MATCH REPORT: Birmingham win thriller
Birmingham Monarchs came from behind to defeat Elite League leaders, Horspath Hammers, at Perry Hall Playing Fields on Sunday in an Elite League Challenge fixture.
It was the away side that started the meeting the strongest. An opening race 6-4 was followed by another in heat 3 to move 4 ahead.
Heats 2 and 4 were shared along with 6 and again the Hammers took another advantage in the 5th to move 6 clear (27-33). The visitors suffered a tape exclusion in the 7th gifting the home side an advantage despite Hammers star man Zac Payne winning the race.
An excellent battle in the 8th saw the Monarchs take a maximum advantage, Draisey and Millward taking the home side to within a point of the lead (39-40), however a gate exclusion for Lakin in the 9th saw the visitors take another advantage going into the interval (42-46).
The racing in the second half of the meeting was breathtaking and most of those involved British Champion and Hammers star man, Zac Payne. His ability to switch a line and make a pass out of nothing was sublime to watch.
It was the Monarchs who gave a more improved performance from the off in the 2nd half and crucially didn’t lose any heat advantages on the way to pulling back a 4 point deficit.
Paul Timms led heat 10 and rode an excellent race, whilst Ricki Johnson battled hard in third to half the deficit in one go, however it was the battle in heat 12 that turned the meeting in the home sides favour. The father and son Timms duo won another excellent scrap from the visiting riders.
The Monarchs shared the next 5 heats, although an exclusion for Hammers’ rider, Jack Harrold for misuse of the leg in the 17th gifted the home side an extra point advantage with one heat remaining (85-82), meaning the visitors needed a maximum in the final race to win the meeting.
Home stars, Draisey and Johnson, team rode an excellent race in the 18th to take a maximum advantage of their own to secure victory in a great advert for the sport.
Chris Timms, Millward, Johnson and Draisey all scored 15 points, whilst it was veteran Paul Timms who made all the difference, top scoring for the Monarchs.
BIRMINGHAM MONARCHS 92 V HORSPATH HAMMERS 85
Birmingham scorers: P Timms 16+1 (5), C Timms 15+2 (5), Millward 15+2 (5), Draisey 15 (5), Winwood 10+1 (5), Lakin 5+1 (5), Phipps 1(1)
Youngsters Connor Steel and Dylan Hawtin travelled to Southampton on Saturday for round 2 of the Nationals BYJL competition under 10’s category.
Steel had an improved performance to round 1, the reigning under 10 Midlands champion reached the A final taking 3rd place on the day, whilst Hawtin had a tougher time – reaching the B final and a 4th place finish.
Both are now level on points in 4th place overall.
Birmingham veteran riders helped the Midlands win the TLI regional championship at Leicester on Saturday. Mark Winwood (40’s) and Paul Timms (50’s) representing the region.
The Birmingham club will be continuing their popular training evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6-8pm.