Stewart's mixed report for world cross country efforts

BRITISH coach Ian Stewart delivered a mixed report after a disappointing day at the World Cross Country Championships in Jordan.

MIXED VERDICT: Steph Twell - so dominant in the domestic McCain series - found her senior debut tough going at the World Cross Country Championship (Getty Images)

The junior women were the pick of the results - as they finished fourth in the team standings, just six points short of bronze medallists Japan.

Three-time European junior champion Steph Twell was the top-ranked British senior athlete in the women's race, crossing the line in 38th while the team finished ninth.

Frank Tickner was the leading Brit in the men's race coming home in 79th as Great Britain's team finished 14th.

And Britain's team effort was equally disappointing in the men's junior race - Tom Farrell the best finisher in 58th.

"I think that our junior women ran really well and the junior men were mostly disappointing," said Stewart,

"You can't fault our senior men for lack of trying, but I think we have got to work on getting their track times down before they can really challenge.

"As for the senior women, it was a hard lesson for Steph to learn, but she lives to fight another day and I'm sure she will come back stronger in the future."

Stewart also claimed that after a winter season slogging around boggy conditions in the McCain Series, the sun-baked conditions in Amman didn't play in Great Britain's favour.

"The course was hard and fast," he added.

"Really, it was like a 10,000m track race with a hill in the middle. I think we have to look again at the way we prepare and select for this event.

"Every now and then you get a World Cross ran on a traditional English-style cross country course, but very rarely. They are nearly always flat and fast and they are always fast.

"So we need to look at developing our speed on the track first and foremost, but nothing is insurmountable."

Lauren Howarth was one of the few to emerge with credit after her 13th place in the women's junior race - she also finished as leading European.

"I was hoping for top 15 so I am really pleased," she said.

"It set off very slow and then they started working hard on the second lap and I thought I've got to go with them and I hung on for as long as I could.

"I'm really pleased with the result for my first World Cross. It was a really tough, but really enjoyable experience."