Post by Genghis on May 17, 2008 10:56:22 GMT
Sunday, September 4, 2005
RYE HOUSE 44 OXFORD 46 (Conference League)
Sensational! That's the only way to describe the feat of the Silver Machine Academy in picking up an unexpected, but well-deserved, win in sweltering conditions at Rye House.
Oxford's chances of picking up anything but the league bonus point seemed to have disappeared when Jamie Courtney withdrew 24 hours before the match, with Courtney still struggling to get sufficient movement from an injured shoulder. With Ben Barker and Kyle Hughes also sidelined, it was a patched-up Academy side that took to the track at Hoddesdon, although the absence of Raiders No. 1 Steve Boxall did even things out to some extent.
The match followed a Rye House v Exeter Premier League, which saw an emphatic 66-26 win for the home side, with John Branney standing in at No. 3 at Exeter for non-arrival Seb Tresarrieu and scoring a credible 2+1 from 4 riders. Sam Martin was Exeter's No. 8, but wasn't given a ride.
Heat 1 saw Chris Mills gate, then Harland Cook fell while trying to go around Mills on the second bend, after running out of room as Mills headed wide. Cook was harshly excluded from the race - a restart with all four would have been a fair decision. Mills won the re-run ahead of Rye House No. 8 Shane Waldron and Jason Newitt in an opening 4-2 to Oxford (2-4).
However, Rye House then hit Oxford with two successive 5-1s. Firstly, Gary Cottham and Daniel Halsey led Sam Martin & Marc Andrews all the way in Heat 2 (7-5), then John Branney was unable to find a way inside Ben Powell in Heat 3, as Barry Burchatt & Powell moved the Raiders six points clear (12-6).
Craig Branney stopped the rot by winning Heat 4, with Branney repassing Luke Bowen in a closely contested opening lap, then holding off Bowen thereafter (15-9).
Mills showed in Heat 5 that he meant business. He was beaten from the tapes from Burchatt & Powell, but within half a lap he had thrust himself around both of them to race into the lead. John Branney, in on a R/R ride, started to apply pressure onto third-placed Powell, and Powell fell on the first turn of lap 3. The race was stopped and awarded as a 4-2 to Oxford (17-13).
In Heat 6, Craig Branney led from Cook, but all eyes were on the battle for third. Andrews stole under Waldron on the second bend of lap 2, but with Waldron still close behind him, Andrews went into the first turn of lap 3 too tight. Andrews ended up drifting wide and falling on the second bend, with Waldron then falling separately not much further up the track. Trainee referee Christina Turnbull awarded the race, allowing Waldron the 3rd-placed point, on the basis that she stopped the race at the moment that Andrews fell, at which point Waldron was still under power (20-16).
John Branney hit the front in Heat 7, but the referee stopped the race because Halsey had moved at the start. In the re-run, Branney again got out in front, while Bowen threw away second place, falling while trying to go around Branney on the final bend, allowing Martin to snatch a point (22-20).
Mills won a processional Heat 8 (25-23), then Heat 9 had to be stopped after fourth-placed Andrews fell on the fourth bend. Craig Branney, leading at the time of the stoppage, won the re-run from the Burchatt/Powell pairing, as the gap between the two teams remained at just two points (28-26).
Cook & Burchatt got out in front in Heat 10, but a determined effort from John Branney took him inside Burchatt on the second bend of lap 3 to restrict the Raiders to a 4-2 (32-28).
Craig Branney (in as a R/R) and Mills led in Heat 11, with Bowen pressing them (but not really looking like getting through) when fourth-placed Halsey took a heavy tumble on the first bend of the final bend, forcing a stoppage. The race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Academy (33-33).
However, the Raiders then retook the lead after a 5-1 from Cottham and Powell over Martin and Newitt in Heat 12 (38-34).
Heat 13 saw Mills gate, with Craig Branney blasting around Cook on the second bend, to join him at the front. However, Cook took a real pearler on the third turn, with the following Bowen laying down his machine and earning the praise of the referee for his evasive action. Cook was excluded, and needed treatment, before being taken off with a broken collarbone. In the re-run, Mills again gated, but Branney's outside move on the second bend didn't come off this time and instead he lost ground to second-placed Bowen. Branney slowed and cruised home for third, having lost his unbeaten tag - while Mills stayed on course for a paid maximum (40-38).
