The Wightlink Islanders team were in buoyant mood on the ferry back to the mainland on Tuesday night after further extending their unbeaten run at the start of the 2013 season at Smallbrook last night in their latest National Trophy match.
Their record so far this year now reads three wins and a draw from the opening four matches they’ve ridden and Tuesday night’s highly entertaining match saw them having to battle hard to overcome spirited resistance put up by Derbyshire side Buxton before achieving a 56 points to 37 victory.
That nineteen points difference between the sides doesn’t really reflect the efforts of the visitors who made our skipper Ben Hopwood and his men work hard indeed for their victory, with the Islanders young chargers frequently having to use their track skills to full extent to find a way past Buxton riders in order to claim points for themselves and the team.
A mere eight points separated the sides after the first seven of the fifteen heat match with the Islanders leading 25-17 at that stage, but two successive 5-1 maximum heat advantages in our favour coming in heats 8 and 9 saw their lead double and finally put paid to any thoughts the visitors may have had of winning the match.
Heat 8 is best described as a disaster for Buxton with one of their duo in the race Matt Williamson falling on the fourth bend of the second lap and team mate Tom Woolley ploughing into him in a very nasty looking incident that prompted referee Dave Robinson to stop the race immediately.
The paramedic and Red Cross medical crew were quickly with the stricken pair but, much to everyone’s relief and it must be said surprise, both got to their feet having sustained no serious injury and each appeared in subsequent races.
All seven of the Wightlink Islanders made significant contributions to this latest win with them providing ten of the 15 heat winners, Adam Eliis top scoring with 14 points from his five rides dropping his only point to Buxton’s impressive No.1 Charles Wright who also was the only Buxton rider to finish ahead of our No.1 Tom Perry in the match.
Ellis gained revenge for his earlier defeat by Wright in heat 11 by getting the better of him in the final race of what was a very entertaining match to send the Island fans home happy and prompt that buoyant mood on the 10pm ferry back to Portsmouth.
MATCH DETAILS:
Tuesday May 7 (National Trophy)
Referee: Dave Robinson
WIGHTLINK ISLANDERS 56: Adam Ellis 14, Darryl Ritchings 10+2, Tom Perry 10, Ben Hopwood 8+1, Brandon Freemantle 7+2, Danny Stoneman 4+2, Tom Young 3+1
BUXTON HITMEN 37: Charles Wright 17, Adam McKinna 7, Tony Atkin 7, Ryan Blacklock 4+2, Tom Woolley 1, Matt Williamson 1, Tyler Govier 0
Photo courtesy of Ian Groves
