Croydon Harriers women and girls grasped home advantage to good effect in the Southern Women's League Division 3 match, at the Albert Road Arena on Saturday.

After a steady start, they were safe in second of the five teams for most of the match, but struck with a vengeance in the final stages to take the lead, and win with 196.5 points, from Kingston and Polytechnic 188 points. This win lifts the Harriers eight places to 10th in the league, with promotion once again a realistic prospect.

This was a fine evolving team performance which featured much improved event cover and several excellent individual efforts.

Eye-catching Eugenie Gilkes. She scored two outstanding wins, soaring 3.20m skywards some 80cm ahead of the second athlete to take the pole vault and also dominated the discus with her 39.00m effort which was only approached by B string partner Belinda Heil who won with 32.73m. Heil maintained her very good recent form by also winning the shot put at 10.15m, the javelin at 27.28m and speciality hammer with a fine 47.27m throw, nearly 19m clear of her nearest rival.

Hard working Caterham School student, Lucy Lynch took a terrific track treble. She opened proceedings with a comfortable 400m hurdles victory in 68.9 sec 7.6 sec ahead! She won the flat 400m too in 62.3 sec by a similarly impressive margin, and also too the 100m hurdles comfortably in 17.7 sec. A useful third in the B pole vault, and a blasting leg for the club's the victorious 4x400m round off her excellent contribution.

Senior sprinters Ada Nwosu and Amy Dowsett scored maximum spring points in the 100m and 200m. Ada won the 100m in 12.7 sec with Amy only 0.1 sec slower in the B race. Ada took the 200m honours too in 25.8 sec and Amy followed well clear of the B race clocking 25.8sec. Triple jump specialist Azaria Francis was well clear with her 11.44m best, further contributed with a win in the B 100m hurdles, clocking 19.1 sec.

The girls section played their part well too, contributing four individual winners, and adding 70.5 points towards the club's total score. On the track fearless young Jessica Goodwin threw down the gauntlet early in the 1500m, and was never headed, winning impressively in 5:29.1 sec. Kate Gillett easily won the shot with a 9.00m put, while Danielle Bogle dominated the discus with a 21.98m best.