Thanks to Bryn for this update from Wightlink Islanders Speedway team. Ed
Two days after the event, the Wightlink Islanders management, riders and fans are all still struggling to come to terms with the record 29-61 home defeat inflicted upon them at Smallbrook on Tuesday night by the Dudley Heathens, the runaway National League league leaders.
They had arrived on the Island boasting a perfect 2012 record, having won all eight of their previous matches and whilst everyone realised that it would require an outstanding effort from all seven Wightlink Islanders to become the first team to beat them, most people expected a closely fought contest.
Heathens took first seven heats
But any hopes of that proving to be the case disappeared from the outset with the Heathens providing the race winner in every single one of the first seven heats and storming into a staggering 31-11 lead at that stage.
Things improved marginally for the home camp in the second half of the match with No.1 Kyle Hughes winning two races, plus Ben Hopwood and Paul Starke one apiece, but the fact that throughout the entire match the Wightlink Islanders only gained one heat advantage, that being when Hughes and Aaron Baseby finished first and third in heat nine, amply demonstrates Dudley’s total domination.
“Outgunned and outclassed”
“We were simply outgunned and outclassed in most if not all in aspects of the match,” said a clearly angry Wightlink Islanders joint team manager Chris Hunt afterwards, “and I’ve got to say that both Kevin Shepherd and myself rightfully expected our team to do a whole lot better than they did.
“The huge margin of our defeat speaks for itself and I can only apologise to our regular fans for our really poor performance and assure them that we will take whatever action that may be necessary in the wake of it and we simply must get our act together prior to our home match against the Buxton Hitmen next Tuesday.”
Heathens No.1 Adam Roynon, who recorded four wins out of four, smashed the existing National League track record in heat 11 recording a new fastest winning time at that level of 66.4secs, and it simply proved to be a night to forget for the Wightlink Islanders.
Final score
WIGHTLINK ISLANDERS 29 DUDLEY HEATHENS 61
ISLANDERS SCORERS: Kyle Hughes 10, Ben Hopwood 6, Mark Baseby 4, Paul Starke 4+1, Adam Ellis 2, Danny Warwick 2, Aaron Baseby 1.
So things can only get better … and they’ll have to
Yes the Wightlink Islanders will have to put any thoughts concerning Tuesday night’s match well and truly behind them in order to get back to winning ways in their next match which is at home next Tuesday against the Buxton Hitmen.
A full match preview will be issued once the full team line ups are announced by both sides but the Hitmen’s pairing of Robert Branford and recent signing Charles Wright finished second in the National League Pairs Championship at Mildenhall and so are very much in form at present.
In addition, also included in Buxton’s 2012 squad is hugely popular ex-Islander Dean Felton and so the Wightlink Islanders will most certainly have to be back to their best to atone for yesterday’s abject display and get back to winning ways.
