconds short of a minute clear of the Ealing runner-up.

RESULTS (TVH only), GIRLS: U11, 1.96k: 1 E Goodhart 8:09; 13 M Bennett-Henry 9:35; 21 J Lewis 10:34. TEAM: 5 TVH.

U15, 2.36k: 2 K Spooner 9:39. TEAM: 4 TVH.

U17, 3.44k: 1 J Mobed 12:55. TEAM: 2 TVH. BOYS, U11, 2.36k: 2 J Cooper 10:07mins; 4 T Gould 10:16; 9 A Da Costa 10:41; 15 S Ekperigin 11:12; 24 S Bernard 12:02. TEAM: 1 TVH.

U13, 3K: 11 A St Aubyn 9:37; 25 S Cooper 10:28. TEAM: 7 TVH.

U15, 3.4k: 15 K Kenrick 12:49; 22 P Duncan 14:11. TEAM: 5 TVH.