Only the cruellest of misfortunes prevented a third away win of the season as the Kent Iwade Garage Royals completed their away programme in the National League [NL] on Saturday (25/9) with a draw at the home of reigning champions Leicester Lion Cubs.
The second part of the double header following on from a clash of the two clubs in the SGB Championship, this match had it all eclipsing the fare served up by the two senior sides in sheer raw drama and thrilling no-holds barred Speedway racing.
More than anything this one epitomised the never say die attitude of the title-chasing Royals, finishing the match with only three men standing and yet still summoning up from their depths of their resolve enough to get the two points for an away draw which means their league winning ambitions remain in their own hands, with five home matches to come!
And it could and should have been even better. At the completion of heat 12 John Sampford’s side led by two points, with number one Dan Gilkes undefeated and will all the team contributing massively to what looked like it was going to be a vital away win. But young reserve Vinnie Foord had suffered a heavy fall in heat 8 – causing considerable damage to the frame of his bike and so ruling him out of continuing in the meeting. His absence could be covered by fellow reserve Josh Warren, having the best match of his fledgling career after a brilliant racewin in his opening outing – but no, Warren then had an even heavier fall than his compatriot, in the very next race. Concussion was diagnosed and Josh was out too.
And then to prove the truism that bad luck always comes in threes, the in-form Alex Spooner who’d won that rerun heat nine was taken ill and he too had to withdraw from the meeting. The stark facts now was that in three of the remaining four races from heat 12 on, the Iwade Garage-sponsored Royals were going to be only able to track one rider seeking to defend that narrow two point advantage,
And defend it they so very nearly did. Skipper Ryan Kinsley delivered the win required in heat 12 and then in the next race Gilkes completed his four programmed rides with a fourth impeccable race victory.
Heat 14 was clearly vital with Jacob Clouting this time the solitary Royal in the race.
And the Kent no. 4 who was having the best match of his season also (combining with Kinsley in heat three for a 5-1 which initially put down a marker for the visitors) remarkably took on the far more experienced Ryan Terry-Daley & Tom Spencer in the penultimate race and clearly was heading for three vita points when on the very last bend, his primary chain came off causing him to slow dramatically thus seeing Terry-Daley past him but not, crucially, the trailing even further behind, Spencer. The 4-2 to the hosts though meant it was all-square going into heat 15.
Up to this stage at no point had the Lion Cubs been in front. That 5-1 in heat three had established an early lead for the visitors, following as it did race wins for Gilkes and Warren in the opening couplet. Two 4-2s for the Lion Cubs in the next three heats saw parity restored and it had stayed that way until the aforementioned heat 11 - when Gilkes and a a bravely fighting on despite being clearly unwell, Spooner secured a crucial 4-2.
But level again it was now after Clouting’s cruel misfortune in heat 14 and literally everything hinged on the nominated riders heat 15, No doubt who this race would feature: for the hosts, the Thompson twins Dan & Joe; and for the Royals, the still unbeaten Gilkes and his captain, Kinsley with three race wins to his name.
The deciding heat was an absolute classic – for many seasoned Leicester Speedway devotees one of the very best races ever seen at the Beaumont Park circuit. The maths were simple a win and a third (or second) for either side’s pairing clinching the win for them. For the Royals the stakes were especially high needing at the very least a draw to keep their NL championship hopes very much alive; a win and they’d assume the role of NL title favourites.
The GB Under 19 runner up Dan Thompson led from the offing, but then Kinsley passed him before Thompson’s brother Joe assumed the race leadership. Gilkes stormed back into contention as Kinsley took the lead and suddenly the required 2-4 result was on the cards – but Joe Thompson got the verdict in the proverbial blanket finish, with Kinsley & Gilkes ensuring the two match points awarded for the 45-45 result.
An away draw was remarkably something now travelling Kent supporters have seen FOUR times this season (three times for the Kings and now once by the Royals); there was also a home draw for the Royals (albeit it being against now defunct Eastbourne and so a result scrapped from the official records). There’s never been a British league season with a higher percentage of drawn matches across the sport’s three divisions. Perhaps someone should suggest to that ‘Mr Littlewoods’ to come up with Speedway Pools!!
And talking of notable stats… This drawn result means now that in the five away matches tucked away into the 2021 record books, the Iwade Garage Royals have achieved one of every possible outcome: 4pts for 7+ win - Belle Vue Colts; 3pts for 1-6 win – Mildenhall Fen Tigers; Draw (2 pts) – Leicester Lion Cubs; 1pt for less than 6 defeat – Armadale Devils; and 0 pts for 7+ defeat Berwick Bullets.
Talking of Berwick (still leaders before going into their match on Sunday at the other team involved in this three way chase for the title, Mildenhall), it’s the Bullets from the Borders who are Kent’s opponents at Central Park on Tuesday (28th. Sept. 6.30pm start time) in a veritable six-pointer – a match the Iwade Garage Royals absolutely cannot afford to lose.
