The final match in Division Five West of the Panasonic Northern Men's league provided host club Peninsula AC with a rousing finale to their season.
Lying in the sixth position before Saturday's encounter, the Moreton based club consolidated their overall standing in the League by finishing in third position on the day. Thus moving them into fourth place overall. A remarkable effort in only the club's second season in the League.
While, Liverpool based, Sefton Harriers won the championship, from one of the two Isle-of-Man teams, Manx, it was the scrap for the lower places that concerned the local clubs Peninsula and Wallasey AC along with Ellesmere Port based Whitby Heath AC.
All three clubs have beaten one another during the season as the standard has risen noticeably. This is due to the inspiration provided by the local rivalry that has in turn recently begged the question from many observers of "How good would a combined team be?" for many believe it would be a championship winning formula!
Few would argue after watching Saturday's epic battle of grass roofs athletics at its best. As first one. Then the other club took it in turns to pinch points from each other.
In the 100m Sprint, Phil Smith thundered majestically down the straight dragging Peninsula man Steve Gill to a personal best time in the process. While in the field events Wallasey's Brimage brothers, Bob and Alan along with Steve Whelan and Dave Pendleton were pushed hard by Peninsula new boys Richard More, Billy Lecky and Andrew Jarvis but nowhere was there a closer tussle than the 1500 metres where Peninsula's Keith Simpson had to run his fastest ever over the distance to thwart Wallasey's classy steeplechaser Philip Cuthbert in a finish so close that each was credited with the same time.
Other notable performers for Peninsula were Mike Johnson, Craig Holsgrove, James Downey, Martin Quinn and Mark Hulmston while for Wallasey - Paul Johnson, Alan Johnson and John Cottrell performed admirably.
Results: 1, Manx AC (IOM) 433pts; 2, Sefton Harriers 330; 3, Peninsula AC 317; 4, Wallasey AC 286; 5, Chorley AC 258; 6, Whitby Heath AC 237; 7, Lancaster AC 157; 8, Northern AC ( IOM) 135.
Ends
Source - Hoylake & West Kirby News - Wednesday, 14/08/1991
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