CRADLEY HEATH 39 - ISLE OF WIGHT 51 (Agg 76 – 104) Vince Mapley Trophy.
The Isle of Wight Warriors signed off their 2024 campaign with a 39 - 51 victory over the Cradley Heathens last night at the Smallbrook Stadium.
The Warriors, who had won the first leg by 53-37 back in June, completed a double over a powerful looking Heathens on a night that produced some excellent racing. The Warriors went in front at the first heat after a sublime from the back ride by captain Arran Butcher, in a race that was stopped and awarded after an alarming track crash by visiting number one Tom Spencer. Butcher had passed Spencer with a magnificent outside swoop on lap three, but the Heathens captain clipped Butchers back wheel as they went down the home straight at top speed, as he hit the safety fence, the bike threw him into the air, ripping out a section of the fence in front of the main grandstand. As the crowd gasped in silence, somehow Spencer managed to get himself to his feet, holding his arm. It was no surprised when it was announced that he could take no further part in the event with arm and thumb injuries. That race was awarded by the referee as a 5-1 to the Warriors and it was a lead they never let go of despite some frantic efforts by Andy Hawthorne the Heathen team manager, who had to shuffle his pack as he was forced to go with injury rider replacement for the remainder of the meeting.
Heat 2 saw the first race of the big guns and Warriors Ben Morley came head to head with British hotshot William Cairns, Morley hanging on for the win. Heathens pulled two points back before the Warriors duo of Arran Butcher and the impressive German Henning Loof slammed home another 5-1 to make it 18-12. Butcher and Sonny Springer who was also having a good night then hit a further 5-1 over Cairns who was off of 15 metres in heat seven to take the difference to 10 at 26-16. Heat ten saw the trophy all but won when Springer and Butcher hit another 5-1, Butcher coming from 15 metres back to pick his way through the pack.
Then when Loof and Springer came through for a further 5-1 the destination of the trophy was confirmed. Despite wins from Cairns in heats 12 and 15 against Morley in spectacular style, the job was complete and the Warriors were celebrating with their fans and the Trophy.
Team Manager Steve Piper said, “Of course it’s nice to win, but the edge was taken off a bit it after Tom Spencer’s crash, but even with him, I think we would still have won, but that’s the best I have seen Henning (Loof) ride, he’s getting better all the time and Sonny was great until his fall in heat 14. The skipper Arran rode to his abilities and Ben Morley is just so consistent."
Scorers; IOW; Butcher 14+1, Springer 9+3, Wirtzfeld R/R, Loof 12+1, Morley 15, Williams 1.
Heathens; Spencer 0, Laker 3+2, Naylor 7+1, Cairns 15, Harris 6+1, Hargrave 8+1
Whereas the speedway action has finished at Smallbrook, there is still more action next week (5th September with the staging of the GT140 Four Team Tournament and the 2024 J.A.P. British Championship 7pm start.
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