After two wash-outs this was a meeting all about raining too – as in, “raining on ones parade” as the Gold Cup qualification-chasing Rye House executed a perfect raid on the points available in the SLYDE Kings’ last home City Gearboxes National League [CGNL] match of the season.
So an evening which began in unfettered celebration for the Central Park faithful, welcoming home the National Pairs winners Ben Morley and Danny Ayres quickly descended into another experience of mounting frustration.
For the skipper Morley there was none of that though – his full house was as imperious a five ride maximum as one is ever likely to see. The way he dispatched the Raiders’ CGNL average-topping number one, Rob Branford in all three of their super close, super fast encounters suggested that the Southend-based racer may well be able to add the individual National League Riders Championship to his Pairs crown at Rye House later this month. Rye’s Kyle Hughes will be a major contender then too and the one time runner-up in the divisional riders championship was terrific– showing a huge amount of skill in his riding before being badly clattered by his own team mate Branford in heat 15.
The match followed an all too familiar pattern for the SLYDE-backed Kings, with a 1-5 reverse in heat two showing that debilitating malaise in Kent’s points-scoring at reserve, book-ended by another maximum for the visitors in heat 14 and five match-crunching 2-4s in between. Aaron Baseby with his customary heat eight victory and Ayres managed the homesters’ only heat wins aside from Morley’s nap-hand and James Shanes, who seized an engine first time out worked hard without success.
Danno Verge was unlucky not to double his points on his return to the side when a plug lead disconnected, bringing his machine to a grinding halt when well clear in second in his final ride and Adam Sheppard was bullish in a more promising paid five points tally. The Raiders had three conspicuously big hitters in Branford, Hughes and Luke Priest – the latter’s score including three heat wins and by consigning Kent to a fifth home defeat of the season, here was a Priest delivering the Last Rites on any lingering hopes of a top four finish for the Sittingbourne-based side.
The fact that Sam Woods for the visitors also scored well was not lost on a rueful team boss Chris Hunt, “It’s clear we are now perilously close, we accept, to the possibility of finishing bottom of the table – and with one of the best top fours in any side as our performances in the National Fours and Pairs showed, the league position we find ourselves in is because our lower graded riders have not made the same improvement as some others in our rivals’ squads. The CGNL is about the prospect of continuing development and improvement – our former rider Sam Woods is a case in point. Sam scored paid nine on Monday against us – the sort of score he was a long way off achieving back when he rode as a Kent King in 2013: but given time to develop this sort of improvement can come. We’ve had to field effectively three 3-pointers all season with no respite; and yes; in their first season as NL riders for the likes of Jamie Couzins and Adam Sheppard it’s been difficult. Danno Verge had perhaps a misleading average after his time with Scunthorpe and Ben Basford is certainly one for the future. It’s not time for inquests yet and the story of Danny Ayres from rookie to a national champion is the real positive example for us all to ponder”. Match details:
Kent 40 Ben Morley 3 3 3 3 3 15 Aaron Baseby 1 1 3 1 6 Danny Ayres 3 2 0 2 X 7 Danno Verge 0 0 2 R 2 James Shanes R 2 2 F 4 Ben Basford 1 F R 1 2 Adam Sheppard 0 2 1 1' 4+1 Team Manager: Chris Hunt
Rye House 49 Robert Branford 2 3 3 1' 2 11+1 Alfie Botwell F 1 1 2 1 5 Luke Priest 2 3 X 3 3 11 Rider replacement – Luke Chessell Kyle Hughes 3 2 3 2 2 X 12 Sam Woods 3 1' 0 1 X 2' 7+2 George Hunter 2' 1 0 3+1 Team Manager: Dave Jessup Referee: Mick Posselwhite