This in from Bryn on behalf of the Wightlink Islanders speedway tema. Ed
Still reeling from the body blow of having had proposed new skipper Byron Bekker ruled out of action for the entire 2013 season on medical advice before a match had been ridden, the Wightlink Islanders got that season off to a simply incredible start earlier yesterday.
They travelled north to Buxton in the Derbyshire Dales, having had no alternative other than to draft in teenage rookie Michael Neale as a stop gap replacement for the match to cover for Byron and despite that and machinery problems galore for Danny Stoneman, amazingly pulled of a 57-37 victory in their National Trophy clash with the home side on the Hi-Edge Raceway circuit.
“Simply stunningly brilliant”
“We were simply stunningly brilliant today,” commented Wightlink Islanders co-promoter Kevin Shepherd after the meeting, “but we’re not taking anything for granted for we know full well that there’s a heck of a lot more matches to won this year before we can talk in terms of being on course to win major trophies.
“Right now though we’re celebrating our success in this match and our performance today will serve due notice on all other teams in this year’s National League that the Wightlink Islanders will be a real force to be reckoned with in 2013.”
Praise for every rider
He went on to say, “I must praise every rider in our side today for their efforts including young Michael Neale, as they all gave everything to the cause and the team spirit was simply brilliant as evidenced by Ben Hopwood willingly lending Danny Stoneman one of his bikes after the latter suffered problems galore with his machinery early on forcing him to miss his first two programmed rides.
“You can be certain that we’re all going to enjoy today’s win to the hilt and it’ll make my drive back to the Isle of Wight seem a whole lot shorter than it actually is but we must now get down to focussing on this week’s opening home match against Stoke and, hopefully, we’ll be in a position to name a replacement for Byron on Tuesday morning.”
20 point win
So a brilliant twenty point win for us at Buxton in which, as Kevin has alluded to, all seven riders played their part with our other two winter signings Tom Perry and Darryl Ritchings both posting 11 point scores and reserve Brandon Freemantle only being beaten by home riders in the last of his four outings.
If one rider were to be singled out though, we suppose that it would have to be Brandon’s reserve partner Adam Ellis who had never seen the Buxton circuit before let alone raced on it but it mattered not as he stormed to victory in all six of his rides thus recording an 18 point maximum on his track debut!
RESULT and scorers from Sunday’s National Trophy match at the Hi-Edge Raceway.
BUXTON 37: Charles Wright 14, Tony Atkin 7+1, Ryan Blacklock 6, Adam McKinna 5+1, Matt Williamson 3+1, Tom Woolley 2+1,Tyler Govier 0.
WIGHTLINK ISLANDERS 57: Adam Ellis 18, Tom Perry 11, Darryl Ritchings 11, Brandon Freemantle 8+1, Ben Hopwood 4+1,Danny Stoneman 3+1, Michael Neale 2+1.
Another reminder
Indeed another reminder that the Wightlink Islanders stage their opening home fixture of the season this Tuesday (30th April) at 7pm with what is now the first leg of their Wightlink Challenge matches with the Stoke Potters.
Originally it would have been the second leg but the scheduled first leg clash at Stoke was rained off on the 13th April and it has now been agreed that we will travel to their Loomer Road circuit for the re-staging this coming Saturday – May 4th.
Image: Lee Jordan under CC BY 2.0
