Post by Genghis on May 16, 2008 7:10:40 GMT
Sunday, April 3, 2005
BUXTON 45 OXFORD 45 (Conference League)
A fantastic performance by a depleted Oxford Academy side, earning a well-deserved draw, despite the absence of both Craig Branney (riding for Premier League Hull) and Chris Mills (injured riding for Reading). Rider replacement was used for Branney, while squad member Ricky Scarboro came in for Chris Mills, with Scarboro also nominated as team captain.
Another absentee was Academy team manager Bryn Williams, with Richard Palmer stepping into the breach with the assistance of Robert Peasley.
Buxton also had a rider missing, with Ross Parker competing in the Under-21 qualifier at Mildenhall, with David Farley replacing him at No. 7.
Jonathan Bethell won Heat 1 ahead of Jamie Courtney, but with Ben Barker passing Carl Belfield on the opening lap, the race was shared (3-3).
Sam Martin produced a fast start from the inside in Heat 2, and Kyle Hughes flashed past Joe Reynolds on the opening bends to join him at the front for a very convincing 5-1 to the Oxford reserves. Meanwhile, Reynolds failed to make it to the end of the opening lap, leaving team-mate David Farley to take third (4-8).
Heat 3 was re-run after an unsatisfactory start and was a cracking race. John Branney led from Charles Wright at the front, while Jamie Courtney found himself under pressure from Lee Derbyshire in the battle for third. On the final lap, Derbyshire got under Courtney on second bend, then Branney left slightly too much room on the inside, allowing Wright to get inside him on the final bend and snatch the race win. So a potential 4-2 to the Academy had switched to a 4-2 to Buxton (8-10).
Dean Felton won Heat 4, with Ricky Scarboro second. Meanwhile, Hughes missed the gate and then lost his footrest, after Farley locked up directly in front of him on the third bend of lap 1 and the two touched. Hughes was forced to pull out of the race, while Farley took third (12-12).
Wright touched the tapes in Heat 5 and found himself reinstated off a 15m handicap. Nevertheless, he soon caught up Branney, and was pushing Branney for third for the final three laps. However, Branney had learnt from Heat 3 and this time rode a tight enough line to stop Wright coming though on the inside. With Derbyshire winning from Barker, it meant a shared heat (15-15).
Buxton took the lead for the first time in Heat 6, taking a 5-1. Belfield and Bethell hit the front, then Bethell used his experience to keep Scarboro back in third (20-16). However, the Academy hit straight back with a 5-1 from Courtney and Branney over Felton in Heat 7 (21-21).
The Oxford management brought Martin into Heat 8, with the plan that Martin and Barker could take a 5-1 from the race. However, Farley hit the tapes, and with Farley put back in off 15m, the result was that Belfield switched from gate 4 to the more favourable gate 2. Subsequently, Belfield gated and won the race from Barker and Martin (24-24).
Scarboro showed very briefly in front in Heat 9, however Derbyshire and Belfield were soon past and with Scarboro unable to hit back, the Hitmen reopened their lead with a 5-1 (29-25).
Courtney produced a very hard first bend in Heat 10, pushing both Bethell and Belfield wide, however Branney had made a poor start and had no chance of capitalising, in a race that finished as a 3-3 (32-28).
Felton won Heat 11, but with Barker and Scarboro packing the minor places, the race was shared (35-31). Similarly, Derbyshire won Heat 12, but Branney and Martin came in second and third - and the gap between the two sides remained at four points heading into the interval (38-34).
Ben Barker was the rider replacement in Heat 13, and shot out of the inside gate to lead all the way. With Bethell falling on the second bend of lap 3 while set for third, it meant a 4-2 to Oxford with the scores now standing at (40-38).
Heat 14 saw a third race win of the afternoon for Courtney, ahead of Wright, while Hughes went around Farley on the opening bends to take third (42-42).
Oxford won the toss for gate positions for Heat 15, with Barker placed off gate 1 and Courtney off gate 3, while Buxton plumped for Derbyshire off gate 2 and Bethell off gate 4. It was Bethell who got away first, and after a scramble for the minor places, Barker emerged in second, with Courtney getting around Derbyshire on the opening lap to take third. The Oxford pair then chased Bethell, with the wider-riding Courtney getting particularly close at times. On the third bend of the final lap, Courtney challenged once more, but got a little too close to Bethell for comfort and found himself straightened up and momentarily heading towards the fence. Courtney recovered, while Barker slowed to stop Derbyshire coming though, and the two flashed over the line in second and third to secure the draw. However, the riders kept on racing until the red lights were slapped on halfway around the fifth lap - and it soon become apparent that the start marshal had got confused, failing to hold out the last lap flag. Courtney and Barker were particularly frustrated, as they thought they had another lap to catch Bethell. However, referee Peter Clarke took the only course of action available to him - to award the race as it stood after the completion of four laps (45-45).
