MATCH REPORT: Riley maximum leads Hawks to Minor Final win in Club Championship
Hethersett Hawks/Swinton & Co competed against the top Clubs in Britain when they contested the Open and Ladies Club Championships at Ipswich.
In the semi-final of the Open they were up against holders Wednesfield and a strong Birmingham side as well as a team representing Sheffield. Dan Chambers won heat 2 against two Elite League riders and as the match progressed they competed strongly and only trailed the two Midland qualifiers by twelve points, finishing well clear of Sheffield.
In the Open Minor Final to decide fifth, sixth and seventh places, Hethersett and Exeter were neck-and-neck throughout, but a brilliant maximum from Olly Riley, most of his wins coming from the back in exciting fashion, led the side well. Harley Hamill, back after a 15-month break, and Olly Buxton put in some gutsy rides despite carrying inquiries from the semi-final and they did enough to leave master tactician Dan Chambers to settle in second place in the last heat to secure a team victory – a well-deserved fifth place in this tough competition.
The Ladies were one rider short and were always going to find it hard in the one-off Final but Danni Riley, in her last Ladies match before joining the RAF, reminded everyone what a talent she is by beating top riders, including former British & European Champion Lauren Jacobs who was unbeaten, on her way to 14 points. Katie Adams put four good races together, including a second place in heat 8 while 13-year-old Beth Allen finally got a reward for some determined riding by keeping Ipswich’s Chloe Pearce, a previous heat winner, in fourth place in her final race.
All in all a good performance from all seven riders that certainly put the village on the UK map once again.
Open Semi-Final
BIRMINGHAM 49 WEDNESFIELD 49 HETHERSETT 37 SHEFFIELD 20
(D.Chambers 11, O.Buxton 10, O.Riley 9, H.Hamill 6, D.Riley 1)
Open Minor Final
HETHERSETT 51 EXETER 50 SHEFFIELD 41
(O.Riley 16, D.Chambers 13, O.Buxton 12, H.Hamill 7, D.Riley 2)
Ladies Final
LEICESTER 48 IPSWICH 45 EXETER 44 SHEFFIELD 32 HETHERSETT 26
(D.Riley 14, K.Adams 7, B.Allen 5)
In the penultimate Norfolk Grand Prix at Hethersett Danni and Olly Riley were again in good form winning the Ladies and Senior categories.
This Sunday the Hawks entertain Ipswich Eagles in all three Divisions of the South East League starting at 1 p.m.