SOUTHAMPTON Athletic Club are on course to return to the men’s top flight for the first time in 30 years.

At the halfway point of the four-match series in the British Athletics League Division One, the red and white stripes are sitting an excellent second behind pacemakers Thames Valley Harriers and, significantly, they are six points clear of the chasing pack.

“They are doing brilliantly this year and, if they keep this up, they will gain promotion to the Premiership for the first time since 1986, the heyday of Todd Bennett, Kriss Akabusi and Roger Black,” smiled proud team manager Gary MacDonald-Gray.

Consistency and team spirit paid off for Southampton at the Linford Christie Stadium in West London where they again finished runners-up to Thames Valley.

This was an altogether tighter match, however, with positions changing after every event and Southampton successfully scrapping to hold off a resurgent Glasgow City by five points.

The standard was such that the south coast club won just two events but, aided by a smattering of personal bests, they fought hard for each and every point.

High jumper Adam Jones was their sole individual victor, winning the B-string high jump with a 1.90m clearance.

Southampton’s other win came in the final event and came just in the nick of time.

The scrap for second place was still tight as the athletes went to their blocks for the 4x400m replay.

Lead-off runner Jamie Robinson put the team in the mix before another debutant, Tyson Oladokun, blew the race wide open with a storming 49.6-second leg, opening up a ten-metre lead by the 200m mark.

That lead held steady under Mahamed Mahamed, still basking in the satisfaction of a 1500m personal best of 3.53.25 earlier in the day.

He fought off all-comers to give anchor man Sean Adams a fighting chance against some classy opposition.

Not only did the hurdler hold onto the lead, but he actually extended it, clocking the team’s fastest split of 48.5 to bring Southampton home in front in 3.19.06.

There were heroes a plenty in red and white with Toby Melville celebrating his BAL debut by bounding out to a new triple jump pb of 14.25 for third spot.

Thirds in the A shot (13.17) and B javelin marked a welcome return from injury for decathlete Nicholas Hunt.

Alex Wall-Clarke clocked a lifetime best of 14.52.23 for third in the 5000m while, in the field, James Groocock leapt to a season’s best 6.95 in the A long jump.

After a surprisingly poor performance by Enfield & Haringey, Southampton sit second on 14 league points, two behind Thames Valley and a whopping six clear of the best of the rest. The men now travel to Bromley on July 3.

Match scores: Thames Valley Harries 345, Southampton 296, Glasgow City 291, Harrow 276, Herne Hill 266.3, Black Heath & Bromley 260, Enfield & Haringey 238.3, Basingstoke 207.3.

League points after two matches: Thames Valley Harriers 16, Southampton 14, Enfield & Haringey 8, Blackheath & Bromley 8, Herne Hill 7, Harrow 7, Glasgow City 7, Basingstoke 5.