Sam Martin was absolutely shattered by this time (it was hot for the rest of us, so it must have been unbearable for the riders!), having already taken six rides and the effects of the previous week's smash at Mildenhall were starting to creep up on the lad. However, he agreed to take a seventh ride in Heat 14 and how important it proved. Burchatt gated ahead of John Branney, with Branney pressing early on before Burchatt pulled away, while Martin was last away, but stuck to the inside and stole inside Cottham on the second bend of lap 2, much to the delight of the travelling Oxford support. Cottham pulled out of race before its completion, and the 3-3 kept Oxford in with a chance of victory going into the final race, with Martin coming back to the pits to a heroes reception (43-41).
Rye House won the coin toss for Heat 15, and chose gates 1 & 3, placing Bowen off gate 1 and Burchatt off gate 3. Meanwhile, Oxford were represented by Mills (gate 2) and Craig Branney (gate 4). The Academy pair just got the better of a tightly contested first bend, and then team rode, with Mills on the inside and Branney on the outside. The Raiders pair took up a desperate chase, with Burchatt falling as he attempted to get inside Mills on the first bend of lap 2. Fair play to Burchatt, who quickly remounted to allow the race to continue, while Bowen continued the chase of the Oxford pair. However, Bowen made the same mistake as Burchatt, crashing down on the first bend of lap 3, as he attempted to get inside Mills. With Burchatt rapidly approaching his fallen team-mate, the referee slapped on the red lights and stopped the race. Bowen was quickly to his feet, while as the Oxford pair cruised back around the track, it was announced that the race had been awarded as a 5-1 to Oxford and that the Academy had won the match. Both jubilant Oxford riders did a lap of honour, while Mills was given the bumps on his return to the pits in honour of his paid maximum (44-46).
And so ended a terrific match, with great sportsmanship between the two sides. It had been agreed with two races to go, that win, lose or draw, both sides should go out on the victory truck. And thanks to Len Silver for his gracious comments over the mike, and Rye House team manager John Sampford was also hugely magnanimous in defeat. Both sides battled hard, and it was hard not to feel sympathy for the Rye lads who gave it everything.
For Oxford, the whole team were magnificent, and nothing else could be asked from any of the team. A word of praise for young Marc Andrews, who despite failing to score, was there encouraging his team-mates in the latter stages, and was already very much part of the team, despite this only being his second appearance for Oxford.
So the most impressive home record in the Conference League came to an end. This was Rye House's first home defeat in league competition at Conference League level since Somerset were 46-44 victors at Hoddesdon in 2000. Since then Rye House had won 50 consecutive matches in the Conference League at home. Although, in 2000, the Conference League side was the main Rye House team and called the Rockets - so it could be claimed that our win at Hoddesdon was the first-ever home league defeat for the current set-up!
RAIDERS 44: R/R for Steve Boxall, Harland Cook 6+1 (5), Ben Powell 5+3 (4), Barry Burchatt 12 (6), Luke Bowen 5 (5), Daniel Halsey 4+1 (3), Gary Cottham 9+1 (5), Shane Waldron (No. 8) 3+1 (2).
ACADEMY 46: Chris Mills 16+2 (6) (PAID MAX), R/R for Ben Barker, Jason Newitt 1 (3), John Branney 9 (5), Craig Branney 16 (6), Sam Martin 4+1 (7), Marc Andrews 0 (3).
1: (Re-run) Mills, Waldron (R/R), Newitt (R/R), Cook (fell, excluded), 60.9 (2-4).
2: Cottham, Halsey, Martin, Andrews, 62.8 (7-5).
3: Burchatt, Powell, J. Branney, Newitt, 62.0 (12-6).
4: C. Branney, Bowen, Cottham, Martin, 60.8 (15-9).
5: Mills, Burchatt, J. Branney (R/R), Powell (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (17-13).
6: C. Branney, Cook, Waldron (R/R), Andrews (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (20-16).
7: (Re-run) J. Branney, Halsey, Martin, Bowen (fell), 60.7 (22-20).
8: Mills (R/R), Cottham, Cook, Martin, 60.0 (25-23).
9: C. Branney, Burchatt, Powell, Andrews (fell, excluded), 61.4 (28-26).
10: Cook, J. Branney, Burchatt (R/R), Martin, 61.5 (32-28).
11: C. Branney (R/R), Mills, Bowen, Halsey (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (33-33).
12: Cottham, Powell, Martin, Newitt, 61.9 (38-34).
13: (Re-run) Mills, Bowen, C. Branney, Cook (R/R) (fell, excluded), 60.3 (40-38).
14: Burchatt, J. Branney, Martin, Cottham (ret), 61.2 (43-41).