A draw was the fair result, and Oxford in particular will be happy with the outcome of this meeting, given the absence of Branney & Mills. Buxton provided 10 of the 15 heat-winners, but Oxford packed the minor places and had just five last places. There were never more than four points between the two teams, while rider replacement scored paid nine for the Academy. The whole team contributed valuable points to the Oxford effort, with the youthful pairing of Jamie Courtney and Ben Barker rising to the challenge in the final few races to secure the draw.
HITMEN 45: Jonathon Bethell 10+1 (5), Carl Belfield 7+1 (4), Lee Derbyshire 10 (5), Charles Wright 7+1 (4), Dean Felton 9 (4), Joe Reynolds 0 (3), David Farley 2 (5).
ACADEMY 45: Craig Branney R/R, Ben Barker 11+2 (6), John Branney 7+2 (5), Jamie Courtney 13 (6), Ricky Scarboro 6+1 (5), Sam Martin 5+2 (4), Kyle Hughes 3+1 (4), James Humby (No. 8) DNR.
1: Bethell, Courtney (R/R), Barker, Belfield, 59.0 (3-3).
2: Martin, Hughes, Farley, Reynolds (fell), 60.9 (4-8).
3: (Re-run) Wright, Branney, Derbyshire, Courtney, 60.1 (8-10). 4: Felton, Scarboro, Farley, Hughes (ret), 59.3 (12-12).
5: (Re-run) Derbyshire, Barker, Branney (R/R), Wright (penalised 15m for touching tapes), 60.0 (15-15).
6: Belfield, Bethell, Scarboro, Martin, 60.6 (20-16).
7: Courtney, Branney, Felton, Reynolds, 58.4 (21-21).
8: (Re-run) Belfield, Barker, Martin, Farley (penalised 15m for touching tapes), 60.0 (24-24).
9: Derbyshire, Wright, Scarboro, Hughes, 59.6 (29-25).
10: Courtney, Bethell, Belfield, Branney (fell, remounted), 57.6 (32-28).
11: Felton, Barker, Scarboro (R/R), Reynolds, 58.5 (35-31).
12: Derbyshire, Branney, Martin, Farley, 59.0 (38-34).
13: Barker (R/R), Felton, Scarboro, Bethell (fell, remounted), 59.4 (40-38).
14: Courtney, Wright, Hughes, Reynolds, 57.0 (42-42).
15: Bethell, Courtney, Barker, Derbyshire, 59.0 (45-45).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY
BUXTON 45 OXFORD 45 (Conference League)
A fantastic performance by a depleted Oxford Academy side, earning a well-deserved draw, despite the absence of both Craig Branney (riding for Premier League Hull) and Chris Mills (injured riding for Reading). Rider replacement was used for Branney, while squad member Ricky Scarboro came in for Chris Mills, with Scarboro also nominated as team captain.
Another absentee was Academy team manager Bryn Williams, with Richard Palmer stepping into the breach with the assistance of Robert Peasley.
Buxton also had a rider missing, with Ross Parker competing in the Under-21 qualifier at Mildenhall, with David Farley replacing him at No. 7.
Jonathan Bethell won Heat 1 ahead of Jamie Courtney, but with Ben Barker passing Carl Belfield on the opening lap, the race was shared (3-3).
Sam Martin produced a fast start from the inside in Heat 2, and Kyle Hughes flashed past Joe Reynolds on the opening bends to join him at the front for a very convincing 5-1 to the Oxford reserves. Meanwhile, Reynolds failed to make it to the end of the opening lap, leaving team-mate David Farley to take third (4-8).
Heat 3 was re-run after an unsatisfactory start and was a cracking race. John Branney led from Charles Wright at the front, while Jamie Courtney found himself under pressure from Lee Derbyshire in the battle for third. On the final lap, Derbyshire got under Courtney on second bend, then Branney left slightly too much room on the inside, allowing Wright to get inside him on the final bend and snatch the race win. So a potential 4-2 to the Academy had switched to a 4-2 to Buxton (8-10).
Dean Felton won Heat 4, with Ricky Scarboro second. Meanwhile, Hughes missed the gate and then lost his footrest, after Farley locked up directly in front of him on the third bend of lap 1 and the two touched. Hughes was forced to pull out of the race, while Farley took third (12-12).
Wright touched the tapes in Heat 5 and found himself reinstated off a 15m handicap. Nevertheless, he soon caught up Branney, and was pushing Branney for third for the final three laps. However, Branney had learnt from Heat 3 and this time rode a tight enough line to stop Wright coming though on the inside. With Derbyshire winning from Barker, it meant a shared heat (15-15).
Buxton took the lead for the first time in Heat 6, taking a 5-1. Belfield and Bethell hit the front, then Bethell used his experience to keep Scarboro back in third (20-16). However, the Academy hit straight back with a 5-1 from Courtney and Branney over Felton in Heat 7 (21-21).
