Post by Genghis on May 16, 2008 16:05:06 GMT
ACADEMY SO CLOSE TO FOURS GLORY!
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2005… CONFERENCE LEAGUE FOURS (at Stoke): First semi-final: Boston 16 Armadale 14 Stoke 12 Wimbledon 5. Second semi-final: Oxford 14 Weymouth 13 Scunthorpe 11 Mildenhall 10. Grand Final: Weymouth 16 Oxford 15 Armadale 9 Boston 8.
The Silver Machine Academy finished second in the Conference League Fours at Stoke, missing out by just a solitary point to winners Weymouth. The Academy were missing Craig Branney, who was in Premier League action for Hull at Berwick, while John Branney made his return from injury, following the scaphoid damage he picked up at Weymouth.
Oxford were involved in the second semi-final, and by the time they took to the track both Boston and Armadale had qualified for the final at the expense of hosts Stoke and an under-performing Wimbledon side. Full scorers from the first semi-final:
BOSTON 16: Simon Walker 5, Adam Roynon 3, Nathan Irwin 3, Simon Lambert 5. ARMADALE 14: Blair Scott 4, Derek Sneddon 5, Sean Stoddart 1, Andrew Tully 4. STOKE 12: Barrie Evans 5, Luke Priest 3, Rob Grant 4, Michael Mitchell 0. WIMBLEDON 5: Scott James 1, Matt Wright 1, Danny Betson 2, Mark Burrows 1.
The second semi-final then commenced between Oxford (O), Weymouth (W), Scunthorpe (S) and Mildenhall (M):
HEAT 1: A good run around the outside by John Branney (O) on the opening bends takes him into second behind Danny Norton (S). Branney challenges Norton on the opening lap, but has to concentrate in keeping David Mason (W) behind him thereafter. Fourth-placed Lee Smart (M) splutters to a halt on lap 2. Scores: S3 O2 W1 M0.
HEAT 2: Great gate by Chris Mills (O), but Daniel Giffard (W) storms around on the fourth bend. Mills then has to concentrate in holding back Aidan Collins (M) to secure second place. Scores: W4 O4 S3 M1.
HEAT 3: Ben Barker (O) has clutch problems - he's last out of the start, seems to be lacking some "oomph" in his attempts to pass Andrew Bargh (M) early on and is cruising around by the final lap. Lewis Bridger (W) wins from Wayne Carter (S). Scorers: W7 S5 O4 M2.
HEAT 4: Jamie Courtney (O) gates, but Jon Armstrong (M) powers around on the opening bends, then Tom Brown (W) shoots around both on the third and fourth bend of lap 1 to take the lead. Brown is riding wide, and Armstrong gets inside on the back straight of the final lap. Brown appears to snatch the win with another outside run at the finish - but ref Mick Posselwhite gives the verdict to Armstrong. Scores: W9 M5 S5 05.
HEAT 5: Mills (O) gets around Mason (W) on the second bend to take third, but can't catch either race-winner Carter (S) or Armstrong (M). Scores: W9 S8 M7 O6.
HEAT 6: Barker (O) is leading the race from Benji Compton (S), when Smart (M) falls entering the third bend of lap 2, causing both himself and Brown (W) to crash into the boards. Both riders eventually get up. In re-run, Barker leads all the way to register Oxford's first heat win, while Compton holds off Brown for second. Scores: W10 S10 O9 M7.
HEAT 7: Collins (M) just beats Courtney (O) around the opening bends - and they finish first and second respectively ahead of Bridger (W) and Norton (S). Scores: W11 O11 M10 S10.
HEAT 8: Brilliant gate by Branney (O) under real pressure. Soon he and Giffard (W) have built up a sizeable lead - ahead of Byron Bekker (S) and Bargh (M). Branney holds off Giffard to take the race win - after being last with three heats to go, Oxford have won the group, to qualify for the final alongside Weymouth. Final Scores: O14 W13 S11 M10.
OXFORD 14: Chris Mills 3, Ben Barker 3, Jamie Courtney 3, John Branney 5. WEYMOUTH 13: David Mason 1, Dan Giffard 5, Lewis Bridger 4, Tom Brown 3. SCUNTHORPE 11: Wayne Carter 5, Byron Bekker 1, Danny Norton 3, Benji Compton 2. MILDENHALL 10: Jon Armstrong 5, Lee Smart 0, Aidan Collins 4, Andrew Bargh 1.
1: Norton, Branney, Mason, Smart (ret), 66.1.
2: Giffard, Mills, Collins, Compton, 64.6.
3: Bridger, Carter, Bargh, Barker, 65.8.
4: Armstrong, Brown, Courtney, Bekker (ret), 66.0.
