THE seven races that make up the Hampshire League cross-country programmes were won by Aldershot, Farnham & District AC on Saturday, nearly all of them convincingly.

Among the highlights of the individual races at Reading was a duel between Hannah Jones and Emma Pallant.

The latter led out a strong U/15 field and was still forcing the pace after two climbs in the middle of the course.

By then, Jones was the only one in contact and she managed to open a winning margin of six seconds in the closing stages.

In third, Lucy Bowers of Southampton City was the only non-AFD athlete in the top half-dozen, being followed by Stephanie Twell, India Lee and Stacey Preston.

Stephen Blake was on his own from very early in the U/15 boys' event and won by almost half-a-minute from Aaron Harris of Overton Harriers.

Next home was Sam Crawford, and Greg Smith completed AFD's scoring trio in sixth.

James Ellis was first across the line in the U/17 men's contest, but is ineligible to score for his new club. AFD still had the match-winner and runner-up when Martin Mashford and Andy Friend moved through to second and third respectively. Paul Bridgman was the final member of the scoring trio in eighth.

Abigail Salter led by some 10 yards for much of her U/13 race, but Rebecca Gough of Stubbington Green caught her on the line. Some observers thought it may have been just after the line, but Gough's momentum carried her through the funnel first and there was no judge present, only time- keepers who clocked both girls together.

Three seconds behind was AFD's Sarah Burgin, while Nicola Baddeley beat Joanna Satchell for eighth and the club's final scoring berth.

Chris West of Chichester won the U/13 boys' competition and AFD's scorers filled the next three places, Chris Welch leading home Josh Arnold and Chris Bounds.

Even a one-two-three for Basingstoke & Mid-Hants in the senior men's event did not prevent another emphatic team victory for AFD who supplied the next three runners: Nick Anderson, Brian Stopher and Phil Banks.

AFD's Steve Ablitt, in ninth, and David Udal, 11th, plus a host of others from the club beat Basingstoke's other two scorers.

Basingstoke had also failed by one point to match AFD's tally in the senior women's race, despite providing the individual winner. Sarah Pickett was fifth, Ava Hutchinson eighth and Laura Tanner 10th, one ahead of Leonie Smith who was AFD's first non-scorer.