TEAM Solent's 1500 metres star Angus Maclean put his track speed to good use at the Reebok Cross Country Challenge in Cardiff.

The 22-year-old Southampton University student made his move with some 200 metres to go, overtaking Birchfield Harriers' Rob Birchall and waltzing to victory in the men's short course 4K race in 13 minutes and one second.

His late turn of pace was enough to hold off Ireland international Fiachra Lombard (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), who was just a second behind in runners-up spot. Portsmouth's Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Michael East was fourth in 13.14.

Medical student Maclean is just back from a stint of warm weather training in La Manga, Spain, with fellow international Chris Thompson of Aldershot, Farnham & District.

He picked up a stomach bug three days before Cardiff, but declared: "I'm pleased with the run."

Maclean's coach Rod Lock reported: "Angus is managing to combine his medical studies and running well and is getting back to the shape that saw him make the World Cross-Country team in 2001.

"This is again our winter objective and we are reasonably optimistic of success.

"However, the 4K is a difficult distance to race with sustained top-level aerobic work involved and it's easy to make a misjudgement."

While there is no trial race for this year's World Championships (Switzerland, March 29-30), the selectors have indicated that the 4K race held in conjunction with the English Schools' event at Brighton on March 8 will be used to pick the team along with current form.

With this in mind Maclean will use the BUSA indoor 3K race in Glasgow on February 22/23 as a sharpener.

Lock said: "Angus needs to improve his 3K best (8.04) to enable him to lower his 1500m time in the summer. That would make him more competitive for the IAAF World Championships (Paris, August 23-31), where a time of 3.36 is necessary.

"The work he is doing at present will hopefully give him the aerobic conditioning necessary to compete at that level."

Southampton-based Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Lucy Elliott stormed through the latter half of the senior women's 6K race at Cardiff to take second place (22.42) behind Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow's Hayley Yelling, who chalked up her third victory in the six-race series.

Elliott, a former Inter-Counties champion, was 38 seconds behind the runaway winner and five seconds ahead of current Norwich Union GB international Sharon Morris (Bedford & County AC).

Louise Damen led the younger generation of seniors home, clocking 22.52 for fourth spot, while her Bournemouth AC clubmate Charlotte Moore was runner-up to European junior champion Charlotte Dale (Invicta East Kent) in the under-20 5K race, clocking 19.55.

The Isle of Wight's Frost twins, Kathryn (20.12) and Bryony (20.14), were third and fourth respectively.

l Angus Maclean will spearhead Southampton University's quest for medals at the BUSA Cross-Country Championships at Oxford this coming Saturday.

He is joined in the men's long-course team by Jonathon Brown, Owain Jones, Gareth Klepacz, Dan Macarthy and Nigel Wright - with four runners to count.

Coach Rod Lock is optimistic of a podium finish, saying: "Clearly Loughborough will start as favourites, but Southampton are in good form and could claim medals provided they all run big races."

The Southampton women's long course team should also do well and are looking for a top-five place.

Racing starts at 12 noon and support would be welcome. For further details contact Rod Lock on 023 8078 9041.