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Experience proves key in Wednesfield win

Sheffield v Wednesfield
British Team Championship - Quarter-final
Event: 10th July 2011

Wednesfield came to Sheffield looking to progress to the semi finals of the British Team Championship and the score shows an emphatic victory to the visitors. However this was a highly enjoyable meeting with some great racing from all concerned. The Sheffield team made up solely with junior riders with the exception of Ryan Hoyland, Will Gamble and Jamie Brown gave it their best shot but found the visitors experience just too much to handle.

Bentley and Jewkes started off with a well taken maximum before Hoyland took a win for the home side. Owen, Hoyland's partner, ended up on the centre green as he got to grips with the step up to first team racing.

A shared heat 3 with Langton and Brown keeping Draisey at the back as Aris took the win kept the scores close. Wednesfield then moved into overdrive and slammed home a couple of maximums to open up a good lead, Sheffield could only manage to square a couple more heats before the interval to go in 20pts down at 35 to 55.

Ryan Hoyland and Jamie Brown kept up the pressure on Wednesfield and both riders began to rack up the points, Langton and Owen had some great races with the visitors and made them work for their points. The two youngest riders in the match, Sheffield's Hudson (14) and Wednesfield s Haddock the same age enjoyed a great race with plenty of action and passing.

Sheffield fared better in the second half of the meeting and finally took a consolation 7-2 in the last race after Aris moved at the start and was excluded, up to then he was unbeaten and heading for a maximum.

Perry, Bentley and Jewkes provided excellent support for the visitors and the evergreen Griffiths showed he still has what it takes. Sheffield's Hoyland and Brown both had great days and hopefully the younger riders will learn from the experience, Wednesfield ran out comfortable winners but contributed greatly to a fixture which ran smoothly, giving referee Ralph Doughty surely one of his quietest days in a long time.

Results

Sheffield 76: Ryan Hoyland 19, Jamie Brown 17+2, Liam Webster 10, Jamie Langton 9, Aiden Owen 8+1, Richard Hudson 6, Jordan Gabbitas 5, Will Gamble 2.

Wednesfield 103: Nick Perry 16+1, Lee Aris 16, Stuart Bentley 15+3, Chris Jewkes 14+2, Mark Griffiths 12+2, Luke Draisey 11+2, Matt Haddock 10+1, Roger Cox 9+2.