FAST-IMPROVING Nick McCormick staged a dramatic fight-back to anchor Morpeth Harriers to a fifth senior men's victory in the National Cross Country Relays at Mansfield.

The 23-year-old Great Britain junior international took over in third position on the final two-lap stage and quickly overtook runners from Belgrave and Sale after early leaders Harrow failed to produce a fourth-leg candidate.

But McCormick struggled in the heavy mud and was passed by Belgrave's Mark Miles, who held a 30 metres advantage with one kilometre remaining.

Morpeth's youngest team member responded magnificently, however, regaining the lead on firmer ground and snatching victory by six seconds.

"I went off too fast," admitted McCormick. "But I was able to regain the lead on better ground over the final kilometre."

McCormick weighed in with the third fastest time of the day after team-mate Tom Ranger opened in 14th position and Neil Wilkinson clawed back nine positions before Ian Hudspith gained another place on the penultimate leg.

It was Morpeth's second success in three years, having finished runners-up in 2003.

And the Northumbrians returned with another set of medals when their under-17 team finished second, a minute behind Southend.

Elswick Harrier Ryan McLeod, son of Olympic Games 10,000m silver-medallist Mick McLeod, continued his build-up to this month's European Cross Country Championships trials by clocking the third fastest time in the under-20 race as the Tyneside club's only runner.

North Shields Polytechnic's Ryan Stephenson also ran "solo", recording the eighth fastest time.

As expected, injury-hit Chester-le-Street AC's women's team failed to make any impact in the race they won two years previously, finishing a disappointing 17th.

* Chester-le-Street's Stewy Bell scored a comfortable third victory in yesterday's Fruitbowl Seven Mile trail race at Gibside.

Knowledge of the gruelling course proved invaluable to the former Great Britain international.

He surged away from Sunderland Harriers Tom Doughty and Dave Robertson on a long climb approaching five miles.

Bell said: "It was hard work but I knew it was going to be hard. I just ran at the front and pushed on when the opportunity arose."

Doughty, over-40 bronze medallist in the World Triathlon Championships in New Zealand at the beginning of the year, tried desperately to recover the lost ground but finished 13 seconds in arrears, just beating Robertson for second place.

He said: "It was a very tough race and just when I thought Stewy was breathing heavily on a hill that seemed to go on for ever he kicked away and I just couldn't go with him."

Dawn Richardson, of Quakers, beat Tynedale veteran Sonia Morley by 43 seconds for the women's crown - then immediately set off to compete in the second North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League fixture at Hartlepool.

* Middlesbrough Mandale's Rob Cole was a clear winner of yesterday's second North Yorkshire and South Durham fixture at Hartlepool.

A previous winner over the testing 9km course, Cole clocked 30 mins 17 secs to beat fast-improving Newton Aycliffe junior Lewis Moses by 59 seconds, with Paul Lowe (North York Moors) a further 16 seconds away third.

Former North-East champion Marie Stansmore scored her second consecutive victory in the series, beating defending champion Bernadette Taylor over the 4.8km course by 28 seconds.

Quakers junior Julia Orr was a further eight seconds behind in third place.