REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples finished second and helped the North win the team race in yesterday's Abbey Dash 10K in Leeds.

The 24-year-old was disappointed to be beaten by a second by team-mate Andy Norman, of Altrincham, who broke clear at the halfway in the difficult, windy conditions and just managed to hold off Hepples' storming finish.

Hepples, who now runs for Newham and Essex Beagles to compete on the track in Division One of the British League, was happy with his time of 29 mins 45 secs - only 13 seconds outside his previous best.

But he admitted: "I am a bit disappointed to have lost. I was in the right shape to win but Andy judged things right and I just couldn't catch him.

"I think the conditions were worth about 20 seconds and it was probably my best 10K."

The third member of the North team was reigning North-East cross country champion Neil Wilkinson, of Morpeth, who was fifth in 29.55 - nine seconds ahead of clubmate Ian Hudspith, who was eighth.

Alan Buckley, still wearing the colours of Gateshead despite moving to London, was third in 29.53 but was not in the North team.

North-East-based Morag McDonnell took second prize in the women's race, finishing 30 seconds behind the Wirral's Helen Lawrence, whose winning time was exactly 34 minutes.

* Defending champions Sunderland bounced back in the third DP Furniture Express North-East Harrier League to beat Division One leaders Morpeth Harriers.

Stung by a disastrous fourth placing at Chester-le-Street a week earlier, the Wearsiders hit back to beat the Northumbrians by 28 points, being led home by slow-pack runner Mike Donkin, who took full advantage of a five minute start to finish second in the 9K handicap behind North Shields Polytechnic's Robert Walker.

Sunderland packed their six counters in the first 13, while Morpeth - newly promoted this season - had five in the first ten but their last counter was 32nd.

Sunderland secretary Les Arnott said: "After last week's poor performance they've reacted in the right way."

The women's race saw an emphatic 71 seconds victory by Chester-le-Street's Maxine Czarnecka, while Shildon's Kate Avery clocked the fastest time in the under-13 girls' race for the second consecutive fixture.

DP Furniture Express North-East Harrier League Third Fixture (Blaydon)

Senior men (9K): 1 R Walker (North Shields Poly Slow Pack +5 mins) 30.17; 2 M Donkin (Sunderland, SP) 30.52; 3 L Timmins (Gosforth, Medium Pack +2 mins) 31.39. Fastest times: 1 T Wall (Morp) 28.55; 2 G Massingham (Sund) 29.01; 3 L Timmins 29.09. Teams - Div 1: 1 Sunderland 41 pts; 2 Morpeth 69; 3 Wallsend 156.

Under-17 Men (5K): 1 N Swinburn (Morp, SP +2.20) 16.36; 2 W Roberts (Shildon, SP) 16.44; 3 M Wallace (Houghton & Peterlee, SP) 17.56. Fastest times: 1 J Young (Morp) 16.05; 2 N Swinburn 16.36; 3 A Colwell (Morp) 16.46. Teams: 1 Morpeth 15; 2 Houghton & Peterlee 27; 3 Tynedale 37.

Under-15 Boys (3.5K): 1 B Chadwick (Shildon, FP -1.30) 12.50; 2 J Gibson (Gates, FP) 12.52; 3 M Williams (Tynedale, FP) 12.57. Teams: 1 Shildon 19; 2 Morpeth 21; 3 Gateshead 29.

Senior Women (5K): 1 M Czarnecka (Chester-le-Street, SP +2.20) 18.28; 2 A Onsia (J&H) 19.39; 3 R Dance (Ryton Tri, SP) 20.18. Fastest times: 1 M Czarnecka 18.28; D Todd (Durham City) 18.35; 3 D James (Elvet) 18.46.