SEamus Power continues to impress as a cross country runner of real class. Yesterday in Dunleer, the elite field gathered for the 32nd Ras Na hEireann discovered again that when Power is at his best few men are harder to beat.

Mark Carroll, many people's pre-race favourite for the 8 km race, was among those to learn the lesson, although he made a solid return to cross country to take second. Kenya's Cyrus Kataron, who seemed in control for most of the race, eventually finished third.

The battle between this trio was always absorbing, with the lead changing in an exciting sequence of surges and counter-surges. Power opened the first significant gap after two of the five laps, with the Kenyan then starting to pull clear after the third. For a short while it looked conclusive.

Carroll was never too far off the leader's shoulder but going into the final lap, Power recovered to make the most telling surge of all. He had a 10-metre gap within a matter of strides and went on to finish six seconds ahead of Carroll in 23 minutes 33 seconds. Kataron, who finished ahead of Power in Brussels just before Christmas, looked a tired man when taking third in 23:54.

The flat but demanding course made for plenty of good running, although the rest of the elite field quickly succumbed to the pressing tempo of Power. By the time the Clareman first hit the front, the other Kenyan, Paul Biwott, was already dropped and Leevale's Fiachra Lombard was leading the chasing bunch. Carroll had also made an early strike for the lead but it was clear that his track speed was somewhat lost in the sticky underfoot conditions. At one stage he drifted some 20 metres behind Power and Kataron and although victory always looked one step beyond him, he held his form throughout and deserved the runner-up position.

Power certainly merited his win. A troublesome side-stitch had caused his loss of contact over the penultimate lap but he composed himself with remarkable confidence to finish without any real sign of stress. The crowd at the finish was in full voice in their appreciation.

"I just relaxed a little and got my breath back again before the last lap," said Power. "I was a little sick during the week and had to change my plans but I always intended to stay in contact with the leaders. But I get a little bit impatient as well and I probably hit the front a little earlier than I should have.

"I actually thought I had messed it up, and was looking just to stay in the top three, but they let me back into the race. So it was great to win it in the end and it certainly makes me even more optimistic about the weeks ahead."

Lombard made a further impact on the senior ranks by holding on to fourth in 23 minutes 58 seconds, while just behind him was Vinny Mulvey - an American-based scholarship student - who also displayed further maturity to outrun the second Kenyan in the home straight. The rest of the international challenge, and especially the Americans, failed to figure to any extent.

The women's race had just one significant foreign element but it proved decisive. South Africanborn Colleen de Reuck, who has just declared for America, had too much strength for Anne KeenanBuckley and took the 6 km victory in 16 minutes 44 seconds - some 16 seconds ahead of the Irishwoman.

Considering Keenan-Buckley spent most of the Christmas period suffering from an ankle injury, the second-place performance puts her right back on course for a strong showing in the World Cross Country Championships in Leopardstown in March. On the day she celebrated her 39th birthday she proved herself yet again to be far ahead of her home-based rivals.

Kerry's Maureen Harrington won the battle for third ahead of Teresa Duffy, and the focus of the senior women's team for Leopardstown will depend largely on what race Sonia O'Sullivan enters. Keenan-Buckley feels that the short-course race will be more suited to the Irish strengths but she is likely to follow whatever race O'Sullivan chooses.

There was also an exciting finish to the men's junior race where Tallaght's Sean Connelly outsprinted Matthew Jones from Wales. Dave Connelly from Maynooth held on for third, while Cheryl Williams of Wales was a more convincing winner of the junior women's race ahead of Aisling Loughnane.