Hercules Wimbledon make winning start

5:24pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

Hercules Wimbledon won their Southern Men's League opener on Saturday, haning on after a tantalising five-hour contest at Kingsmeadow.

A week before he defends his Surrey title on the same track, Austin Ferns enjoyed a superb 400m hurdles win (53.8 seconds), with Steve Davies winning the B race.

Ferns also raced to a lifetime best 14.6 to win the sprint hurdles.

Other winners: John Brown (hammer), Bekele Tola (javelin), Royden John (long jump, B sprint hurdles), Jason Olasan (B long jump).

Royden John was second in the 100m in 11.0, his best time for 16 years.

Disaster struck when Aidan Hogan suffered a muscle pull and trailed home fourth in the 800m and pulled out of the steeplechase.

Belal Aly dropped out of the 5,000m when battling for the lead, leaving Mike Halman, running his first track race, to finish second (15:31.2).

Hamed Agboke and Matt Parsons won both 400m races, Ferns raced to a lifetime best 14.6 to win the sprint hurdles.

Teenager Cale Edmunds, on his senior competition debut, took third in the B race (11.4).

Camille Duval, Ferns, Matt Parsons and Dominic Getting secured victory in the final event, the 4x400m.

Result: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 127; 2 Aldershot, Farnmham & District 120; 3 Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets 116; 4 Hastings 94; 5 Hillingdon 72.

Walton were involved in the tightest of Division Two matches at Guildford, where just seven points covered the five teams.

Result: 1 Guildford 109; 2 Cambridge & Coleridge 108.5; 3 Worthing 106.5; 4 Walton 105; 5 Dartford 102. Serpentine finished third in their Division One opener at Battersea Park.

Result: 1 Ashford 133.5; 2 Highgate 125.5; 3 Serpentine 102.5; 4 Kent AC 94.5; 5 Swindon 70.

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