BUXTON narrowly missed out on victory over the Birmingham Brummies’ losing out 44-46 in the Travel Plus National League at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
The Hitmen pushed the West Midlands outfit all the way in testing conditions with Buxton team manager Joshua Moss saying “All the riders gave their all and it was a credit to both sets of riders that the meeting not only started but finished with drizzle throughout the meeting and also mist at times and the track held up really well and produced some very good racing it’s, just a shame that we just fell short in the end against a very good Birmingham side.â€
Three 4-2 heat advantages in the opening four heats gave the visitors a 14-10 lead the Hitmen gaining a 4-2 themselves in heat two from Corban Pavitt and Kieron Douglas over Josh Embleton. The Hitmen levelled the scores in heat 5 at Richard Andrews and skipper Tom Woolley held young Brummies’ skipper Leon Flint at bay for a 5-1 before Birmingham went back in front a couple of races later with a 4-2 the visiting pair being split when team riding as Andrews went around the previously unbeaten Max Clegg to take second place behind Flint. Buxton struck straight back with a 5-1 from Pavitt and Lewis Whitmore over Paul Burnett and the Hitmen followed up with a 4-2 from Andrews and Woolley over Tom Perry to open up a four-point lead leaving the visitors trailing 29-25 after nine heats.
Birmingham gained a couple of 4-2 advantages in the next few heats to level things up at 33-33 after eleven heats before the Brummies’ gained the vital break in heat thirteen as Perry got the better of home number 1 Ben Wilson to take the chequered flag with Paul Burnett grabbing the all-important point for third place putting the visitors in front 38-40 with two heats remaining. Birmingham then relied on Flint taking victory in the penultimate heat with a last heat decider in-store and Clegg didn’t disappoint as he got the better of Wilson and Andrews off the start and took a comfortable victory to seal victory for the Brummies’’.
Hitmen skipper Tom Woolley commented “So close again and to lose by just two points is really disappointing and at any stage of the meeting it could have gone either way when we’ve dropped a couple of points like me on the line and things like that when you look back cost you in such a close meeting. Richard (Andrews) has come in and done a great job today and with Ben (Wilson) along with myself and Corban Pavitt at reserve all chipping in with solid support it makes such a difference and as we have been all season we are just that one rider short which would take a lot of pressure off he reserves, but it has shown that since Birmingham were here last we have improved significantly over the season. Yes, people may say they had guests but they were very good guests in Max Clegg and Tom Perry so you cannot say they were any weaker than normal. The track was perfect and probably the best it’s been all year and despite it being wet there has been some real good racing and it was a good advert for National League speedway.â€
BUXTON 44: Ben Wilson 12+1, Richard Andrews 12, Tom Woolley 9+1, Corban Pavitt 8+2, Lewis Whitmore 2+1, Kieran Douglas 1, Sam Woolley (no.8) 0, James Cockle r/r.
BIRMINGHAM 46: Max Clegg 16, Tom Perry 13, Leon Flint 9, Paul Burnett 4, Josh Embleton 3, Sheldon Davies 1+1, Tom Bacon r/r.