With just 4 league points covering the first 5 teams after the 3rd match it was always going to be a nail biting afternoon for several teams in the final league 2 fixture.
The August holiday period has an annual habit of decimating at least one squad and Saturday was no different with LPS struggling with holiday absences and last minute illness dropouts to get sufficient athletes to fight the relegation battle with I.O.M
LPS had to ensure IOM were no more than three places or 2 places and 106 points ahead to avoid the drop. The nail biting continued all afternoon as IOM held 1st place but then dropped down to third as Sale put on a late points surge behind eventual winners Wigan .
Coach Mike Dandy stepped up to the plate to help the points scramble with a much needed hammer throw and a memory jolting outing in the 400 metre hurdles! Ex-decathlete and high jump coach Dave McComb launched himself into much needed pole vault points in a desperate bid to take the fight to IOM.
Grass roots athletics like this fosters great team spirit and all over the track and field athletes male and female were going the extra mile for team points. Ex-Track International Clare Constable stepped up to provide good points in the 400/800 and Vet 0/40 Kirsty Longley comfortably won the 3k event. Emma Givens was inched her way to a hard earned 100 metre hurdles A race.
The mens 4×100 relay was very tight and LPS just managed to hold off Manchester and Liverpool Harriers in a tight finish.
It looked like LPS managed to cling to 5th place on the day but subsequent scrutiny of the results changed that when an IOM athlete was missed off the points scoring! .
Report Mark Bleasdale
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