MATCH REPORT: A&T win Northern 4’s & Junior League matches

Astley & Tyldesley took wins on Sundday at a warm and breezy Gin Pit, to extend the lead at the top of the Northern Fours League and to move back into top place in the Northern Junior League.

The Fours League saw A&T hold the lead after each of the first, second and third rounds of races, with Stockport a few points behind. Stockport took two race wins late on to put the pressure on A&T. Heat 23 was the deciding race, as A&T’s Reece Pollitt pulled off a superb gate from outside Stockport’s Ben Higham to take the lead. On the 2nd lap, Higham rammed into Pollitt’s back wheel as they entered the first bend on the inside. Both riders fell heavily, ending up on the outside of the track. The race was stopped and Higham was excluded from the re-run. Pollitt completed his maximum with a comfortable win in the re-run and Steve Harris’ win in the last race secured the win for A&T. The other four teams were closely matched throughout, before Bury secured third place from Heckmondwike.

Northern Fours League Round 3 result

Astley & Tyldesley 51 Stockport 47 Bury 38 Heckmondwike 37 Hull 33 Sheffield 31

A&T: Reece Pollitt 16, Steve Harris 14, Ciaran Collins 10, Mark Grantham 7, Mick Knowles 4.
Stockport: Louis Wright 14, Jake Read 13, Ben Higham 10, Terry Norman 10.
Bury: Danny Taylor 10, Kaysar Mohammadi 9, Neil Howarth 7, Adam Turnbull 6, Harry Radford 6.
Heckmondwike: Lewis Foxley 11, Darren Kent 9, Tom Bewick 9, Justin Naylor 6, James Foxley 2.
Hull: Nathan Everett 14, David Cooper 8, Dan Teal 6, Matt Eglan 5.
Sheffield: Ed Morton 8, Laura Watson 7, Kielan Burton 7, William Banyard 5, Luke Morton 4.
Referee – Mike Hack.

At the start of the day Sheffield led the Junior League on race points from A&T. The home team won Sunday’s match to move back into first place in the table.

In the u-10s match, A&T’s Aiden Green raced to maximum points, including a superb win from grid 4 over the previously unbeaten Edward Balfour, of Sheffield, in the last race. A&T’s Tom Morrissey rode to a convincing maximum in the u-13s match. Sheffield’s Kielan Burton won four hard fought races in the two rider u-16’s match. Bury’s Eryk Motala and Sheffield’s Laura Watson were the only riders to contest the u-19s and Women’s categories, so they raced in the Division 2 match, with points subsequently adjusted. Heckmondwike’s Lewis Foxley raced unbeaten in the Division 2 match, after adjustment.

Northern Junior League Round 3 result

Astley & Tyldesley 132 Sheffield 98 Bury 62 Hull 44 Heckmondwike 29 Stockport 0

U-10s: Aiden Green (A&T) 16, Noah Lyon (Hull) 15, Edward Balfour (Sheffield) 15, Oliver Banyard (Sheffield) 13, Stephen Warn (A&T) 12, Freddie Cox (A&T) 12, Levi Edwards (A&T) 11, Sam Dunphy (Bury) 11, Bobby Dunphy (Bury) 10, Jessica Hammett (Sheffield) 9, Myles Grantham (A&T) 9, Erin Balfour (Sheffield) 8, Aliesha Green (A&T) 7.

U-13s: Tom Morrissey (A&T) 16, Duncan Whalley (A&T) 13, Tom Dunphy (Bury) 9, Lewis Skitterall (A&T) 8, Owen Simcock (A&T) 4.
U-16s: Kielan Burton (Sheffield) 16, Harry Radford (Bury) 12.
U-19s: Eryk Motala (Bury) 12.

Women: Laura Watson (Sheffield) 16.

Division 2: Lewis Foxley (Heckmondwike) 16, Darren Kent (Heckmondwike) 13, Luke Morton (Sheffield) 13, Dan Teal (Hull) 12, Mark Grantham (A&T) 12, Mick Knowles (A&T) 12, David Cooper (Hull) 9, Matt Eglen (Hull) 8, Steve Mann (Bury) 8, William Banyard (Sheffield) 8.

Referees – Andy Schofield & Mike Hack.

The Division 1 Grand Prix match was a keenly contested match, with Reece Pollitt finishing as the top scorer.

Division 1: Reece Pollitt (A&T) 13, Steve Harris (A&T) 11, Nathan Everett (Hull) 11, Ed Morton (Sheffield) 9, Tom Bewick (Independent) 7.

Referee – Mike Hack.

Photos courtesy of Len Priestley