MATCH REPORT: A&T juniors emphatically clinch Manchester title

Stockport hosted Round 6 of the Manchester League Grand Prix series on Wednesday. A reduced turnout of riders, this time 30, resulted in 41 races being completed in 2 hours, comfortably within daylight hours.

Defending Manchester League Division 2 champions Astley & Tyldesley made it six wins out of six this year. A&T’s top 5 scorers dropped just 1 point to an opposition rider all night, to clinch the league in emphatic style.

A&T provided the top five scorers in the u-10s match and also in the overall u-10s Grand Prix series. John White, Charlie Burgess and Joe Quarmby all scored 15 points on the night and finished in that order in the Grand Prix standings. The u-13s match saw A&T’s Max Evans race to a 16 points maximum and clinch the overall u-13s Grand Prix title. Stockport’s Michael Preston also raced unbeaten and he overhauled Sheffield’s Tom Whitwam to take 2nd place in the overall Grand Prix series.

Astley & Tyldesley junior team, Manchester League Division 2 champions. Photo courtesy of Mike Hack.

Astley & Tyldesley junior team, Manchester League Division 2 champions. Photo courtesy of Mike Hack.

A&T’s Ciaran Collins top scored in the u-16s match, losing once to the u-16 Grand Prix winner, Adam Watson of Sheffield. Stockport’s Jake Read raced to a 16 points maximum in the u-19s match and he overtook A&T’s Reece Pollitt to win the overall u-19 Grand Prix series. An exclusion to Pollitt in heat 4 proved costly.

Manchester League Division 2 result (top 5 scorers only count to their team’s total)

Astley & Tyldesley 76 Stockport 59 Bury 47 Sheffield 21.

U-10s: Charlie Burgess (A&T) 15, Joe Quarmby (A&T) 15, John White (A&T) 15, Jack Murray (A&T) 14, Max Quarmby (A&T) 13, Duncan Whalley (Bury) 11, Angel Etheridge (Bury) 9, Kaci Neath (Bury) 8, Hermoine Whalley (Bury) 6.

U-13s: Michael Preston (Stockport) 16, Max Evans (A&T) 16, Louis Wright (Stockport) 14, Devon Campbell (Stockport) 13, Tom Whitwam (Sheffield) 10, Josh Neath (Bury) 9, Emily Burgess (A&T) 9, Daniel Miller (Bury) 8, Sean Etheridge (Bury) 7.

U-16s: Ciaran Collins (A&T) 15, Adam Watson (Sheffield) 11.

U-19s: Jake Read (Stockport) 16, Reece Pollitt (A&T) 10, Robyn Whalley (Bury) 10.

Referees – Ben Higham and Graham Lush.

Final Division 2 standings: Astley & Tyldesley 25, Bury 17, Stockport 13, Sheffield 9, Heckmondwike 1.

Veteran Stockport rider Terry Norman raced to a 16 points maximum in the Division 1 (senior) match. Stockport’s Ben Higham overcame a first race exclusion to clinch the overall Senior Grand Prix title. Defending Division 1 champions Stockport took the win on the night and the overall title. Astley & Tyldesley pipped Bury for second place, both on the night and in the overall standings.

Manchester League Division 1 result (top 5 scorers only count to their team’s total)

Stockport 56 Astley & Tyldesley 27 Bury 23 Sheffield 11.

Seniors: Terry Norman (Stockport) 16, Chris Parish (Bury) 14, Mat Lush (Stockport) 12, Adam Watson (Sheffield) 11, Reece Pollitt (A&T) 10, Ben Higham (Stockport) 10, Jake Read (Stockport) 9, Dylan Radcliffe (Stockport) 9, Neil Howarth (Bury) 9, Gareth Paine (A&T) 7, Ciaran Collins (A&T) 6, Max Evans (A&T) 4.

Referee – Graham Lush.

Final Division 1 standings: Stockport 23, Astley & Tyldesley 16, Bury 15, Sheffield 6.

Overall Grand Prix placings (top 3 in each category)

Seniors: Ben Higham (Stockport) 81, Reece Pollitt (A&T) 72, Mat Lush (Stockport) 67.

U-19s: Jake Read (Stockport) 84, Reece Pollitt (A&T) 80, Robyn Whalley (Bury) 49.

U-16s: Adam Watson (Sheffield) 84, Ciaran Collins (A&T) 71, Danny Taylor (Bury) 16.

U-13s: Max Evans (A&T) 92, Michael Preston (Stockport) 79, Tom Whitwam (Sheffield) 76.

U-10s: John White (A&T) 91, Charlie Burgess (A&T) 82, Joe Quarmby (A&T) 77.