Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets AC have extended their lead at the top of Southern League Division One following a fourth victory in as many matches this season

Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets AC have extended their lead at the top of Southern League Division One following a fourth victory in as many matches this season.

The East London club emerged victorious at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre after a closely fought battle with runners-up Hercules AC, from Wimbledon, while host club Enfield and Haringey and Thames Valley Harriers were fourth and fifth respectively.

The triumph means Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets have now won seven successive meetings dating back to last season, though the current squad remains some way short of the 35-year-old club record of 15 consecutive wins.

The outcome remained in doubt during the early stages of the meeting, with Victoria Park and Hercules sharing the spoils. But in the second half of the meeting, the East London club managed to build up a slender lead, helped by Pato Bangura, who won the 100m in 10.6secs.

Sam Sillah also achieved a narrow victory in the long jump following a leap of 6.74m, while good second-place finishes from Darren Robinson in the 400m hurdles and James Foley in the 800m also proved crucial.

Baddar Echakhch again launched the javelin over 50 metres for another Victoria Park victory, while 200m duo Abdul Buhari and Dami Olediran both posted 22.6secs for B-string victory and fourth in the A race respectively.

There was a double first in the pole vault for as Echakhch won the A-string event with a clearance of 3.60m and Jayden Ali took B-string victory with 3.40m, while the high jump provided another double, Sillah taking the A-string title in 2.00m and Adewumni Akande winning the B-string event in 1.80m. Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets AC return to action this weekend at Ashford, Kent.