MATT Smith at long last had a reason to smile as a season of torment ended with a flourish in the McCain UK Athletics final at Cardiff.

Bedevilled by injuries all summer, the 20-year-old Exeter Harrier not only gave a reminder to his rivals that he is still a decent javelin thrower with his second best throw of the season (67.94m) but also gave himself a psychological lift with third place in the competition.

It was more than just honour restored as Smith also picked up a cheque for £125, but the real value of the performance was all too clear to see.

"For me the winter starts now because I have already missed so much of the summer with injury," said Smith.

"I'm really chuffed with this performance because I came here expecting to finish no better than sixth or seventh.

"And to be honest I nearly didn't bother coming at all and it was only when Simon Bennett (North Devon AC) offered me a lift that I thought I might as well go along.

"To come third and win some prize money is a really nice way to end my season. I can't complain at all at that."

For Smith the relief is understandable after a season which opened with such promise ended up with more time spent with the physio than competing.

"It all went wrong at the British Students' Championships," groaned Smith. "I threw a personal best of 69.54 metres but that was the throw that got me injured.

"I tore my stomach muscles really badly and when I had recovered from that I had problems with my elbow.

"It has been a stop-start season but I've got no problems now so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into my winter training."

Also competing at Cardiff was Harriers clubmate Chloe Anderson, who clocked a personal best of 11mins 18.74secs for sixth place in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Jenny Robinson finished fourth (14.82secs) in the 100m hurdles.

Running in the 1,500m A race at the final British Milers' Club meeting at the Exeter Arena on Tuesday, Harriers' Owen Walpole smashed his personal best with a time of 3mins 55.4secs — the first time the 20-year-old has broken four minutes.

Clubmate Oliver Berry also ran a PB of 4.00.1 in the same race.

In the women's A 1,500m Rosie Chamberlain was third (4.46.6) with Emily Bliss eighth (4.54.4).

Beth Skinner claimed a hat-trick of victories at the Dennett Trophy meeting in Yeovil.

The Harriers athlete won the under-17 women's 80m hurdles, long jump and javelin.

All-rounder Ian Allen had a busy day, winning the senior men's 110m hurdles and long jump events, finishing second in the 100m and third in the high jump.

Other winners were Shannon Robertson in the under-15 girls' 75m hurdles, Callum Reynolds in the under-15 boys' 400m and Daniel Petty in the under-15s' 200m.

Results, Dennett Trophy meeting, under-13 girls, 100: 4 Chloe Howard (Exe) 14.23. 200: 4 Howard 30.21. HJ: 4 Howard 1.15. Under-15 girls, 75H: 1 Shannon Robertson (Exe) 12.85. SP: 3 Robertson 7.70. LJ: 5 Robertson 4.05. Under-17 women, 80H: 1 Beth Skinner (Exe) 12.94. LJ: 1 Skinner 4.84. JT: 1 Skinner 25.70. Under-13 boys, 100: 3 Dominic Allen (Exe) 14.04. SP: 3 Allen 8.79. Under-15 boys, 100: 2 Daniel Petty (Exe) 12.03. 200: 1 Petty 24.28, 2 Callum Reynolds (Exe) 24.28. 400: 1 Reynolds 60.08. LJ: 7 Nicholas Grew (Exe) 3.91. SP: 3 Grew 7.30. Under-17 men, 100: 6 Todd Allen (Exe) 12.60. LJ: 5 Allen 5.04. Senior men, 100: 2 Ian Allen (Exe) 11.89, 3 Robert Grew (Exe) 12.33. 200: 2 Grew 24.86. 110H: 1 Allen 16.77. HJ: 3 Allen 1.70. LJ: 1 Allen 6.20, 4 Mario Lapka (Exe) 5.12

Representing the South West in Belgium, British international multi-eventer Sophie Skinner, from Crediton, was fourth in the 100m hurdles (14.05secs) and runner-up in the 200m B race (24.81secs).

Okehampton Running Club's Andrew Vallance cruised to victory in the Oke Croak fell race, covering the 10.4-mile race across Dartmoor in 1hr 18mins 51secs. He finished just over two minutes clear of Exeter Harriers' Adam Stobbs.

Results, Oke Croak fell race, men: 1 Andrew Vallance (ORC) 1:18.51, 2 Adam Stobbs (Exe) 1:21.00, 3 James Jackson (Dartmoor Runners) 1:23.39. Also: 9 Ian Andrews (SWRR, M40) 1:29.59, 10 Brian Friend (ORC, M40) 1:33.54, 12 John Donnely (Exeter Wheelers) 1:36.45. Women: 1 Sharon Daw (ECH, W35) 1:36.56, 2 Sarah Andrews (unatt, W35) 1:49.56, 3 Robin Carther (Dartmoor, W45) 2:04.35. 41 finishers