Team Southampton's youngsters were narrowly squeezed into fourth place in their latest National Young Athletes' League fixture in rain-swept Kingston.

The pressure of exams left them depleted of athletes, particularly in the under-17 age group, but they still amassed a respectable 300 points - just 27 behind second-placed Milton Keynes.

Bradley Alouah-Peasah had an excellent day, outsprinting his rivals in the under-15 100m and 200m, earning him the boys' track athlete-of-the-match award.

B-stringer Sam Derham backed him up well in both races and completed a hat-trick of victories in the A long jump. He and Alouah-Peasah finished off the day in style as part of the victorious 4x100m relay quartet.

It was the same story in the under-17 men's sprints where Ross Langford and Sean Ford took maximum points in the 100/200m as well as assisting in 4x100m relay success.

Despite the torrential rain, Southampton's under-13 girls performed well, with Alice Dexter and Lucy Ferris taking A/B firsts in the 75m hurdles and Ferris also winning the high jump before the event was cancelled for other age groups due to the slippery conditions. League debutants Vicki Vinter and Nicky Humphrey took three second places and one first between them.

Two throwers, Anna Stevens and Natasha Horton, produced the goods for the under-15 girls, winning the A and B-string shot and discus and taking first and second in the javelin.

Special mention and thanks go to all the parents and officials who travelled with the team on the day and soldiered on through the wet and windy conditions.

Hopefully the sun will be shining for the next match at the same Kingston venue on June 4.

Any young athletes interested in competing for Team Southampton, particularly boys aged 11 and 12, should contact membership secretary Carol Dawkins on 023 8086 0743.

Match result: Bournemouth 397. Milton Keynes 327, Kingston 313, Team Southampton 300.