MATCH REPORT: Sheffield gain first ever treble against A&T

Report by Rob Mawhood

Sheffield Stars gained their first ever treble winning day over Astley and Tyldesley in the North and Scotland League at a very wet Graves track. Heavy rain on Saturday left a saturated track, then when the showers returned (an hour before the scheduled start time) the surface soon became a mud bath.

First up was the Division Three encounter, for under 10’s and 13’s. Sheffield gaining their first ever Division Three win over Astley by 69-21 (this match being the 24th attempt). Oliver Banyard was unbeaten in the under 13’s, with Lacey Ackroyd also winning a race. The under 10’s had just Sheffield riders, the first time in 12 years Astley had not been able to put an under 10 on track. Sheffield had three debutants Sara Zaheer, Owen Gamble and Lucas Mawhood. Lincoln Ackroyd won his first three races, then sportingly sat behind the other three in the last race. This gave six year Lucas his moment of glory.

Scorers

Under 13

Sheffield – Oliver Banyard 16, Lacey Ackroyd 13.

Astley and Tyldesley – Oscar Belt 9, josh Pilkington 7, Nahom Tumizghy 5.

Under 10

Sheffield – Lincoln Ackroyd 13, Lucas Mawhood 12, Sara Zaheer 10, Owen Gamble 5.

Referee – Niall Morton

Sheffield then ran up their biggest Division One victory of 120-60 against a patched up Astley team (that included the three riders from the Div Three match). Sheffield provided the race winner in all 18 heats, fourteen of which were by the maximum 7-3 margin. Six Stars riders remained unbeaten, including the returning Simon Gamble. The track conditions took it’s toll on the visitors so much that Sheffield had maximum 7-3 wins in eight of the last nine heats.
Steve Harris came closest to a race win for Astley, leading heat 15 for three and a half laps before Stars youngsters Jack Brownell and Sam Stansfield went past.
The win sets Sheffield up for runners up spot in Division One. They need to defeat Hull in the final match of the season and hope Fife win only one of their remaining fixtures.

Scorers

Sheffield – Sam Stansfield 15+1, Niall Morton 16+4, Jack Brownell 14, Kyle Holland 16+4, Kielan Burton 16+4, Kieran Hale 16, Ed Morton DNR, Simon Gamble 12, Oliver Banyard 9, Lacey Ackroyd 6+1

Astley – Mason Gallagher 5, Owen Simcock 11, Oscar Belt 8, Duncan Whalley 9+2, Charlie Burgess 9, Josh Pilkington 7, Steve Harris 8, Nahom Tumizghy 3.

Referee – Rob Mawhood

Sheffield completed the hat trick when winning the Division Two match by 93-52. It was a score that would have put the Stars into the play off finals, had Hull won at Heckmondwike. The Saints 75-73 victory meant they finished one point ahead of Sheffield.
Stars opened with five maximum 7-3 heat wins to lead 35-15. Sam Stansfield and Kieran Hale returned unbeaten scores, as they had done in Division One, with Jack Brownell and Oliver Banyard also racing unbeaten. Sheffield had the luxury of being able to give 6 year old Lucas Mawhood a Division Two debut.
Josh Pilkington and Nahom Tumizghy each won a race for Astley. While Mason Gallagher sportingly allowed Sheffield’s Lucas Mawhood to pass him at the finish of heat 15, which stopped Astley gaining a second race victory.

Oscar Belt (Astley) in his 14th race of the day against Sheffield’s youngest rider Lucas Mawhood. Photo taken by Caroline Burton

Scorers

Sheffield – Kieran Hale 12, Joe Brownell 11+1, Oliver Banyar/d 14+2, Lacey Ackroyd 13+1, Sam Stansfield 16, Jack Brownell 15+5, Lincoln Ackroyd 7, Lucas Mawhood 5+1.

Astley – Mason Gallagher 5, Owen Simcock 11, Oscar Belt 12, Duncan Whalley 2, Nahom Tumizghy 10+2, Josh Pilkington 12.

Referee – Niall Morton