Athletics: European junior champion Stephanie Twell denied Ireland's Deidre Byrne to claim victory in her first race as a senior athlete at the Antrim International Cross Country today.
Twell, who clinched her third European title three weeks ago in Brussels, seemed to have sewn the race up when opening a gap of 20 metres on the final lap of the 5.4-kilometre event.
But then Byrne, with the finish tape in sight, got back into contention, coming on to the world junior 1500m gold medallist's shoulder and fighting her determinedly to the line.
Twell, 19, kept her head to power away and win by a second in a time of 18 minutes 25 seconds with Freya Murray of Scotland finishing third in 18 minutes 32 seconds.
Ethiopia's 20-year-old Imane Merga also won a close men's 9km encounter, outpacing Boniface Kiprop by two seconds with a time of 24 minutes 32 seconds.
Scotland's steeplechase specialist Andrew Lemoncello claimed third position, clocking 24 minutes 49 seconds.