MATCH REPORT: Exeter Score A Fine Victory Over Newport

Exeter Aces continued their recent winning sequence, following their win against Horspath with a victory over Newport at Cofton Road.
Although the 143-99 score was convincing in favour of Exeter, every race was hard-fought with Newport riders often starting well and leading during the first lap. However, the Aces’ showed great tenacity and track-craft, which resulted in some exciting overtaking maneuvers to overcome their
rivals.
Aces star rider, Connor Tucker was on top of his game and he produced several excellent rides to neutralise the threat from top Welsh riders Mark Carmichael and Chris Davies. Tucker’s well-executed overtake of Davies followed by a ‘from the tapes’ defeat of Carmichael being the highlights.
However, when it came to overtaking Ben Stanbury and Rob Geach both excelled on numerous occasions, whilst Shannon Tucker had her best meeting this season as she clinched three race wins.
Youngsters Rosie Tidball and JJ Wildman both out-scored their opposite numbers in the Newport team and also combined to pull off a great maximum score against former Wales international Colin Simmons, after Tidball had executed the perfect inside pass and drifted Simmons offline (pictured below)

Exeter took a 23-point lead into the second half and continued to increase their advantage. Aces’ Lauren Hookway took a nasty tumble when she was forced into the safety fence whilst attempting to go around Simmons.
Craig Nethercott also found himself tumbling out of a race as Newport fought hard to contain the Aces attack, whilst Dave Murphy and Callum Goward featured in one bizarre incident.
Murphy had led the race twice, before restarts were awarded, due to incidents involving Nethercott and Goward. Eventually, with the fallen Nethercott having been excluded as cause of the stoppage, the race got underway with Murphy leading from Goward and Kieran Jones.
Murphy and Goward came together on the pits bend and both drifted wide allowing Jones to swoop into the lead. Murphy protested, as he clearly felt that Goward had hooked a foot onto his frame and dragged him off the inside line.
However, as the raced progressed with Newport heading for a 7-2 heat win, Goward’s conscience prevailed and he sportingly allowed Murphy to take back a point as they entered the final lap. Who says that cycle speedway team racing is boring?

Andrew Yard chases Callum Goward


All in all, it was an action-packed race meeting which entertained the local support and demonstrated that Exeter Aces have progressed well, after a difficult start to the season.