MATCH REPORT: Hull win KO Cup for first time, Stockport make it 7 Junior titles

Hull won the first North and Scotland League team silverware of 2018, triumphing at the Hessle raceway in a tense senior final.

Hull and Astley came through successfully from semi-final one, with Bury eliminated. Sheffield joined them in the final after Adam Watson beat Jake Read in a run off from semi-final two, the holders and Edinburgh being eliminated.

There was never much to chose between Hull and Astley in the final, Sheffield dropping away with Adam Watson and Ed Morton racing in their third match of the day. Astley taking three maximum 7 pointers against the Stars.

Hull managed just two against Sheffield, crucially one was in the 12th and final race from Nathan Everett and Adam Stephenson (pictured below). So with Hull and Astley tied on 43 points a run off was required to decide the winners. Andy Angell defeating Reece Pollitt as Hull lifted the Northern Senior KO Cup for the first time.

Hull 43 – Andy Angell 11+1, Josh Bellis 10, Adam Stephenson 9+1, Nathan Everett 13.
Astley 43 – Pawel Idziorek 13+1, Kyle Holland 7+1, Steve Harris 10+1, Reece Pollitt 12+2, Max Evans 1.
Sheffield 29 – Ed Morton 8, Niall Morton 8+1, Adam Watson 5+1, Luke Morton 3, Laura Watson 5.

The junior final was just as dramatic, Stockport coming from fourth place to win the cup over the last four races.

Cup holders Bury led at the halfway stage on 21 points, the Sheffield on 20 with Stockport and Astley on 19. Over the next set of races Bury increased their lead, despite not having a race winner. A Louis Wright tapes exclusion in heat 9 had left Stockport five points adrift with just four races left.

The Stockport quartet all winning their grid one to take maximum 16 points in the final set of races to go on and win the cup with a three point margin. Bury held onto second,  with Astley and Sheffield finishing together on 37. The Stars finding an exclusion for Ed Morton in heat 15 proving very costly.

Ciaran Collins beat Ed Morton in the run off to secure third place for Astley.

Stockport 43 – Louis Wright 10, Daniel Mason 9, Devon Campbell 13, Michael Preston 11.
Bury 40 – James Elston 10, Kaysor Mohammedi 13, Louis Turner 7, Eryk Motala 6, Harry Radford 4.
Astley 37 – Tom Morrissey 6, Max Evans 13, Emily Burgess 5, Ciaran Collins 13.
Sheffield 37 – Ed Morton 10, Adam Watson 15, James Morris 4, Kielan Burton 8.