MATCH REPORT: Stars earn first points of the season
Sheffield and Northumbria were keen to forget their Division 1 losses last week against Bury and Edinburgh respectively. Sheffield were unchanged and Northumbria making one change to their main six as Dan Redshaw returned in place of Gavin Parr (away motor speedway racing at Scunthorpe).
Four 7-3s and a 6-4 for Sheffield in the first six heats put the Stars firmly in control early on with Adam Watson’s superb pass on Jason Keith in heat four a highlight.
A heat seven 6-4 for Vikings stemmed the tide temporarily, although it would have been a 7-3 were it not for Luke Morton diving Terry Kirkup, but a further 6-4 and 7-3 for Sheffield before the interval put the home side 22 points clear with nine heats still to run.
A Northumbria 6-4 and 5-4, after Sam Haines moved at the tapes in heat 12, sandwiched a Sheffield 7-3. Two more 6-4s for Sheffield in heats thirteen and fifteen further extended the home side’s lead and included Ed Morton flying around the outside of Jason Keith.
The match ended with further heat wins for Sheffield with a 6-4 in heat seventeen and a maximum 7-3 in heat eighteen, giving Sheffield the victory by 33 points, 106 to 73 points.
Niall Morton, Adam Watson and Ed Morton each lost just once (to Jason Keith) and Luke
Morton dropped just two points as the Stars emphatically beat the Vikings, while for
Northumbria Jason Keith and Terry Kirkup were the only riders to win races.
Sheffield 106
Niall Morton 22+1 (6), Laura Watson 10 (5), Adam Watson 18+4 (6), Ed Morton 22 (6), Luke
Morton 20+2 (6), Sam Haines 11 (5), Kielan Burton 1 (1), Jack Brownell 2 (1)
Northumbria 73
Jason Keith 18 (6), Terry Kirkup 12+1 (6), Dan Redshaw 13+1 (6), Shane Gray 6 (3), Andy
Knowles 7 (3), Keith Oldham 4 (2), Bradley Stansfield 3 (3), J.P. Colback 4 (3), Ashie Paterson
4+1 (2), Norman Carson 2 (2)
Referee: Dave Shoat
The Division Two match followed in much the same vein, Sheffield providing thirteen race winners, out of 15 heats, with nine heat advantages.
Luke Morton was unbeaten in four races, Sam Haines lost just once (to Andy Knowles), while Laura Watson placed last first time out then lost only to Shane Gray.
Sheffield’s young guns Jack Brownell and Kielan Burton both won a race, with Logan Perkins taking third place in each of his races (which resulted in Sheffield 6-4 race wins).
Shane Gray and Andy Knowles nabbed the race wins for the Vikings, with Keith Oldham taking four second places in his four races.
Sheffield 87
Luke Morton 16 (4), Jack Brownell 7 (3), Sam Haines 17+2 (5), Niamh Morton 17 (5), Kielan
Burton 9 (3), Laura Watson 13+3 (5), Logan Perkins 6 (3), Alice Unwin 2 (2)
Northumbria 63
Shane Gray 15 (5), J.P. Colback 6+1 (5), Andy Knowles 11+2 (4), Ashie Paterson 5 (3), Keith
Oldham 12 (4), Bradley Stansfield 8 (5), Norman Carson 5+1 (3), Sam Stansfield 1 (1)
Referee: Niall Morton
An easy win for the Stars under 13s in Division Three with the Vikings able to field only one rider. Kielan Burton went unbeaten for the second match running with Jack Brownell being the other race winner.
Sheffield 56
Kielan Burton 16, Jack Brownell 13, Logan Perkins 10, Joe Brownell 7
Northumbria 4
Sam Stansfield 4
Referee: Ed Morton