MATCH REPORT: A&T begin title defences
Astley & Tyldesley began their defence of all three Northern League titles with emphatic wins in each division, at Gin Pit against Stockport, yesterday.
Last year’s Division 1 runners-up, Stockport, tracked just six riders, with veteran Terry Norman having retired.
A&T fielded ten riders in the Division 1 match,with Steve Harris, Pawel Idziorek and Kamil Bielica all making their competitive debuts for Team Green.
A&T opened with a 6-4 in heat 1, after Higham took Harris wide and Evans slipped through to take the win. Stockport took the lead in heat 2, after Holland was excluded on the gate and Read passed Graham to join Preston at the front for a 7-2 heat win.
A&T hit back with two 7-3s, firstly by Idziorek/ Pollitt over Campbell/ Wright and then by Bielica/ Evans over Preston/ McCabe, to move into a 22-17 lead.
The home team controlled the match after this, banging in four more 7-3 heat wins to lead 88-61 going into heat 16, the first of three nominated heats.
Preston/ Read took a 7-3 over Holland/ Evans in heat 16, before A&T wrapped up the match with two 7-3 heat wins, to Idziorek/Pollitt over Wright/Campbell and then to Harris/Bielica over Higham/McCabe, to make the final score 105-74.
Pawel Idziorek raced to a fine 20 points maximum score and recorded the fastest time of the match, 40.76 seconds, in heat 3. A solid scoring A&T team were most impressive throughout.
For Stockport, Jake Read and Michael Preston rode well, but lacked the back-up to trouble the home team.
A&T 105: Pawel Idziorek 20, Reece Pollitt 19 (3), Steve Harris 17 (3), Kamil Bielica 17 (2), Max Evans 15 (2), Kyle Holland 10 (2), Mark Grantham 3, Mick Knowles
2, Paul Graham 2, Emily Burgess dnr.
STOCKPORT 74: Jake Read 19 (2), Michael Preston 17, Ben Higham 12, Louis Wright 10, Devon Campbell 9, Lance McCabe 7.
Referee – Chas Whalley.
A&T raced to a convincing 83-56 win, as Stockport fielded just their four eligible riders for the Division 2 match.
Louis Wright lost only to Max Evans in heat 12, with good support from Devon Campbell and Michael Preston. Max Evans top scored for a solid scoring A&T team, with all riders impressing.
The only blot for A&T was a heavy fall taken by Charlie Burgess at the completion of heat 13.
A&T 83: Max Evans 17 (1), Tom Morrissey 15 (1), Emily Burgess 14, Mark Grantham 13 (2), Mick Knowles 10 (3), Charlie Burgess 7 (2), John White 7 (2).
STOCKPORT 56: Louis Wright 19, Devon Campbell 16, Michael Preston 16, Lance McCabe 5.
Referee – Kyle Holland.
A&T raced to a whitewash 122-0 win in Division 3. Frank White and Aiden Green both dropped a point to each other in the U10 match, including an exciting heat 4, when both riders fell and remounted to take first and second places respectively! John White raced unbeaten in the U13 match.
A&T 122: John White 16, Frank White 15, Aiden Green 15, Freddy Warn 14, Tom Morrissey 13, Alishea Green 10, Sabrina Evans 10, Charlie Burgess 10, Myles Grantham 8, Duncan Whalley 7, Lucy Grantham 4.
Referee – Chas Whalley.