MATCH REPORT: Edinburgh win away again at Sheffield

The Edinburgh Falcons were desperate to avoid a slip up when they visited Sheffield’s Cookson Park for an important North and Scotland League fixture.

The Falcons have stuttered in their defence of the League One title with two home defeats to fierce rivals Stockport and A & T. However, they brought an unbeaten away record to Sheffield.

The Stars were themselves defending a 2017 unbeaten home record but the Falcons dominated the match from the opening heat, a 7-3 maximum win for Jake Slight/Mikey Hewitson.

Sharpness from the gate gave Edinburgh a half time lead of 50-40, only Adam Watson and Sam Haines taking the chequered flag first for Sheffield.

This first half had seen Jake and Craig Newsome losing only Adam, while Mikey was unbeaten from three starts.

Ed Morton, who was fresh from winning the HSBC UK Elite Junior Grand Prix at East Park, had run two last places in scoring just four points. Ed returned to form in the second half, winning heats 11 and 18 and losing out after a terrific race with Mikey in heat 13.

Ed Morton and Kamil Grezla. Photo by George Swanson.

Niall Morton also won a race in the second half, but the Falcons hit 7-3s in heats 12, 14 and 16 to secure the League points with a 97-82 victory.

Niall, Ed and Adam continue to shine for the Stars while Sam is beginning to get a reputation with his rapid racing. With a win over Andy Angell in the last home fixture, this time he sprinted away from Jason Burke and Neil McPherson after Luke Morton held them for one lap.

There were three wins each for Jake and Craig in the Falcons impressive showing. However, the outstanding performance was from Mikey. The 2016 League One’s highest scorer scorched to an unbeaten score of 22+2 (and must be on his way to beating last year’s scoring; particularly now the riders get six races per match).

Scorers
SHEFFIELD 82

Niall Morton 17+1, Laura Watson 8, Adam Watson 18+3, Ed Morton 15, Luke Morton 10+1, Sam Haines 13+1, Niamh Morton 1

EDINBURGH 97
Jake Slight 17, Ewan Kennedy 1, Craig Newsome 18+1, Kamil Grezla 10, Jason Burke 15+2, Neil McPherson 13+1, Lewis Foxley 1, Mikey Hewitson 22+2
Referee – Dave Shoat

The Stars maintained their perfect home record in League Two with a 78-71 victory over Edinburgh, a result that means Sheffield swap places with the Falcons in the League Two table. Sheffield moved into the lead with a 7-2 result from Kielan Burton and Laura Watson in heat 2. When Laura was involved in another Sheffield 7-3, with Niamh Morton in heat 4, the Stars had a healthy 24-15 lead. Lewis Foxley with four race wins and Ewan Kennedy, three, were helping to keep the Falcons in the hunt for the League points.

The pivotal moment of the match came in heat 12 as Sheffield scored their third 7-3 heat win, to move into a 65-54 lead with just three races remaining. This again featured Laura and Kielan, as they kept Lewis in third place (for his only loss of the match). Sam Haines (with three race wins) topped the Stars scorecard, gaining support from Luke Morton (2), Kielan (2) and Niamh all having race wins.

Laura put in a true captain’s performance, with four assists from her five races. While Logan Perkins made a sound debut, having been promoted in to a team berth. Ewan and Lewis, with seven race wins between them, almost carried the Falcons to victory.

Scorers
SHEFFIELD 78

Sam Haines 16, Niamh Morton 12+1, Luke Morton 14, Logan Perkins 8+1, Kielan Burton 14, Laura Watson 12+4, Joe Brownell 2.

EDINBURGH 71
Ewan Kennedy 17+1, Dode Mitchell 10+2, Lee Lawrence 14, James Foxley 5+1, Skye Mitchell 7, Lewis Foxley 18.
Referee – Niall Morton

The League Three match, for under 13s, was another personal success for Kielan Burton as he raced to another four ride 16 point maximum, Sheffield taking the spoils by 36-14.

Kielan’s five matches have now yielded 20 wins from 20 races. Logan Perkins won the one race Kielan did not line up in. Best for Edinburgh was James Foxley, who managed two second places behind the flying Logan and Kielan.

Scorers
SHEFFIELD 36

Kielan Burton 16, Logan Perkins 13, Joe Brownell 7.

EDINBURGH 14
James Foxley 10, Ben Foxley 4.

This weekend the Stars make the long trip to Scotland to race against Glasgow Cyclones and Fife Revolutions in Northern League Two and Three.

Fife are based in Queen Anne High School, Dunfermline and are Cycle Speedway’s newest club.

The Revolution have a number of under 13’s riders, which will severely test Kielan’s unblemished run.