Andrew Donno warmed up for this weekend's Sussex Track and Field Championships with a hat-trick of wins to give Brighton and Hove City a flying start in the Southern Men's League.

Donno, 20, won the 5,000m in 17min.13.5sec, the 3,000m steeplechase in 9min.46.6sec and the B string 800m in 2min.7.9sec as Brighton launched their bid for an instant return to division one with a thrilling victory at Bexley.

Brighton went into the final event trailing Ilford but the 400m relay quartet of Ashley Witcomb, Dave Boyce, Ben Jephcott and Dave Ingram claimed second place to snatch overall victory by a single point.

Team manager Richard Carter said: "It was a great start considering we only had 15 athletes available but there is a long way to go before we can start talking of promotion."

Ingram also set a new personal best on his way to victory in the 400m hurdles while Paul McKeown made a big impact on his return to action for the first time in three years by winning the 110m hurdles.

Worthing and District Harriers had to settle for third place at Guildford despite setting the pace until the final three events.

Wins from Dan Dunscombe in the high jump, Dean Storry in the triple jump and Michael Di Laura in the 400m had put Worthing in control but David Vandyke hit the cage three times in the hammer to allow the hosts and Cambridge and Coleridge to overtake them.

Andrew Woods broke two minutes for the first time in the 800m as a weakened Hastings team were fourth at Kingston.

An emphatic victory for Paul Rodgers in the 5,000m in 15min.16.9sec together with Andy Walker's triumph in the pole vault were the highlights of Crawley's disappointing third place in their home fixture at the K2 Centre in division three south.

Steve Trangmar set new personal bests in the 100m (11.7sec) and 200m (23.9sec) while Stuart Pelling was an impressive runner-up in the 400m (52.2sec) to help Eastbourne Rovers to second place behind hosts Ealing at Perivale.

Phil Spivey shrugged off a bad back to win the hammer with a throw of 51.16m as an understrength East Grinstead team finished third at Parliament Hill.

Lee Cosson starred for Hastings B as they romped to victory at Kingston in division four south. Cosson won the 400m hurdles, was runner-up in the triple jump, long jump and 200m and third in the 3,000m steeplechase.