MATCH REPORT: Heckmondwike clinch North & Scotland Division 2 (North) title

Report by Pat Beacock

Heckmondwike are the 2023 North & Scotland League Division 2 (North) Champions after a last heat decider against fellow title contenders Hull. A Hull win would have given them the title (unless Sheffield could have run up a big winning margin against Astley & Tyldesley in a fixture being run concurrently).

The mature (old) and vastly experienced Heckmondwike squad looked the stronger team on paper, but made a nervy start in this crucial match, with Hull packing the minor places in the first 4 races. Heckmondwike drew ‘first blood’ in Heat 5 with a well taken 7-3 from Mark Rushby and Patrick Beacock. Hull clawed a point back in the next heat when Ian Johnson took his second heavy fall of the day after tangling with Rich Gibson and earned an exclusion. A home 6-4 followed with Rushby winning his 3rd race of the day, and the teams went in at the interval with Heckmondwike 5 ahead, but facing the 2nd half without Beacock who picked up a hip injury in the pre-interval race in a 1st bend clash with Hull’s Liam Bennett, but gamely kept Bennett in last place, the race being won by 12-year old Spencer Glenton of Hull.

Heckmondwike extended their lead to 7 points in Heat 10 with a win for Darren Kent, pushed hard all the way by top Hull rider Rich Gibson, with reserve Dave O’Callaghan picking up the vital 3rd place. 3 shared heats followed (wins to Rushby, Gibson and Hull’s Noah Lyon, the latter over the previously unbeaten Kent).

So, with 2 races to go, Heckmondwike were still 7 ahead, They brought in reserve Steve Muff, who cleverly team-rode partner Dan Green to the front for a potentially match winning 7-3, only for Green to inexplicably fall on the 3rd bend and bring down the closely following Muff (Heckmondwike) and Glenton (Hull). Green was excluded from the re-run and Muff had injured his shoulder in the fall, so his place was taken by fellow reserve O’Callaghan, who was beaten out of the gate by Hull pairing of Glenton and Ryan Tomkinson for a 7-2, to reduce the gap to 2 points in Heckmondwike’s favour. In the last heat decider, Gibson won from grid 1, but Kent and Rushby comfortably beat Hull’s Bennett for a 5-5 to clinch the match.

Overall, Heckmondwike managed to avoid “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” after being pushed hard throughout the match by a spirited Hull side, who almost pulled off a repeat of their victory in the earlier fixture, despite Heckmondwike being strengthened for the return by the inclusion of Rushby, Green, Muff and O’Callaghan.

Heckmondwike 75 (Darren Kent 18, Ian Johnson 3+1, Mark Rushby 18+1, Justin Naylor 5, Patrick Beacock 9+2, Dan Green 8, Steve Muff 6+1, Dave O’Callaghan 8+1)
Hull 73 (Liam Bennett 9+1, Spencer Glenton 15+2, Kacey Bennett 5+1, Noah Lyon 16+1, Rich Gibson 16+1, Harry Gibson 6+1, Harvey McLachlan DNR, Ryan Tomkinson 6).

Ref : Stuart Hardaker