5: Carter, Armstrong, Mills, Mason, 65.1.
6: (Re-run) Barker, Compton, Brown, Smart (fell, excluded).
7: Collins, Courtney, Bridger, Norton, 65.8.
8: Branney, Giffard, Bekker, Bargh, 65.7.
After a short interval, the Grand Final then commenced, contested by Oxford (O), Weymouth (W), Armadale (A) and Boston (B):
HEAT 1: Simon Walker (B) gates, but Giffard (W) goes around him on the opening lap, with Courtney (O) almost passing Walker at the end of the lap. Race then settles down. Scores: W3 B2 O1 A0.
HEAT 2: Blair Scott (A) just beats Branney (O) to first turn, however all 4 riders then get very close on track on the back straight, and Branney gets crowded out and drops to fourth. Bridger (W) goes around Adam Roynon (B) at the end of the opening lap to follow Scott home. Scores: W5 B3 A3 O1.
HEAT 3: Nathan Irwin (B) nudges the tapes and goes 15m back. In the re-run, great stuff by Mills (O). He goes around Brown (W) on the second bend to take second place, then shoots inside Derek Sneddon (A) on the back straight of lap 2, to take the win and kick-start Oxford's challenge in the final. Scores: W6 A5 O4 B3.
HEAT 4: Barker (O) holds off Mason (W) early on, but then wins by a margin. Sean Stoddart (A) then pressing Mason for second. Scorers: W8 O7 A6 B3.
HEAT 5: Mason (W) gates and holds off Mills (O) - and these two finish ahead of Walker (B) and Scott (A). Scores: W11 O9 A6 B4.
HEAT 6: Sneddon (A) gates, while both Giffard (W) and Branney (O) pass Simon Lambert (B) on the opening half-lap. Lots happening on the fourth bend of lap 1, with Giffard just failing to pass Sneddon, while Lambert chops under Branney to take third, and Branney has to throttle off to avoid an accident and loses ground. Branney has caught up Lambert by the end of the race, but is unable to get through. Scores: W13 O9 A9 B5.
HEAT 7: Bridger (W) gates, but looks nervous, and Courtney (O) reels him in, before passing him on the inside on the back straight of lap 3. Scores: W15 O12 A9 B6.
HEAT 8: Barker (O) needs to win, with Brown (W) last, to force a run-off for first place. This looks a brief possibility as Barker steams around the rest of the field on the back straight, with Brown trapped at the back, behind Roynon (B) and Andrew Tully (A). However, Tully (A) comes crashing down on the third bend, and the race is stopped with Tully's exclusion. In the re-run, Barker storms around both Brown and then Roynon on lap 1 to win the race, but Brown is content to cruise around for the third place needed to clinch the trophy for Weymouth. Final Scores: W16 O15 A9 B8.
WEYMOUTH 16: David Mason 5, Dan Giffard 5, Lewis Bridger 4, Tom Brown 2. OXFORD 15: Chris Mills 5, Ben Barker 6, Jamie Courtney 4, John Branney 0. ARMADALE 9: Blair Scott 3, Derek Sneddon 5, Sean Stoddart 1, Andrew Tully 0. BOSTON 8: Simon Walker 3, Adam Roynon 3, Nathan Irwin 1, Simon Lambert 1.
1: Giffard, Walker, Courtney, Tully, 64.9.
2: Scott, Bridger, Roynon, Branney, 65.0.
3: (Re-run) Mills, Sneddon, Brown, Irwin (15m penalty for tape touching), 65.5.
4: Barker, Mason, Stoddart, Lambert, 65.0.
5: Mason, Mills, Walker, Scott, 65.6.
6: Sneddon, Giffard, Lambert, Branney, 65.6.
7: Courtney, Bridger, Irwin, Stoddart, 65.2.
8: (Re-run) Barker, Roynon, Brown, Tully (fell, excluded), 65.2.
Following the meeting, Academy team manager Bryn Williams said: "I'm proud of the way the boys rode. They were obviously disappointed to lose by just a single point in the final, but I was very pleased by the way they battled away all evening.
"With three heats to go in the semi-final, we were last. The scores were 9-8-7-6 and we had the six. Yet the lads came up trumps with eight points from the final three races and got us into the final.
"I must give credit to John Branney. This was his return to competitive action following a wrist injury, but he scored five points in the semi-final, including a crucial win in the final race, to see us through to the final. John was unlucky in his races in the final and failed to score. But without him, we wouldn't have made the final in the first place.
"And well done to Weymouth - they deserved their win on the night.
"The biggest disappointment of the evening was that the lads didn't receive anything for finishing second - not even a medal. There's normally something for the teams finishing first, second and third in these competitions. But the lads got nothing for their efforts, when they fully deserved at least a medal each."
