MATCH REPORT: A&T clinch Northern 4’s

Astley & Tyldesley are the 2022 Northern Fours League Champions! A&T’s second place behind Hull in the Round 5 match at a rain soaked Hull track on Sunday, was sufficient to clinch the overall series, with one round remaining. Stockport started the day in second place in the table, but they withdrew due to a lack of riders, and third placed Bury were pipped by fourth placed Sheffield, for third place on the day. This means that A&T finished the day seven points ahead of Bury, who have moved into second place in the table.

Heavy rain overnight and throughout the morning stopped just in time for the Fours League match. Hull took an early lead and were never headed, although A&T pushed them hard all the way. The decisive race was heat 13, when the two unbeaten riders, Hull’s Lewis Foxley and A&T’s Pawel Idziorek met. Idziorek collected an exclusion after the two riders clashed on the 3rd/ 4th bend. Foxley went on to complete a maximum score, with the exclusion the only points dropped by Idziorek. Hull held on to their lead, and ran out winners by 3.5 points over A&T. The rare dead heat came in heat 16, when the referee couldn’t separate Hull’s Nathan Everett and Heckmondwike’s Mark Rushby for first place at the finish line.

Northern Fours League Round 5 result

Hull 53.5 Astley & Tyldesley 50 Sheffield 42 Bury 41 Heckmondwike 33.5 Stockport 0

Hull: Lewis Foxley 16, Jack Lister 13, David Cooper 13, Nathan Everett 9.5, Matt Eglen 2.
A&T: Reece Pollitt 15, Steve Harris 13, Pawel Idziorek 12, Owen Simcock 5, Duncan Whalley 5.
Sheffield: Kyle Holland 12, Kielan Burton 12, Jack Brownell 11, Oliver Banyard 4, Will Banyard 3.
Bury: Kris Ramsden 11, Mike Baldock 10, Eryk Motala 10, Danny Taylor 7, Tom Dunphy 3.
Heckmondwike: Mark Rushby 10.5, Stuart Hardaker 7, Justin Naylor 6, Pat Beacock 5, Tony Lebrasse 5.

Referee – Darren Kent.

Northern Fours League standings (after 5 rounds)

Astley & Tyldesley 26 pts (250 race pts), Bury 19 (212), Sheffield 18 (198), Stockport 18 (169), Hull 15 (188.5), Heckmondwike 8 (145.5).

Officials considered calling off the first match of the day, the u-10 and u-13 Ladder Individual, as part of the Northern Junior League match, due to torrential rain, which flooded the track. However, all riders present wanted to race, so 24 riders lined up for the match! Sheffield’s Lacey Ackroyd headed home Bury’s Jayden Hancock in the final round of races to win the u-13 GP, with Sheffield’s Oliver Banyard third and Hull’s Kacey Bennett fourth. Bury’s Bobby Dunphy slid off whilst leading the u-10s final round of races, so Hull’s Harry Gibson took the u-10 GP win, ahead of Dunphy, with A&T’s Josh Pilkington third and Heckmondwike’s Charlie Lebrasse fourth.

The sun came out for the last round of races on the day, as 11 riders lined up for the Division 2 Individual, and 6 for the u-16 and u-19 categories, run concurrently. Maximum scores were recorded by A&T’s Duncan Whalley (u-16), Sheffield’s Kielan Burton (u-19), Heckmondwike’s Darren Kent and Mark Rushby (Div. 2).

Hull made it a double team win on the day, after edging out Heckmondwike by five points to win the Junior League match, with Sheffield in third place. All three teams are still in contention to win the overall Northern Junior League series.

Northern Junior League Round 5 result

Hull 138 Heckmondwike 133 Sheffield 81 Astley & Tyldesley 53 Bury 44 Stockport 0.

U-10s: Harry Gibson (Hull) 16, Bobby Dunphy (Bury) 15, Josh Pilkington (A&T) 14, Charlie Lebrasse (Heckmondwike) 13, Joseph Green (Heckmondwike) 12, Lincoln Ackroyd (Sheffield) 11, Charlie Taylor (Sheffield) 10, Ellwood Harrison (Hull) 9, James Vanner (Heckmondwike) 8, Polly Gowans (Hull) 7, Elijah Rechembei (A&T) 6, Charlie Hamilton (Hull) 5, Fletcher Glendon (Hull) 4.

U-13s: Lacey Ackroyd (Sheffield) 16, Jayden Hancock (Bury) 15, Oliver Banyard (Sheffield) 14, Kacey Bennett (Hull) 13, Spencer Glenton (Hull) 12, George Lebrasse (Heckmondwike) 11, Elliott Long (Heckmondwike) 10, Will Hollich (Hull) 9, Frankie Beckett (Hull) 8, Chloe Bassett (A&T) 7, Tyrer Millward (Hull) 6.

U-16s: Duncan Whalley (A&T) 16, Tom Dunphy (Bury) 14, Liam Bennett (Hull) 12, Owen Simcock (A&T) 10.

U-19s: Kielan Burton (Sheffield) 16, Ryan Tomkinson (Hull) 14.

Div. 2: Darren Kent (Heckmondwike) 16, Mark Rushby (Heckmondwike) 16, Will Banyard (Sheffield) 14, Rich Gibson (Hull) 12, Justin Naylor (Heckmondwike) 12, Matt Eglen (Hull) 11, Pat Beacock (Heckmondwike) 10, Stuart Hardaker (Heckmondwike) 9, Tony Lebrasse (Heckmondwike) 6, Lee Warhurst (Heckmondwike) 5, Philip Vanner (Heckmondwike) 5.

Referee – Andy Schofield.

Northern Junior League standings (after 5 rounds)

Sheffield 20 (576.5), Hull 19 (549), Heckmondwike 18 (554.5), Astley & Tyldesley 13 (419), Bury 5 (212), Stockport 0 (0).