MATCH REPORT: Lively racing at Harbourside

Warm September sunshine bathed Harbourside as another healthy attendance enjoyed some lively racing with Leicester returning to Poole for league action after a gap of several seasons. The Monarchs included their BCC Vets winning quartet 24 hours after their latest victory while the Comets drafted in a vets duo of their own in the Nation brothers Steve and Alan plus BYJL Junior Josh Nottle.

While the home side dominated the race winner spots in the first half, Leicester kept things close with some clever team tactics polished to perfection over many seasons!

World champion Ben Mould teamed up with Nathan Goulden for a 7-3 in heat 12 to widen the margin to 16 but Leicester hit back with a couple of wins of their own and the scoreline was back to 74-66.

This seemed to spur the Comets on again and they took 3 of the closing heats to win by 17 and importantly managed to avoid any last minute injury problems ahead of next Sunday’s all important CS Cup final. Biggest cheer of the day was a toss-up between heat 16 when Fraser Garnett picked off ex-Comet Craig Marchant, a notoriously difficult rider to pass on his former home track and heat 17 when young Josh Nottle deputised for Ben Mould and delighted everyone with a race win.

Marchant and Kev Burns were the only visitors to win a race but Dave Frith and Luke Whitehead caught the eye with some sterling efforts. Once again, the real winner was the sport itself with racing hard and sometimes uncompromising in a match that was nevertheless sportingly contested and appreciated by all in attendance.

POOLE 98 – Wil Bristowe 17, Greg Gluchowski 16, Ben Mould 14, Kyran Yeatman 12, Matt Mildon 12, Fraser Garnett 8, Nathan Goulden 7, Josh Nottle 4, Alan Nation 4, Steve Nation 4

LEICESTER 81 – Craig Marchant 14, Kev Burns 14, Dave Frith 13, Luke Whitehead 12, Norman Venson 8, Mark Whitehead 8, Nicky Whitehead 8, Chloe Whitehead 5