15: C. Branney, Mills, Burchatt (fell, remounted), Bowen (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (44-46).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY
RYE HOUSE 44 OXFORD 46 (Conference League)
Sensational! That's the only way to describe the feat of the Silver Machine Academy in picking up an unexpected, but well-deserved, win in sweltering conditions at Rye House.
Oxford's chances of picking up anything but the league bonus point seemed to have disappeared when Jamie Courtney withdrew 24 hours before the match, with Courtney still struggling to get sufficient movement from an injured shoulder. With Ben Barker and Kyle Hughes also sidelined, it was a patched-up Academy side that took to the track at Hoddesdon, although the absence of Raiders No. 1 Steve Boxall did even things out to some extent.
The match followed a Rye House v Exeter Premier League, which saw an emphatic 66-26 win for the home side, with John Branney standing in at No. 3 at Exeter for non-arrival Seb Tresarrieu and scoring a credible 2+1 from 4 riders. Sam Martin was Exeter's No. 8, but wasn't given a ride.
Heat 1 saw Chris Mills gate, then Harland Cook fell while trying to go around Mills on the second bend, after running out of room as Mills headed wide. Cook was harshly excluded from the race - a restart with all four would have been a fair decision. Mills won the re-run ahead of Rye House No. 8 Shane Waldron and Jason Newitt in an opening 4-2 to Oxford (2-4).
However, Rye House then hit Oxford with two successive 5-1s. Firstly, Gary Cottham and Daniel Halsey led Sam Martin & Marc Andrews all the way in Heat 2 (7-5), then John Branney was unable to find a way inside Ben Powell in Heat 3, as Barry Burchatt & Powell moved the Raiders six points clear (12-6).
Craig Branney stopped the rot by winning Heat 4, with Branney repassing Luke Bowen in a closely contested opening lap, then holding off Bowen thereafter (15-9).
Mills showed in Heat 5 that he meant business. He was beaten from the tapes from Burchatt & Powell, but within half a lap he had thrust himself around both of them to race into the lead. John Branney, in on a R/R ride, started to apply pressure onto third-placed Powell, and Powell fell on the first turn of lap 3. The race was stopped and awarded as a 4-2 to Oxford (17-13).
In Heat 6, Craig Branney led from Cook, but all eyes were on the battle for third. Andrews stole under Waldron on the second bend of lap 2, but with Waldron still close behind him, Andrews went into the first turn of lap 3 too tight. Andrews ended up drifting wide and falling on the second bend, with Waldron then falling separately not much further up the track. Trainee referee Christina Turnbull awarded the race, allowing Waldron the 3rd-placed point, on the basis that she stopped the race at the moment that Andrews fell, at which point Waldron was still under power (20-16).
John Branney hit the front in Heat 7, but the referee stopped the race because Halsey had moved at the start. In the re-run, Branney again got out in front, while Bowen threw away second place, falling while trying to go around Branney on the final bend, allowing Martin to snatch a point (22-20).
Mills won a processional Heat 8 (25-23), then Heat 9 had to be stopped after fourth-placed Andrews fell on the fourth bend. Craig Branney, leading at the time of the stoppage, won the re-run from the Burchatt/Powell pairing, as the gap between the two teams remained at just two points (28-26).
Cook & Burchatt got out in front in Heat 10, but a determined effort from John Branney took him inside Burchatt on the second bend of lap 3 to restrict the Raiders to a 4-2 (32-28).
Craig Branney (in as a R/R) and Mills led in Heat 11, with Bowen pressing them (but not really looking like getting through) when fourth-placed Halsey took a heavy tumble on the first bend of the final bend, forcing a stoppage. The race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Academy (33-33).
However, the Raiders then retook the lead after a 5-1 from Cottham and Powell over Martin and Newitt in Heat 12 (38-34).
Heat 13 saw Mills gate, with Craig Branney blasting around Cook on the second bend, to join him at the front. However, Cook took a real pearler on the third turn, with the following Bowen laying down his machine and earning the praise of the referee for his evasive action. Cook was excluded, and needed treatment, before being taken off with a broken collarbone. In the re-run, Mills again gated, but Branney's outside move on the second bend didn't come off this time and instead he lost ground to second-placed Bowen. Branney slowed and cruised home for third, having lost his unbeaten tag - while Mills stayed on course for a paid maximum (40-38).