The Oxford management brought Martin into Heat 8, with the plan that Martin and Barker could take a 5-1 from the race. However, Farley hit the tapes, and with Farley put back in off 15m, the result was that Belfield switched from gate 4 to the more favourable gate 2. Subsequently, Belfield gated and won the race from Barker and Martin (24-24).
Scarboro showed very briefly in front in Heat 9, however Derbyshire and Belfield were soon past and with Scarboro unable to hit back, the Hitmen reopened their lead with a 5-1 (29-25).
Courtney produced a very hard first bend in Heat 10, pushing both Bethell and Belfield wide, however Branney had made a poor start and had no chance of capitalising, in a race that finished as a 3-3 (32-28).
Felton won Heat 11, but with Barker and Scarboro packing the minor places, the race was shared (35-31). Similarly, Derbyshire won Heat 12, but Branney and Martin came in second and third - and the gap between the two sides remained at four points heading into the interval (38-34).
Ben Barker was the rider replacement in Heat 13, and shot out of the inside gate to lead all the way. With Bethell falling on the second bend of lap 3 while set for third, it meant a 4-2 to Oxford with the scores now standing at (40-38).
Heat 14 saw a third race win of the afternoon for Courtney, ahead of Wright, while Hughes went around Farley on the opening bends to take third (42-42).
Oxford won the toss for gate positions for Heat 15, with Barker placed off gate 1 and Courtney off gate 3, while Buxton plumped for Derbyshire off gate 2 and Bethell off gate 4. It was Bethell who got away first, and after a scramble for the minor places, Barker emerged in second, with Courtney getting around Derbyshire on the opening lap to take third. The Oxford pair then chased Bethell, with the wider-riding Courtney getting particularly close at times. On the third bend of the final lap, Courtney challenged once more, but got a little too close to Bethell for comfort and found himself straightened up and momentarily heading towards the fence. Courtney recovered, while Barker slowed to stop Derbyshire coming though, and the two flashed over the line in second and third to secure the draw. However, the riders kept on racing until the red lights were slapped on halfway around the fifth lap - and it soon become apparent that the start marshal had got confused, failing to hold out the last lap flag. Courtney and Barker were particularly frustrated, as they thought they had another lap to catch Bethell. However, referee Peter Clarke took the only course of action available to him - to award the race as it stood after the completion of four laps (45-45).
A draw was the fair result, and Oxford in particular will be happy with the outcome of this meeting, given the absence of Branney & Mills. Buxton provided 10 of the 15 heat-winners, but Oxford packed the minor places and had just five last places. There were never more than four points between the two teams, while rider replacement scored paid nine for the Academy. The whole team contributed valuable points to the Oxford effort, with the youthful pairing of Jamie Courtney and Ben Barker rising to the challenge in the final few races to secure the draw.
HITMEN 45: Jonathon Bethell 10+1 (5), Carl Belfield 7+1 (4), Lee Derbyshire 10 (5), Charles Wright 7+1 (4), Dean Felton 9 (4), Joe Reynolds 0 (3), David Farley 2 (5).
ACADEMY 45: Craig Branney R/R, Ben Barker 11+2 (6), John Branney 7+2 (5), Jamie Courtney 13 (6), Ricky Scarboro 6+1 (5), Sam Martin 5+2 (4), Kyle Hughes 3+1 (4), James Humby (No. 8) DNR.
1: Bethell, Courtney (R/R), Barker, Belfield, 59.0 (3-3).
2: Martin, Hughes, Farley, Reynolds (fell), 60.9 (4-8).
3: (Re-run) Wright, Branney, Derbyshire, Courtney, 60.1 (8-10). 4: Felton, Scarboro, Farley, Hughes (ret), 59.3 (12-12).
5: (Re-run) Derbyshire, Barker, Branney (R/R), Wright (penalised 15m for touching tapes), 60.0 (15-15).
6: Belfield, Bethell, Scarboro, Martin, 60.6 (20-16).
7: Courtney, Branney, Felton, Reynolds, 58.4 (21-21).
8: (Re-run) Belfield, Barker, Martin, Farley (penalised 15m for touching tapes), 60.0 (24-24).
9: Derbyshire, Wright, Scarboro, Hughes, 59.6 (29-25).
10: Courtney, Bethell, Belfield, Branney (fell, remounted), 57.6 (32-28).
11: Felton, Barker, Scarboro (R/R), Reynolds, 58.5 (35-31).
12: Derbyshire, Branney, Martin, Farley, 59.0 (38-34).
13: Barker (R/R), Felton, Scarboro, Bethell (fell, remounted), 59.4 (40-38).
14: Courtney, Wright, Hughes, Reynolds, 57.0 (42-42).
15: Bethell, Courtney, Barker, Derbyshire, 59.0 (45-45).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY