MATCH REPORT: Whirlwinds edge closer to title
Whirlwinds travelled to Norfolk yesterday afternoon, for a top of the table clash against Hethersett Hawks.
The Ipswich based side knew they would have to be at their best to secure a win and their task wasn’t to be helped with injuries two key riders, Jamie Chittock and Lauren Jacobs, as well as other riders unable to ride.
Hethersett must have been rubbing their hands together when they saw that their visitors only had five riders which included two fifteen year olds, but this Ipswich team do not know the meaning of the word defeat and were in no mood to just roll over.
They took the match to their opponents putting pressure on where they could, with the team manager’s words still ringing in their ears, they set about their task not only to stay in touch with their hosts, but to go for the win that would all but give them this years crown. As you would expect, the match was a titanic match up, with both sets of riders not wanting to let anyone down and the score line reflected this through out the match. There were only four points being the difference at any given time during the match and by half time it was the hosts who lead by one point.
The second half followed very much like the first, with both teams cancelling each other out, though you always got the impression that the Suffolk base side were in control and that the home side were always having to do that something special to kill off the determined display from the league leaders.
Unfortunately they were their own worst enemies with five exclusions. The luckless Olly Buxton suffered three exclusions in a row, which lead to his team manager having to pull him out of his next heat. As for Ipswich, with just the one exclusion, the match went all the way to the final heat, with Hethersett two points up. On the last lap Ipswich’s Leon Mower produced a classic inside pass on both the Hethersett riders to follow team mate Lewis Roberts home for a maximum 7-3 and clinch a fantastic and fully deserved win against all odds.
The Whirlwinds were well lead by captain Josh Brooke, who had one of his best matches, and was brilliant in helping his partner Pierce Bacon in the first half, securing two 7-3’s and a 6-4 before going out in the second half on his own and still managed to pick up two wins and a second. However, Josh will be the first to say that it was a huge team effort and every single rider played their part.
Hethersett’s Nick Myhill was their stand out rider and was unlucky to suffer an exclusion in his first heat. Dan Chambers scored well and Olly Riley was better than his twelve points. Hethersett will look back on too many mistakes at crucial times, while for Ipswich it was text book team riding and they were always in control, never letting the match slip too far away from them at any time, giving themselves every opportunity to win the match without the penalties points added to their score.
Hethersett Hawks 83
Dan Chambers 17+1 (6), Nicky Myhill 16 (6), Olly Riley 12 (6), Danielle Riley 10+1(6),
Lee Grange 10+1 (6), David Adams 9+2 (6), Olly Buxton 6 (6 ), Dan Butler 3 (1).
Ipswich Whirlwinds (85+15) 100
Joshua Brooke 21+2 (6), Lewis Roberts 21 (6), Pierce Bacon 19+1 (6), Leon Mower 15+3(6),
Ben Harvey 9 (6).
Referee Bill Brooke (Suffolk)