Football: Birchf ield top guns target title.

BIRCHFIELD Harriers have decided on a show of strength at the Midland cross country championships on Saturday.

The city club have made the Leamington race a priority and called on many of the runners yet to appear in this winter's Birmingham League.

Although Tom Payn and their Kenyans will be missing, they have been able to name Tom Penfold, Staffordshire champion Mark Dalkins, Julian Moorhouse, Martin Whitehouse, Tim Wherrit and Tek Merid.

The first six runners count in this 12km race so that it is a serious trial of each club's roster.

For a year or two, Birch-field have had problems putting out teams that reflect their strength, losing out increasingly to Tipton Harriers and Notts AC, both of whom are bound to be in contention on Saturday.

A team of the quality of theirs, however, make a mockery of position with the last Birmingham League match in sight, third in Division Two.

Charnwood appear to have easily the quickest team in the women's race run over 6km but a medal is not beyond Birchfield's grasp and Laura Kenney should be chasing a top place in the individual competition.

Sister-power could be important in two junior women's events.

For Sutton Coldfield, Vicky and Jo Callaway, and Livvy Kenney make powerful partnership in the under-20s, while Haleso-wen will have high hopes that the McHale twins, Louise and Natalie, and Victoria Briggs can forge a victory in the under-17 race. Remarkably, the three of them were third, fourth and fifth in the UK Challenge race in Cardiff last weekend.