NEIL Tattersall must have read last year's race report before running the Accrington 10K Road Race on Sunday.

Pendle's ace distance man replicated his dominant victory of 12 months ago almost exactly, once again winning by a minute and a half.

Despite the lashing rain and a strong headwind up the notorious two-mile plus climb of Whinney Hill, Tattersall clocked 32 minutes exactly, only 16 seconds down on last year' time.

While the destination of the individual trophy was assured, there was a battle royal for the team award.

A dozen different clubs were represented in the top 20, and it was fitting that two former members of organisers Accrington Road Runners made a telling contribution.

Scott Monk finished fourth and Evan Cook eighth as Blackburn Harriers squeezed home, with Peter Lynch the third counter.

The versatile Monk is Blackburn Harriers' current fell runner of the year but is also accomplished on the track having set a personal best of 15 minutes 40 seconds for 5,000 metres last month.

Currently he is following an endurance training programme which is evidently paying dividends.

Prior to his Accrington result he was highly placed in the Reebok Cross Country Challenge Race at Liverpool last week.

Cook is another remarkable athlete. Shortly to celebrate his 52nd birthday, he was the leading veteran on Sunday, a performance which will give him a big boost ahead of Sunday's New York Marathon.

The former British Veteran marathon champion is being helped on his way to America by Blackburn and District Sports Council, but he is only flying out on Saturday and may need all his speed just to make the deadline for registration!

There was a welcome return to Accrington for 1999 winner Aaron Hargreaves, who was sporting a brand new Pendle vest, returning to his first club after a spell with Trafford which was followed by a brief retirement from the sport.

Hargreaves was fifth, but Pendle had only two counters.

Hyndburn suffered the same fate with the winning junior Tom Cornthwaite in seventh and Shane Fitzpatrick ninth.

Last year's runner-up, Andy Stubbs of Clayton, was sixth with John Wieczorek and M40 winner Dave Naughton leading home their teams Accrington Road Runners and Darwen Dashers.

Dashers ladies made a successful defence of their team title to make it three on the trot.

Linda Clarkson, Zoe Haslam and Jacqueline Shaw were the winning trio.

Jackie Moppett failed to make it three individual titles, but the Rossendale Harrier was still leading local woman in fourth behind Leigh's Anne Powell.

The host club Accrington Road Runners could boast a winner though with Leigh Hargreaves taking the F35 class, while Todmorden's Moyra Parfitt and Darwen's Pat Ashton won the F55 and F60 age groups.

Bill Cook who has benefited from hip replacement surgery was the M65 winner for Darwen Dashers.

MEN: 1 Neil Tattersall (Pendle) 32:00, 2 Mike Burrett (Leeds) 33:36, 3 Steve Littler (North Fylde) 33:49, 4 Scott Monk (Blackburn Harriers) 34:36, 5 Aaron Hargreaves (Pendle) 34:53, 6 Andrew Stubbs (Clayton) 35:19, 7 (1st Junior) Tom Cornthwaite (Hyndburn) 36:09, 8 (1st M50) Evan Cook (Blackburn Harriers) 36:10, 9 Shane Fitzpatrick (Hyndburn) 37:05, 10 John Wieczorek (Accrington RR) 37:11, 12 (1st M40) Dave Naughton (Darwen) 37:43, 14 Brent Hoggan (Accrington RR) 38:04, 15 Andy Buttery (Rossendale) 38:11, 16 Mark Theaker (Clayton) 38:19, 18 (2nd M40) Mervyn Owen (Accrington RR) 38:38, 19 John Rutter (Clayton) 38:40, 21 (3rd M45) Eric Wilson (Darwen) 39:11, 22 Brian Shaw (Darwen) 39:20, 23 (2nd M50) Peter Lynch (Blackburn Harriers) 39:30 Team: 1 Blackburn Harriers (Monk, Cook, Lynch)

WOMEN: 1 (20th overall) Anne Powell (Leigh) 38:42, 2 (33/1st Junior) Cathy Harvey (Medway) 40:37, 3 (42/1st F45) Joan Jackson (Northern Vets) 41:32, 4 (51) Jacqueline Moppett (Rossendale) 42:07, 6 (53/ 1st F35) Leigh Hargreaves (Accrington RR) 42:17, 7 (54) Christina Maguire (Pendle) 42:24, 8 (57) Linda Clarkson (Darwen) 43:04, 11 (74) Dany Robson (Clayton) 44:31, 12 (76/3rd F35) Zoe Haslam (Darwen) 44:45, 13 (89) Nicola Wood (Accrington RR) 45:47, 14 (93/F35) Jacqueline Shaw (Darwen) 46:32, 15 (95) Andrea Barrowclough (Clayton) 46:35 Team: 1 Darwen Dashers (Clarkson, Haslam, Shaw)

GOOD FOR AGE: Accrington RR: 26 (M40) David Gaskill 39:54, 44 (M45) Geoff Biscomb 41:48, 60 (M50) Jimmy Smithson 43:39, 127 (F35) Carole Morris 48:54 Blackburn Harriers: 30 (M45) Tony Wood 40:19 Blackburn RR: 178 (2nd F55) Norma Smith 54:50 Clayton: 27 (M40) David Lord 39:55, 207 (2nd F60) Val Lawson 60:35 Darwen Dashers: 104 (2nd M55) Brian Tull 47:06, 171 (1st M65) Bill Cook 53:43, 201 (1st F60) Pat Ashton 59:16 Northern Vets: 119 (2nd F50) Jennifer Adams 48:04 Rossendale: 32 (M45) Tony Davies 40:22 Todmorden: 46 (M45) Keith Parkinson 41:51, 106 (2nd M60) John Devlin 47:12, 133 (3rd F40) Jane Smith 49:16, 160 (1st F55) Moyra Parfitt 52:24