BOLTON’S senior track and field team headed to Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium for the Northern Athletics promotion play-off with high hopes, having convincingly won the Division Two West and Central a fortnight ago.

The match featured the other Division Two champions – City of Sheffield, Derby AC and Gateshead Harriers, and the two Division One relegation contenders Sale Harriers and West Cheshire.

Bolton dominated the men’s track distances from 400m onwards. Both A and B races were won in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3,000mSC and 5,000m courtesy of Jonny Kay, Jack Dickinson, Martin Reid, Frazer Jardine, Declan Toomey, Karl Darcy and Tony Valentine (silver).

Reinal Bonora and John Nicholson covered all throwing events, while Chris Mann was the only recognised jumper, customarily netting a high jump win (shared) with a season's best 2.05m, before taking on the hurdles. Martin Reid epitomised the team spirit by undertaking the 110m high hurdles for the very first time.

For the women, the ever-improving Hannah Stephenson took the plaudits by winning the 400m (61.7s) despite her youth, while Demi Scott and Anna Chadbond did the sprint-double.

Mercedes Mercer, Katie Oakley and Olivia McGreavy represented in the middle distances, with good support from Tamika Carr and Georgia Lever in the field and relays.

Bolton’s match total of 323 points was fourth –creditable considering the number of absentees. West Cheshire won the match with 398 points to retain their Division One status, while big city favourites Sheffield were promoted by coming second. Sale were marginally ahead (338), with Gateshead (252) outgunning Derby (91).

Team captain Jardine said: “The disappointment of the result pales into insignificance compared with the satisfaction at the account we gave of ourselves on the day.

"It was a tremendous effort and I’m proud of the team. We’ll be there next year.”

Elsewhere, Phil Marsden collected a brilliant bronze in 39mins 41secs the Golf Ball fell race, just eight seconds adrift of Danny Hope after shadowing the Horwich RMI man around the course.

As the fourth and final race in the midweek series hosted by Rossendale Harriers, the two were separated by just two points for the top two podium places.

A slender gap also existed between Simon Dally (44:25) and teammate Andrew Doyle (44:35) for 18th position, while Nick Howarth’s 51:18 was 68th of the 149 runners.

Tommy Harrison clocked 27:08 to claim fourth in the final race of the Horwich RMI-hosted Jubilee 5 Mile series.

Despite the poor weather, Harrison eclipsed clubmate Tony Valentine for the first time, whose 27:32 netted fifth. The roles were reversed in the series standings though, as Valentine took gold with eight points to Harrison’s 13 for bronze. Chris Pickford was 25th of the 101 field in 32:23 and placed 15th overall in the series.