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2005… CONFERENCE LEAGUE FOURS (at Stoke): First semi-final: Boston 16 Armadale 14 Stoke 12 Wimbledon 5. Second semi-final: Oxford 14 Weymouth 13 Scunthorpe 11 Mildenhall 10. Grand Final: Weymouth 16 Oxford 15 Armadale 9 Boston 8.
The Silver Machine Academy finished second in the Conference League Fours at Stoke, missing out by just a solitary point to winners Weymouth. The Academy were missing Craig Branney, who was in Premier League action for Hull at Berwick, while John Branney made his return from injury, following the scaphoid damage he picked up at Weymouth.
Oxford were involved in the second semi-final, and by the time they took to the track both Boston and Armadale had qualified for the final at the expense of hosts Stoke and an under-performing Wimbledon side. Full scorers from the first semi-final:
BOSTON 16: Simon Walker 5, Adam Roynon 3, Nathan Irwin 3, Simon Lambert 5. ARMADALE 14: Blair Scott 4, Derek Sneddon 5, Sean Stoddart 1, Andrew Tully 4. STOKE 12: Barrie Evans 5, Luke Priest 3, Rob Grant 4, Michael Mitchell 0. WIMBLEDON 5: Scott James 1, Matt Wright 1, Danny Betson 2, Mark Burrows 1.
The second semi-final then commenced between Oxford (O), Weymouth (W), Scunthorpe (S) and Mildenhall (M):
HEAT 1: A good run around the outside by John Branney (O) on the opening bends takes him into second behind Danny Norton (S). Branney challenges Norton on the opening lap, but has to concentrate in keeping David Mason (W) behind him thereafter. Fourth-placed Lee Smart (M) splutters to a halt on lap 2. Scores: S3 O2 W1 M0.
HEAT 2: Great gate by Chris Mills (O), but Daniel Giffard (W) storms around on the fourth bend. Mills then has to concentrate in holding back Aidan Collins (M) to secure second place. Scores: W4 O4 S3 M1.
HEAT 3: Ben Barker (O) has clutch problems - he's last out of the start, seems to be lacking some "oomph" in his attempts to pass Andrew Bargh (M) early on and is cruising around by the final lap. Lewis Bridger (W) wins from Wayne Carter (S). Scorers: W7 S5 O4 M2.
HEAT 4: Jamie Courtney (O) gates, but Jon Armstrong (M) powers around on the opening bends, then Tom Brown (W) shoots around both on the third and fourth bend of lap 1 to take the lead. Brown is riding wide, and Armstrong gets inside on the back straight of the final lap. Brown appears to snatch the win with another outside run at the finish - but ref Mick Posselwhite gives the verdict to Armstrong. Scores: W9 M5 S5 05.
HEAT 5: Mills (O) gets around Mason (W) on the second bend to take third, but can't catch either race-winner Carter (S) or Armstrong (M). Scores: W9 S8 M7 O6.
HEAT 6: Barker (O) is leading the race from Benji Compton (S), when Smart (M) falls entering the third bend of lap 2, causing both himself and Brown (W) to crash into the boards. Both riders eventually get up. In re-run, Barker leads all the way to register Oxford's first heat win, while Compton holds off Brown for second. Scores: W10 S10 O9 M7.
HEAT 7: Collins (M) just beats Courtney (O) around the opening bends - and they finish first and second respectively ahead of Bridger (W) and Norton (S). Scores: W11 O11 M10 S10.
HEAT 8: Brilliant gate by Branney (O) under real pressure. Soon he and Giffard (W) have built up a sizeable lead - ahead of Byron Bekker (S) and Bargh (M). Branney holds off Giffard to take the race win - after being last with three heats to go, Oxford have won the group, to qualify for the final alongside Weymouth. Final Scores: O14 W13 S11 M10.
OXFORD 14: Chris Mills 3, Ben Barker 3, Jamie Courtney 3, John Branney 5. WEYMOUTH 13: David Mason 1, Dan Giffard 5, Lewis Bridger 4, Tom Brown 3. SCUNTHORPE 11: Wayne Carter 5, Byron Bekker 1, Danny Norton 3, Benji Compton 2. MILDENHALL 10: Jon Armstrong 5, Lee Smart 0, Aidan Collins 4, Andrew Bargh 1.
1: Norton, Branney, Mason, Smart (ret), 66.1.
2: Giffard, Mills, Collins, Compton, 64.6.
3: Bridger, Carter, Bargh, Barker, 65.8.
4: Armstrong, Brown, Courtney, Bekker (ret), 66.0.
5: Carter, Armstrong, Mills, Mason, 65.1.
