MATCH REPORT: Comets take spoils in opening fixture at Cookson
Sheffield Stars and Bury Comets opened their North & Scotland League season with three evenly matched contests at the Stars’ Cookson Park raceway.
The Comets took the honours in the League One match by a 97-83 score line, with a solid team performance. The Comets had fewer race winners (8) to the Stars (10). Crucially recording only two last places to the Stars 16.
Adam Watson won the first league race of the season, on his way to top scoring for Sheffield.
Bury moved into the lead in heat 2, with Will Owens/Danny Taylor posting a 6-4 race win over Chris Turner (standing in for the Stars due to Niall Morton being away in Scotland) and Laura Watson.
Ed Morton won heat 3, the first of four race wins in the match, but again Bury filled the minor placing’s.
The first of Bury’s two maximum race wins came in heat 9 as Will Owens/Adam Taylor kept Sam Haines/Luke Morton at bay, the Comets leading by 50-40 at the interval.
Bury were leading by 14 points when they got their first last place of the match in heat 13, Kris Ramsden the unlucky for some recipient.
Adam Taylor/Neil Howarth hit back immediately with the Comets second 7-3, Bury’s lead now extended to 16 points. Chris Turner won heat 16, the first nominated race contested at Cookson under the new race formulae, but with Kaysor Mohammedi and Louis Turner keeping Laura Watson in last place, Bury would be taking home the League points.
Sheffield enjoyed a belated maximum 7-3 race win in heat 17, Ed Morton shepherding the impressive Kielan Burton for a consolation win over Will Owens/Danny Taylor.
The Comets had the final say with a 6-4 result in the very last race.
SHEFFIELD 83
Adam Watson 21, Luke Morton 8, Ed Morton 20+1, Sam Haines 5, Chris Turner 16, Laura Watson 5, Niamh Morton 1, Kielan Burton 6.
BURY 97
James Elston 15, Neil Howarth 9+3, Kris Ramsden 12+1, Will Owens 14+1, Adam Turnbull 13+1, Adam Taylor 15+2, Danny Taylor 6+1, Kaysor Mohammedi 7, Louis Turner 6+1.
Ref – Dave Shoat
Sheffield won the League Two match by 79-71, in a reversal of fortunes from the League One encounter.
This time the Comets had most race winners (8-7), with the Stars recording the least last places (3-12). By the interval (heat 8) Sheffield led by ten points (45-35) on the back of three 6-4 results and a maximum 7-3 from Logan Perkins/Kielan Burton in heat 4.
The first of two maximum 7-3 wins came for Bury in heat 10, Harry Radford and the impressive Kaysor Mohammedi (on his way to an unbeaten score) reducing the Stars lead to just eight points. Louis Turner, Harry Radford and Kaysor Mohammedi won the next three races, but Sheffield filled the second and third places to maintain an eight-point cushion between the teams.
Sheffield then wrapped up the League points, with their second 7-3 maximum score from Kielan Burton/Niamh Morton in heat 14.
Kaysor Mohammedi completed his maximum score in the final race, teaming up with Louis Turner for a 7-3 race score over Stars reserve duo of Jack and Joe Brownell. Sheffield scored solidly from 1-6, each rider posting at least one race win, while the Comets had relied heavily on heat leader trio of Louis Turner, Harry Radford and Kaysor Mohammedi.
SHEFFIELD 79
Luke Morton 9+2, Logan Perkins 8, Sam Haines 12, Niamh Morton 13+3, Laura Watson 13+1, Kielan Burton 16+2, Jack Brownell 5, Joe Brownell 2.
BURY 71
Louis Turner 18, Steve Mann 8+1, Harry Radford 15, Tom Dunphy 5, Kaysor Mohammedi 18+2, Dawar Mohammedi 7.
REF – Dave Shoat
The League Three match had Sheffield claim their second win of the day by 32-17.
Logan Perkins scorched to a four-ride maximum, benefitting from a tough training session the previous Thursday, defeating British Under 12 Champ Harry Radford on three occasions.
Edward Balfour made his Stars debut, scoring a confidence boosting 11 points, while George Martin scored 5 valuable points for the Stars. Tom Dunphy also debuted, this time for the Comets.
SHEFFIELD 32
Logan Perkins 16, Edward Balfour 11, George Martin 5.
BURY 17
Harry Radford 10, Tom Dunphy 7.