Sport

Neil Johnston times it to perfection in Coleraine

Neil Johnston on his way to winning the premier title at the Northern Ireland & Ulster Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships in Coleraine
Neil Johnston on his way to winning the premier title at the Northern Ireland & Ulster Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships in Coleraine Neil Johnston on his way to winning the premier title at the Northern Ireland & Ulster Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships in Coleraine

A PERFECTLY-JUDGED race saw Springwell’s Neil Johnston land the premier title on offer at the Northern Ireland & Ulster Intermediate and Masters’ Cross Country Championships on his home course at Coleraine.

On a heavy muddy track, the 22-year-old Queens University student bided his time for the first five laps of the 10k race before putting the foot down to overcome the challenge of pre-race favourite Conán McCaughey.

Johnston, McCaughey and Conal McCambridge were in the large leading pack at the end of a fairly subdued opening lap with the team contest even then looking like it could be a close affair.

McCambridge soon moved to the front dragging Johnston and McCaughey with him away from the chasing pack. At the halfway point, it was impossible to tell which of the three was destined to lift the title with teenager McCambridge looking the most comfortable a stride or so ahead of the other pair.

However, the pacemaking started to tell on the game young North Belfast Harrier and it was down to a straight duel between Johnston and the pre-race favourite with two laps to go.

In the end the strength and speed of the 4:11 miler that saw him home ahead of the dogged Derry Track Club runner. The impressive McCambridge held on for third and soon found he had a double reason to celebrate.

In the team competition, it looked as though North Belfast were comfortably ahead of Acorns at one point but a strong finish from the mid Ulster men saw them get to within a point of the Stags when the team scores were tallied.

Pauric McKinney bided his time to perfection in the Masters’ race before hauling in the impetuous Allan Bogle who had shot to the front from the gun before building up a 40-metre lead.

The 50-year-old Inishowen athlete stalked his victim before pouncing and moving away on the final lap for the most comfortable of victories. Bogle, a City of Derry Spartan, held on for second ahead of North Belfast’s Eamon White.

North Belfast, winners of the intermediate by the narrowest of margins, experienced the other side of the coin here when they saw a one-point lead going into the final circuit turn into a one-point defeat in the final reckoning.

Victors Finn Valley showed the way forward in Masters’ team races by fielding a quartet of whom three were M35s. That relative youth told as the Donegal club snuck home for their first team win in the category for some years.

Whilst holding the women’s intermediate and masters’ championships simultaneously may have been confusing from a team perspective, there was no disputing that Newcastle’s Shalane McMurray was the outstanding woman on the day.

The 37-year-old mother of two was clear from the gun but it looked as though she might have mistimed her efforts when she prematurely made for the finishing tunnel after two laps.

However, being shooshed out for another circuit only meant she ended up even further ahead when she finally did reach the finish line. A 30-second winning margin for a course less than five kilometres clearly illustrated her superiority.

Catriona Devine came out of the chasing pack to cross the line in second place. With McMurray opting to be included in the listings as an intermediate, that meant the Finn Valley athlete was crowned provincial masters’ champion.

Omagh Harrier Julie Butler was next across the line to claim the Masters’ silver medal ahead of defending champion Louise Smith who had the consolation of leading North Belfast Harriers to a successful defence of their team title.

Aoife McSheffrey was next home in fifth to take the intermediate individual silver medal and lay the foundation for team success for the local Springwell club.