ESCRICK driver Olly Marshall battled his way to fifth place in the Pirelli National Rally which was held in conjunction with the Gateshead-based international event.

The 22-year-old went into a ditch in thick fog on the opening day and later got caught on a tree stump aftter another spin.

Marshall was contesting rounds two and three of the Peugeot 206 Super Cup in his ProSpeed Motorsport-run Peugeot 206 with points awarded on both days.

He looked like improving on his sixth-place finish in the Border Counties Rally and was third overall after the opening two stages.

He then hit the worst of the Kielder fog and, after overtaking Mike Faulkner Marshall, rolled the car into a ditch.

He and co-driver Craig Parry, with the help of spectators got the Peugeot upright again, but they had lost ten vital minutes.

Worse was to follow on the final stage when the car got wedged on a tree stump for nearly 19 minutes leaving Marshall in last place in his category.

The battle-scarred Peugeot was fitted with a new windscreen, front end, suspension and brakes overnight and Marshall went on to snatch fifth place overall.

He said: "Overall things could have gone better, but they could also have been a lot worse, so in the end I was satisfield to have come away from the event with some points at least."

The event was won by Sunderland driver Chris Moore.

Updated: 11:41 Tuesday, April 29, 2003