At Kirkby last Saturday, Wallasey A. C. showed disappointing form in Liverpool & District cross-country championships when their senior team finished runners-up to Pembroke A.C. with 81 points against Pembroke's 44.
Pembroke packed their counting six in the first thirteen places and with Brian Woolford and Ron Barlow running well below normal form in thirteenth and twenty-second places respectively Wallasey never looked like making a serious challenge to Pembroke's long held supremacy.
With his usual consistency John Wright was soon disputing the lead with Pembroke's Geoff Warriner, but running on his home course of grassland and plough, Warriner showed astute tactics in preventing Wright from making a tactical burst by holding him on the heavy plough increasing the pace on the faster grassland.
In this way Warriner kept Wright in check until the last 200 yards when Warriner just maintained his 2 yard lead in a desperate finish.
Second man home for Wallasey was junior Brian Chalton who followed his fine run in the Cheshire Championships by finishing in seventh place to establish his position
amongst Merseyside's top distance runners.
Hugh Pritchard travelled especially from Newcastle to put in some powerful running which brought him in as Wallasey's fourth man in seventeenth position. Pete White in twentieth despite lack of racing fitness, showed much of his old fighting spirit over the heavy course.
In the boys' event re depleted Wallasey team finished fourth with only Peter Meldrum showing top form in ninth position, though it should be said that Dave Bibby was lying close to the leaders when he pulled a muscle and had to retire at about the mile stage Wallasey were unable to field a team in the Youth's event over three miles, but lone runner Frank Davis turned in one of his best in performances in finishing fifteenth.
To-day, Wallasey A.C. again clash with Pembroke A.C. as well as the strong Blackpool team when the West Lancashire Championships will be run from Sherdley Park, St. Helens.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 04/02/1961
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