DERBY AC took control of the North of England Track & Field League Division Three when they edged out the combined Chesterfield and Amber Valley team (CDAV) in the third meeting of four at Scunthorpe.

CDAV won the second match by 20 points but Derby won this time by seven points.

Chesterfield were only fifth in the first meeting, in May, so Derby, who won that, are now clear at the top of the league.

Among a string of Derby wins on the day, Tom Lawrence put in a storming effort to win at 1500m, 5000m and in the 3000m steeplechase, while Jon Hornblow, disappointed with his 400m in the British Athletics League the previous day, went up to Scunthorpe and won.

At 800m, Jamie Fletcher and Callum Gardner won A and B string respectively.

A win in both men's relays, with Hornblow anchoring the 400m squad to beat CDAV anchor Ben Mourbey by just under a second, went a long way to sealing Derby's victory.

Resources will be stretched for the final league meeting on Saturday, July 31 – the same day as Derby's final BAL meeting.