Jonathan Moore could exceed 8m in tomorrow’s long jump competition. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0446635)

TOM DRUCE has piled the pressure upon himself before tomorrow’s big Blue Islands Challenge Cup clash at Foote’s Lane.
In his role as an assistant to the match organiser, Druce set about filling the sixth lane of his  400m race with a quality runner and obliged by unearthing a man who has twice recently won over the distance in the British League Premiership.
The athlete in question is Andrew Fernandez of the newly-crowned Premiership champions, Newham and Essex Beagles, who is ranked one place above Druce in the national Power of 10.
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ said Druce, 21.
‘The rest of the guys are a bit below my standard but this guy has been a very, very good athlete for a while. He’s been running consistently around 47sec.
‘I hope to raise my game and run around my personal best, but it depends on the weather. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the weather.
‘It should be exciting.’
Fernandez’s season best came recently when he ran 47.32, but in 2005 he was nearly a second quicker with 46.58.
The 400 is just one of a long list of top clashes on the race schedule for a match featuring Sportingbet Channel Islands AC, Sale Harriers ftrom Manchester and the trophy holders, Woodford Green with Essex Ladies.
Birchfield Harriers also send a squad of a dozen top athletes, including UK No. 3 long-jumper Jonathan Moore.
Match organiser Rob Batiste envisages another clutch of all-comers’ or island records will fall and estimates that number could be as many as a dozen or more.
The action starts at 11am.