WORCESTER Athletic Club hosted the third of four Midland Masters' track and field league meetings at the Nunnery Wood track.

The men's team who are the reigning Midland Champions were weakened by injuries to a few key athletes and suffered their first defeat in almost two years at the hands of Birmingham rivals Birchfield Harriers.

With one league competition remaining Worcester having secured victories in the first two meeting hold a slender one point league over Birchfield which will make for a highly competitive final competition.

It was also a very close fought match in the ladies event with only ten match points separating Bromsgrove and Redditch, Birchfield Harriers, with Worcester third.

In the overall combined team scores, Worcester still head the tables with a marginal points advantage over Birchfield with both teams locked together on 48 league points, making for an exciting final meeting at Brierley Hill on August 4.

The field events provided wins for Worcester's Jez Church in the high jump and triple jump with Marc Flannery taking the discus.

Maggie Johnson secured a well-earned second place in the high jump.

On the track, there were impressive Worcester victories for Wendy Bennett, 2000 metre walk, Lawrence Oldfield 100m over 50 and men's medley relay team.

Well earned second places went to Richard White 100m and 400m, Derek Naish 400m, Ros Townsend-Hope 100m, Caroline Neil 400m over 45 and women's relay team.

The medley relay comprising 2 x 200m, 400m and 800m was the climax to the meeting providing nail-biting finishes for both teams. Worcester in the hands of Richard White pulled back a 70m deficit on the last leg to snatch victory on the line.

A similar finish in the ladies race saw Ros Townsend- Hope holding off a late charge from European 800m champion Nancy Hitchmough from Dudley & Stourbridge to secure a well earned second place.