Bryn gives us the latest news from Island Speedway. Ed
Last Thursday in our first home National League match since the Islanders ceased to operate in 2013, a rampant Wightlink Warriors septet stormed into a 27-8 lead after the first six heats to effectively guarantee victory over a Stoke side whose No.1 Ben Wilson retired in two of those races whilst leading.
Our opponents from the Potteries did pick up their contribution a little from that point onwards thanks to Wilson’s crew sorting out his problems, which allowed him to win his next two outings, and the efforts of the evergreen Tony Atkin and Danny Phillips, but it was a case of too little too late for them to stand any chance of getting any league points from the match.
Our Warrior fans basked in the sunshine, watched and enjoyed some high quality action as all seven of our team produced a rock solid performance from top to bottom with six of the septet recording at least one race win and the seventh, Matt Saul, being paid for a victory as he followed home partner Tyler Govier for maximum points in heat two.
Benji Compton and Kelsey Dugard having posted a similar heat advantage in the opener after Ben Wilson suffered the first of his bike failures, and successive Warrior maximum heat advantages in heats five and six put us nineteen points clear and effectively the league points had been pocketed by ourselves.
The racing was a good deal better than the final scoreline might suggest, Dugard’s swoop around Stoke’s race leader Shaun Tedham exiting the fourth bend on lap three of heat eight and Mark Baseby somehow thwarting the considerable efforts of Danny Phillips to pass him for the lead in the penultimate race and likewise Atkin’s similar efforts in the last standing out.
For our opponents, perhaps they were left wondering what might have been had they not started the match so badly although in truth the Wightlink Warriors proved to be far too good for them on the night.
Travel Plus Tours National League
Wightlink Warriors 53 | Stoke Potters 36
Warriors Scorers: Mark Baseby 11+1, Lee Smart 10+1, Benji Compton 9, Kelsey Dugard 7+2, Tyler Govier 6+1, James Cockle 6, Matt Saul 4+1.
Battle injuries galore for brave Warriors at Eastbourne
Despite Benji Compton having aggravated a wrist injury last Thursday being forced to pull out of our trip to Eastbourne on Saturday, ex-IOW favourite Ben Hopwood stepping in at the last minute to replace him, the Wightlink Warriors arrived in Sussex by the Sea with high hopes of victory.
But as the match progressed it soon became obvious that a miracle would be needed for that to happen with both Matt Saul and Kelsey Dugard ruled out of the match on medical advice after just five of the fifteen races had taken place!
Both had sustained injuries following high-speed crashes, Saul’s in heat 2 requiring lengthy on-track treatment from the paramedic and, similarly Dugard needing attention after his crash three heats later.
With their initial seven man side now down to just five, forcing the Warriors having to go into three races with just one rider wearing their colours, it was astounding really that they trailed by just five points at 38-33 with three heats to go but with home No.1 Adam Eliis, who also riding for Elite League Poole this year, any hopes of a miraculous win were dashed.
However it was such a brave performance from the Warriors for no reward other than to give Messrs Bishop, Widman and Vatcher something of a headache as they look to put together a team for tonight’s (Monday) trip to Monmore Green for the Wightlink Warriors league match against the Cradley Heathens.
Travel Plus Tours National League
Eastbourne 51 | Wightlink Warriors 38
Warriors Scorers: Mark Baseby 9+1, Ben Hopwood (Guest) 9, Tyler Govier 7+1, James Cockle 6+1, Lee Smart 6, Kelsey Dugard (inj) 1+1, Matt Saul (inj) 0.
Tonight’s match
Benji Compton (wrist), Kelsey Dugard (leg) are both out of tonight’s (Monday) league match away at the Monmore Green home of the Cradley Heathens as is Mark Baseby because of prior work commitments so the management’s phones have been red hot as they’ve attempted to put together a side for the match.
But those efforts have paid off with ex-IOW favourite Tom Perry (now riding for Birmingham) and Belle Vue’s teenage sensation Daniel Bewley coming into replace messrs Compton and Dugard and the rider replacement regulations being utilised to cover for Baseby’s absence, those regulations permitting any of the other team members (bar Perry) to each take one of his programmed rides.
Image: © Used with the kind permission of Ian Groves
