Peter Matthews put up a courageous challenge to the African presence in the highly competitive Ras na hEireann international in Dunleer yesterday.

Over one of the most demanding courses in recent years, Matthews insured that Million Wolde of Ethiopia and Richard Limo of Kenya, two of the top cross country runners in the world at the moment, had to push every step before fighting out the victory. Limo claimed that honour. But Matthews, the current national cross-country champion, can have every reason to be satisfied with his third place spot just 10 seconds back.

The Dundrum runner made the greatest effort to go with the African duo as they injected significant pace going into the last two laps of the five-lap race. At that stage the early break by Russian Aleks Bolkhovilin had been swarmed by the leading group of eight, which included Seamus Power, Dermot Donnelly and Martin McCarthy, as well as American Eric Mack and Australian Andrew Leatherby.

While Limo and Wolde gracefully pushed forward, Matthews never drifted more than 10 metres back, and Power also moved through effectively. The sticky conditions and strength-sapping hills reduced the remaining Irish influence as the attention switched to the leading couple going into the finish.

The last bend was run like an 800 metres race. Wolde first kicked slightly ahead, only for Limo to out-lean him in the last few strides: both finished in 30 minutes 13 seconds for the 10,000 metre course. Power was fourth, just eight seconds back from Matthews, with Noel Cullen, Martin McCarthy and Pauric McKinney also making the top 10. As Limo and Wolde head the IAAF cross country grand challenge, it was a highly promising performance by Matthews to run them so close and it certainly makes him clear favourite to defend his national title next month.

There was also an encouraging display from Ann Keenan-Buckley in the women's race when she also finished a positive third behind Ethiopian team-mates Ayelech Worku and Yimenashu Taye. The Wicklow native had made an exciting impression in the opening lap, although Worku soon took over to open a winning gap, coming home in 21:02, for the six-kilometre course.

Taye made sure of second, but Keenan-Buckley simply ran the race of her life to finish third. Behind her were some of the top European and American challengers. Una English was the next best Irish finisher in ninth.