TIM Davies and Heulwen Gilbert once again came out on top in the latest Herefordshire Cross Country League race.

In the absence of reigning Hereford Couriers champion Eliot Taylor, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, Maldwyn Harriers' Davies dominated the Monkhall Farm event from the start and made light work of the demanding course to record his third win on the trot.

Couriers' former league champion Matt James ran strongly to hold off the threat of Monross Trailblazers' in-form Andrew Stephens in the battle for the minor places.

Davies led his Newtown-based team to their first triumph with the support a season's best 10th place from Russell James, a combative 13th from Mike Link and a robust 25th from Tim Taylor, Eliot's father.

Just four race points adrift in third place were Croft Ambrey Running Club, who were guided home by a best ever fifth place from Sam Mayglothling.

He was backed up by triathlete Simon Norwood, Dave George and Glyn Williams.

With just one remaining race left in the series, Couriers' men hold a healthy five-point lead over Maldwyn with Croft Ambrey and Monross tied in third place.

In the women's race, 18-year-old Gilbert produced another confident performance to lead from the start and extend her winning sequence to three.

The Wye Valley Runners' pairing of Nicki Childs and Laura Tootell battled for second place, which was won Childs by just nine seconds to ensure her team were victorious.

Reigning champions Croft Ambrey held on for the runners-up spot thanks to Gemma Mallett in fourth place, international triathlete Nicky Turvey in sixth and a 16th-place finish for 60-year-old Liz Bowers.

Wye Valley's B team were third, with fine runs from Danca Manakova and Maria Miles in seventh and eight places respectively and Lorna Shaw in 12th.

Wye Valley go into the final meeting two points ahead of Croft Ambrey, with Wye Valley B and Ludlow equal third.

Meanwhile, Herefordshire Athletic Association's Senior Cross Country Championships, which were held in conjunction with Herefordshire Cross-Country League, saw Adrian Whitman become a new county champion.

Whitman, of Morpeth Harriers, returned to the county of his birth to record an emphatic win in 36.18, over five minutes ahead of Matt James and Sam Maygothling.

The team title went to Wye Valley, with Croft Ambrey second.

Veteran men champion was Andrew Stephens in 41.35, who led his Monross Trailblazers team to victory ahead of Croft Ambrey.

Gemma Mallett was senior woman champion in 51.08, with Nicky Childs becoming the veteran women's champion.

The team title went to Wye Valley.