6: (Re-run) Barker, Compton, Brown, Smart (fell, excluded).
7: Collins, Courtney, Bridger, Norton, 65.8.
8: Branney, Giffard, Bekker, Bargh, 65.7.
After a short interval, the Grand Final then commenced, contested by Oxford (O), Weymouth (W), Armadale (A) and Boston (B):
HEAT 1: Simon Walker (B) gates, but Giffard (W) goes around him on the opening lap, with Courtney (O) almost passing Walker at the end of the lap. Race then settles down. Scores: W3 B2 O1 A0.
HEAT 2: Blair Scott (A) just beats Branney (O) to first turn, however all 4 riders then get very close on track on the back straight, and Branney gets crowded out and drops to fourth. Bridger (W) goes around Adam Roynon (B) at the end of the opening lap to follow Scott home. Scores: W5 B3 A3 O1.
HEAT 3: Nathan Irwin (B) nudges the tapes and goes 15m back. In the re-run, great stuff by Mills (O). He goes around Brown (W) on the second bend to take second place, then shoots inside Derek Sneddon (A) on the back straight of lap 2, to take the win and kick-start Oxford's challenge in the final. Scores: W6 A5 O4 B3.
HEAT 4: Barker (O) holds off Mason (W) early on, but then wins by a margin. Sean Stoddart (A) then pressing Mason for second. Scorers: W8 O7 A6 B3.
HEAT 5: Mason (W) gates and holds off Mills (O) - and these two finish ahead of Walker (B) and Scott (A). Scores: W11 O9 A6 B4.
HEAT 6: Sneddon (A) gates, while both Giffard (W) and Branney (O) pass Simon Lambert (B) on the opening half-lap. Lots happening on the fourth bend of lap 1, with Giffard just failing to pass Sneddon, while Lambert chops under Branney to take third, and Branney has to throttle off to avoid an accident and loses ground. Branney has caught up Lambert by the end of the race, but is unable to get through. Scores: W13 O9 A9 B5.
HEAT 7: Bridger (W) gates, but looks nervous, and Courtney (O) reels him in, before passing him on the inside on the back straight of lap 3. Scores: W15 O12 A9 B6.
HEAT 8: Barker (O) needs to win, with Brown (W) last, to force a run-off for first place. This looks a brief possibility as Barker steams around the rest of the field on the back straight, with Brown trapped at the back, behind Roynon (B) and Andrew Tully (A). However, Tully (A) comes crashing down on the third bend, and the race is stopped with Tully's exclusion. In the re-run, Barker storms around both Brown and then Roynon on lap 1 to win the race, but Brown is content to cruise around for the third place needed to clinch the trophy for Weymouth. Final Scores: W16 O15 A9 B8.
WEYMOUTH 16: David Mason 5, Dan Giffard 5, Lewis Bridger 4, Tom Brown 2. OXFORD 15: Chris Mills 5, Ben Barker 6, Jamie Courtney 4, John Branney 0. ARMADALE 9: Blair Scott 3, Derek Sneddon 5, Sean Stoddart 1, Andrew Tully 0. BOSTON 8: Simon Walker 3, Adam Roynon 3, Nathan Irwin 1, Simon Lambert 1.
1: Giffard, Walker, Courtney, Tully, 64.9.
2: Scott, Bridger, Roynon, Branney, 65.0.
3: (Re-run) Mills, Sneddon, Brown, Irwin (15m penalty for tape touching), 65.5.
4: Barker, Mason, Stoddart, Lambert, 65.0.
5: Mason, Mills, Walker, Scott, 65.6.
6: Sneddon, Giffard, Lambert, Branney, 65.6.
7: Courtney, Bridger, Irwin, Stoddart, 65.2.
8: (Re-run) Barker, Roynon, Brown, Tully (fell, excluded), 65.2.
Following the meeting, Academy team manager Bryn Williams said: "I'm proud of the way the boys rode. They were obviously disappointed to lose by just a single point in the final, but I was very pleased by the way they battled away all evening.
"With three heats to go in the semi-final, we were last. The scores were 9-8-7-6 and we had the six. Yet the lads came up trumps with eight points from the final three races and got us into the final.
"I must give credit to John Branney. This was his return to competitive action following a wrist injury, but he scored five points in the semi-final, including a crucial win in the final race, to see us through to the final. John was unlucky in his races in the final and failed to score. But without him, we wouldn't have made the final in the first place.
"And well done to Weymouth - they deserved their win on the night.
"The biggest disappointment of the evening was that the lads didn't receive anything for finishing second - not even a medal. There's normally something for the teams finishing first, second and third in these competitions. But the lads got nothing for their efforts, when they fully deserved at least a medal each."
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY