MATCH REPORT: Stars punished for sluggish start

Horspath Hammers maintained their 100% start to the Elite League, with a not always comfortable, 93-83 home win against Sheffield Stars.

Up to heat 11 this match was producing some great racing with the home team table toppers looking easy winners, Lukasz Nowacki was unbeaten, whilst Bartek Garbowski and Mark Boaler had dropped just a point. 17 points up, “happy days…” er…obviously Sheffield don’t know all of that tune because they certainly changed the tempo. Myke Grimes and Damian Zareba had won their previous race and combined to take control of the 12th even before Grabowski was excluded, 7-2 to Stars.

Pawel Idziorek and Bobby McMillan got a 6-4 over Boaler. Track specialist Grimes then teamed up with Andy Angell for a 7-3, suddenly the arrears was down to 6. Nowacki ran a last but Marcin Kolata took the win to steady the ship. Bartek followed his Ostow team mate to do like wise in the 16th. Although the now looking impressive, Zareba, grabbed the penultimate heat, Hammers packed out for another drawn race. Over to Nowacki and Boaler to finish with a 7-3 and probably a ten point win was about right considering the sluggish Stars first half.

This was highlighted by and unbelievable, even by his standards, switch by Mark Boaler on Andy Angell, which also bought Zac Payne through in the 3rd and another last bend dive in the 6th from him to boot. A very entertaining fixture, Hammers now go to Wednesfield and Poole before their next home Elite League fixture. Apparently Standard are already making the fireworks for those two encounters.

Report by Horspath