Sam Martin was absolutely shattered by this time (it was hot for the rest of us, so it must have been unbearable for the riders!), having already taken six rides and the effects of the previous week's smash at Mildenhall were starting to creep up on the lad. However, he agreed to take a seventh ride in Heat 14 and how important it proved. Burchatt gated ahead of John Branney, with Branney pressing early on before Burchatt pulled away, while Martin was last away, but stuck to the inside and stole inside Cottham on the second bend of lap 2, much to the delight of the travelling Oxford support. Cottham pulled out of race before its completion, and the 3-3 kept Oxford in with a chance of victory going into the final race, with Martin coming back to the pits to a heroes reception (43-41).
Rye House won the coin toss for Heat 15, and chose gates 1 & 3, placing Bowen off gate 1 and Burchatt off gate 3. Meanwhile, Oxford were represented by Mills (gate 2) and Craig Branney (gate 4). The Academy pair just got the better of a tightly contested first bend, and then team rode, with Mills on the inside and Branney on the outside. The Raiders pair took up a desperate chase, with Burchatt falling as he attempted to get inside Mills on the first bend of lap 2. Fair play to Burchatt, who quickly remounted to allow the race to continue, while Bowen continued the chase of the Oxford pair. However, Bowen made the same mistake as Burchatt, crashing down on the first bend of lap 3, as he attempted to get inside Mills. With Burchatt rapidly approaching his fallen team-mate, the referee slapped on the red lights and stopped the race. Bowen was quickly to his feet, while as the Oxford pair cruised back around the track, it was announced that the race had been awarded as a 5-1 to Oxford and that the Academy had won the match. Both jubilant Oxford riders did a lap of honour, while Mills was given the bumps on his return to the pits in honour of his paid maximum (44-46).
And so ended a terrific match, with great sportsmanship between the two sides. It had been agreed with two races to go, that win, lose or draw, both sides should go out on the victory truck. And thanks to Len Silver for his gracious comments over the mike, and Rye House team manager John Sampford was also hugely magnanimous in defeat. Both sides battled hard, and it was hard not to feel sympathy for the Rye lads who gave it everything.
For Oxford, the whole team were magnificent, and nothing else could be asked from any of the team. A word of praise for young Marc Andrews, who despite failing to score, was there encouraging his team-mates in the latter stages, and was already very much part of the team, despite this only being his second appearance for Oxford.
So the most impressive home record in the Conference League came to an end. This was Rye House's first home defeat in league competition at Conference League level since Somerset were 46-44 victors at Hoddesdon in 2000. Since then Rye House had won 50 consecutive matches in the Conference League at home. Although, in 2000, the Conference League side was the main Rye House team and called the Rockets - so it could be claimed that our win at Hoddesdon was the first-ever home league defeat for the current set-up!
RAIDERS 44: R/R for Steve Boxall, Harland Cook 6+1 (5), Ben Powell 5+3 (4), Barry Burchatt 12 (6), Luke Bowen 5 (5), Daniel Halsey 4+1 (3), Gary Cottham 9+1 (5), Shane Waldron (No. 8) 3+1 (2).
ACADEMY 46: Chris Mills 16+2 (6) (PAID MAX), R/R for Ben Barker, Jason Newitt 1 (3), John Branney 9 (5), Craig Branney 16 (6), Sam Martin 4+1 (7), Marc Andrews 0 (3).
1: (Re-run) Mills, Waldron (R/R), Newitt (R/R), Cook (fell, excluded), 60.9 (2-4).
2: Cottham, Halsey, Martin, Andrews, 62.8 (7-5).
3: Burchatt, Powell, J. Branney, Newitt, 62.0 (12-6).
4: C. Branney, Bowen, Cottham, Martin, 60.8 (15-9).
5: Mills, Burchatt, J. Branney (R/R), Powell (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (17-13).
6: C. Branney, Cook, Waldron (R/R), Andrews (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (20-16).
7: (Re-run) J. Branney, Halsey, Martin, Bowen (fell), 60.7 (22-20).
8: Mills (R/R), Cottham, Cook, Martin, 60.0 (25-23).
9: C. Branney, Burchatt, Powell, Andrews (fell, excluded), 61.4 (28-26).
10: Cook, J. Branney, Burchatt (R/R), Martin, 61.5 (32-28).
11: C. Branney (R/R), Mills, Bowen, Halsey (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (33-33).
12: Cottham, Powell, Martin, Newitt, 61.9 (38-34).
13: (Re-run) Mills, Bowen, C. Branney, Cook (R/R) (fell, excluded), 60.3 (40-38).
14: Burchatt, J. Branney, Martin, Cottham (ret), 61.2 (43-41).
15: C. Branney, Mills, Burchatt (fell, remounted), Bowen (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (44-46).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY