Thursday 21 October 2004
TEAM ARTDEANS SWINDON SPROCKETS 39
RYE HOUSE ELMSIDE RAIDERS 49
Conference League
Match abandoned after heat fourteen, with the result standing.
Rye House won 114-65 on aggregate
| Wayne Carter | X | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1* | - | - | 9(1) |
| James Purchase | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 |
| Steve Braidford R/R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Danny Warwick | 2 | 1* | 2 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 11(1) |
| Simon Walker | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 12 |
| Jordan Frampton | F | 1 | 1* | 0 | - | - | - | 2(1) |
| Nathan Irwin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| Danny Betson (No.8) | R | X | - | - | - | - | - | 0 |
RYE HOUSE
| Steve Boxall R/R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gary Cottham | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 4 |
| Joel Parsons | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 13 |
| Luke Bowen | 3 | F | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Tommy Allen | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 15 |
| Harland Cook | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1* | - | 7(1) |
| Barry Burchatt | 2* | 1 | 0 | 2* | 0 | 2 | - | 7(2) |
| Marc Andrews (No.8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ht 1: (Re-Run) Bowen, Purchase, Cottham, Carter (f, ex), 71.71 | (2-4) |
| Ht 2: Cook, Burchatt, Irwin, Frampton (fell), 73.58 | (3-9) |
| Ht 3: Parsons, Warwick, Bowen (fell), Betson (ret), 71.90 | (5-12) |
| Ht 4: Allen, Walker, Burchatt, Irwin, 71.58 | (7-16) |
| Ht 5: Parsons, Carter (TR), Warwick, Cottham, 73.92 | (12-19) |
| Ht 6: Allen, Carter, Cook, Purchase, 72.02 | (14-23) |
| Ht 7: (Re-Run) Walker (TR), Parsons, Frampton, Burchatt (15 met), 72.83 | (21-25) |
| Ht 8: Cottham, Burchatt, Purchase, Irwin, 72.80 | (22-30) |
| Ht 9: (Awarded) Allen, Warwick, Cook, Betson (f, ex), No time | (24-34) |
| Ht 10: Parsons, Carter, Cook, Purchase, 72.27 | (26-38) |
| Ht 11: Allen, Walker, Frampton, Cottham, 70.77 | (29-41) |
| Ht 12: Warwick, Parsons, Irwin, Cook, 71.99 | (33-43) |
| Ht 13: Allen, Walker, Carter, Burchatt, 71.14 | (36-46) |
| Ht 14: Warwick, Burchatt, Cook, Frampton, 72.52 | (39-49) |
Programme changes:-
Ht 1: R/R Bowen
Ht 3: R/R Betson
Ht 9: R/R Betson
Ht 10: Cook replaced Bowen
Ht 11: R/R Allen
Ht 12: R/R Warwick
Ht 13: R/R Burchatt
Ht 14: Cook replaced Bowen
Having twice been postponed earlier in the month, the Team Artdeans Sprockets finally beat the wet weather jinx to stage their penultimate league match versus a Rye House side chasing second place in the final league table. Due to numerous injuries in the home camp, the experienced Wayne Carter was drafted in at number one, while rider replacement was operated for Steve Braidford, with 16-year-old Danny Betson filling the number eight berth. On a cold and blustery evening, proceedings got underway with Carter losing control of his back end and coming to grief on the second bend. Having been in close attendance behind, visiting rider Gary Cottham was unable to avoid running into the stranded Yorkshireman, although thankfully both were able to walk away from the melee. With the race stopped and Carter excluded, Luke Bowen was untroubled in taking the re-run from James Purchase, while Cottham mopped-up the odd-point to give the Raiders a lead they were not to surrender.
Nathan Irwin left the start like a rocket-ship in heat two and looked well on his way to victory when a mechanical problem caused him to stutter on the third lap. Harland Cook took full advantage to move ahead and when Irwin’s steed further slowed on the very last bend, Barry Burchatt was on hand to give the visitors maximum points, while the unlucky Sprocket limped home third. The third heat saw Danny Warwick and Joel Parsons engage in a titanic four-lap duel, with the Aussie eventually getting the verdict thanks to a more conservative inside line than that employed by the daredevil Span. They proved to be the only two finishers; Betson’s machine having given up the ghost and Bowen tumbling awkwardly in mid-race on the second bend. The Rye House skipper was ruled out of any further action after suffering a foot injury and the Blunsdon raceway clearly wouldn’t hold fond memories for the 18-year-old, since in 2003, he broke his leg in the corresponding fixture.
Former Robin/Sprocket Tommy Allen swept aside the faster-starting Simon Walker to win heat four and, with Irwin taking a wide entry into the pits turn of lap one, Burchatt poached the single point to extend the Raiders’ advantage to 16-7. Swindon wasted no time in nominating Carter for a tactical ride in the next race and initially things looked good, as he and Walker sharply left the tapes in unison. Their lead only lasted until mid-way down the back straight, however, when Parsons craftily nipped through on the inside to take the win and restrict the Team Artdeans Sprockets to a 5-3 advantage.
With Allen and Cook posting a 4-2 over Carter in heat six, the deficit was again back to nine-points, giving Swindon the option of a second ‘double pointer’. Walker was duly given the nod, but at the first time of asking, an over-anxious Burchatt rolled into the tapes and suffered a 15-metre penalty. The re-start saw Walker hold off the spirited Parsons for an excellent victory, while Frampton simply refused to let Burchatt by, even when the Raider clipped his hand going into the first turn for the final time. That gave the Team Artdeans Sprockets a 7-2 heat win, although they still trailed 25-21.
Having fought back into contention, Swindon’s hopes were dashed in heat eight when the Hertfordshire boys showed just why they occupied such a high position in the standings by firing in a maximum, through Cottham and Burchatt. The ninth heat was awarded after the last placed Betson had fallen on the second bend of the final lap; Allen notching win number three ahead of Warwick, while Cook made it a 4-2 to the impressive visitors. Rye House piled it on in heat ten, with Parsons taking the outside route around the first corner to overcome Carter, while busy reserve Cook again finished third.
Allen continued on his merry way in the next one to defeat Walker, while Frampton produced another fighting effort to ward off the close attentions of Cottham. In heat twelve, Warwick had to be at his very best to repel the constantly pressing Parsons and the Dorset boy used the outside line to great effect as he determinedly reversed the result of the third heat. While the heated battle up front went on, Irwin diced with Cook and after typically taking the outside line around the pits corner, Swindon’s find of the season finally passed his opponent at the start of lap three. Allen carded his fifth straight win in heat thirteen, prior to Warwick once more riding a daring wide line to beat the omni-present Burchatt. At this point and with time of the essence due to a second fixture versus Oxford to fulfil, the Swindon management offered to concede the match prior to the nominated heat and were grateful of the understanding shown by their Rye House counterparts.