DEFENDING champions Sunderland underlined their strength-in-depth with an emphatic senior men's team victory in the opening DP Furniture Express North-East Harrier League fixture at Farringdon.

The Wearsiders - going for their 20th First Division title - revelled in the muddy conditions on home territory, finishing 44 points ahead of their nearest rivals newly-promoted Morpeth, with Durham City another point away in third place.

Sunderland were led home by club stalwart Brian Bewick, who finished third from the slow pack, which received five minutes start from the fastest runners in the 5.7-mile handicap event won by Durham University student Andrew Morton, from London.

The secret of the host club's victory was their close packing, having six finishers in the first 22, with Morpeth having to wait until 70th place for their final counter after having five men home in the first 19, when they led their rivals by four points.

The fastest finisher was Ryan McLeod, the 19-year-old son of former Olympic Games 10,000m silver medallist Mike Mcleod.

The University of Northumbria student plumped for the race instead of travelling to Birmingham for the second Reebok Cross Challenge and adding to the maximum points he gained from his junior men's victory in the opening fixture at Falkirk earlier in the month.

McLeod, who has his sights set on winning a place in the Great Britain junior team for the European Cross Country Championships, finished 11th overall, despite giving away five minutes start.

After finishing 44 seconds ahead of defending senior men's champion Terry Wall, of Morpeth, McLeod said: "I didn't really fancy the course at Birmingham - I ran there last year and I didn't enjoy it.

"I like little twisty courses and this was a good test for me - it was the first time I've run in the local league for about four years and I enjoyed it.

"My main objective is winning a place in the European Championships and this will be part of my build-up to the trials later this month."

A fierce tussle for the senior women's crown is in prospect after a hard-fought race between former champion Claire Simpson, of Jarrow and Hebburn, and title-holder Donna James (Elvet Striders).

Both ran from the fast pack, giving away 2 mins 40 secs start, and Simpson - prevented from running last season through injury, beat the Durham veteran by 13 seconds as they finished fourth and fifth in a race won by North Shields Polytechnic slow-pack runner Claire McManus.

Simpson, who led her team to victory in the Blaydon Relays two weeks earlier, confirmed she will try to regain the championship she won in 2002 in her maiden-name of Smallwood.

DP Furniture North-East Harrier League Opening Fixture (Farringdon)

Senior Men (5.7m): 1 A Morton (Durham City, Slow Pack +5 mins) 30 mins 52 secs; 2 L Atkinson (Morpeth, SP) 31.37; 3 B Bewick (Sunderland, SP) 31.43; 4 J Creegan (Gateshead, SP) 32.05; 5 S Potts (Sund, SP) 32.07. Fastest times: 1 R McLeod (Elswick, Fast Pack scr) 28.32; 2 T Wall (Morp, FP) 29.16; 3 C Sampson (Morp, FP) 29.43; 4 S Bell (Chester-le-Street, FP) 29.45; 5 T Doughty (Sund, FP) 29.59. Teams - Div 1: 1 Sunderland 77 pts, 2 Morpeth 121, 3 Durham City 122; Div 2: 1 Elswick 95, Gateshead 117, 3 Chester-le-Street 193; Div 3: 1 Newcastle University 44; 2 Jarrow & Hebburn 53; 3 Claremont 126.

Under-17 Men (3.8m): 1 R Foster (Tynedale, SP + 2.40) 22.17; 2 C Baron (Tynedale, SP) 22.27; 3 R Balmbra (Morp, SP) 22.40. Fastest times: 1 S Hall (Gates, FP scr) 20.04; 2 M Crawley (Durham, FP) 20.28; 3 D McMeiken (Blaydon, FP) 21.23. Teams: 1 Tynedale 9; 2 Houghton & Peterlee 39.

Under-15 Boys (1.9m): 1 G Scrafton (Sund, SP+1.20) 10.37; 2 J Bregmen (Sund, SP) 10.52; 3 D Burnage (Shildon SP) 10.54. Fastest times: 1 S Potter (NSP, FP) 10.21; 2 M Cochrane (Morp, FP) 10.25; 3 M Cairns (Morp, FP) 10.28. Teams: 1 Sunderland 8; 2 Morpeth 29; 3 Shildon 33.

Under-13 Boys (1.9m): 1 N Reed (Sund, SP+1.20) 10.41; 2 D Gallagher (Gosforth, SP) 10.56; 3 L Battista (Gos, SP) 11.00. Fastest times: 1 T Venus (Tynedale, FP) 10.35; 2 M Grimes (Dur C, FP) 11.38; 3 N Reed 10.41.

Senior Women (3.8m): 1 C McManus (NSP, SP+2.40) 25.05; 2 F Shenton (Elvet SP) 25.15; 3 K Chapman (Claremont, SP) 25.41. Fastest times: 1 C Simpson (Jarrow & Hebburn, FP) 23.27; 2 D James (Elvet, FP) 23.40; 3 H Robinson (ClS) 23.41. Teams: 1 North Shields Poly 23; 2 Elvet Striders 33; 3 Jarrow & Hebburn 48.

Under-20/17 Women (3.8m): 1 S Duffy (Gates) 25.03; 2 L Dodsworth (Gates) 25.22; 3 A Wilson (Guest) 25.31; 4 D Watts (Morp U20) 25.41; 5 G Barry (H&P U20) 25.50. Teams: 1 Gateshead 13; 2 Sunderland 41.

Under-15 Girls (1.9m): 1 R Shield (Dur C, SP+1.20) 11.26; 2 H Girtig (Blay, SP) 11.34; 3 S Crowell (J&H, SP) 11.41. Fastest times: 1 R Shield; 2 H Girtig; 3 S Miller (Blay, FP) 11.35.Teams: 1 Blaydon 13; 2 Jarrow & Hebburn 31; 3 Houghton & Peterlee 43.

Under-13 Girls (1.9m): 1 S Crosby (Sund, SP+1.20) 11.22; 2 C Samuelson (Gates, SP) 12.27; 3 L Cairns (Morp, SP) 12.52. Fastest times: 1 S Crosby; 2 D Pickering-Clarke (Blackhill, FP) 11.45; 3 S Goodfellow (Morp, FP) 11.57. Teams: 1 Morpeth 18; 2 Sunderland 22; 3 Chester-le-Street 37.