A brave effort from the Kent SLYDE Kings up in Manchester on Wednesday night (5/7) ran Travel Plus National League [TPNL] title favourites Belle Vue Colts close for significant periods – restricting the normally totally dominant north-westerners to a narrow four points lead at the two-thirds mark before falling away in the final five heats to go down by 53 points to 37.
With four of the visiting septet clocking up heat wins and the side even taking an early lead, it was unquestionably the most impressive performance this term by a visiting TPNL side to Belle Vue’s plush National Speedway Stadium. Leading the way as the action got underway was Guest (standing in for the still injured Luke Bowen), Mitchell Davey – taking a heat one victory to get the visitors off to a good start. Starting was the Colts’ highly rated Young GB international Dan Bewley problem in that opening battle – excluded for failing to be under power when the two minutes warning elapsed, he overcame the resultant 15 metres handicap to take second but failed to make impression on the stand-in Aussie Davey.
Better was quickly to follow, with George Hunter winning heat two and partner Anders Rowe taking third to move the SLYDE-sponsored Kings into an early match lead. A third heat win in the opening four races courtesy of NSS track specialist Nathan Stoneman backed up with a third again by Rowe meant the two points lead was regained; and yet another Kings’ heat win courtesy of Davey meant all hopes of the home faithful that again they were to see their Colts gallop to an easy win were gone. Conversely, leading at the third gone stage of five heats lifted the visiting camp massively.
Bewley hit back, dashing decisively away from Stoneman in heat six before the first of what were to prove three match deciding 5-1s by the hosts in heat seven: Rob Shuttleworth and reserve Andy Mellish surprisingly taking a maximum at the expense of Kent skipper Ben Hopwood and Jack Thomas.
Hopwood was clearly below par suffering with his injured foot from the crash when he’d laid his bike down to afford a fallen opponent in the home match two days earlier. The ship was steadied with Rowe and Hunter sharing the points in heat seven and then Stoneman getting back to winning ways with Hunter getting third for another heat advantage to make the score 28-26 to the hosts with six heats to go.
Unfortunately, though the back end of the match belonged to the Manchester club with only a late salvo from Thomas winning heat 14 interrupting a run of heat advantages including crushing 5-1s in heats 12 (Mellish & Shuttleworth again) and in the final nominated riders’ race.
Belle Vue Colts 53 1. Dan Bewley 2 3 3 3 3 14 2. Kyle Bickley 1' 2 1' 3 1 8+2 3. Rob Shuttleworth 1 1' 3 R 2' 7+2 4. Jack Smith 3 2 2 3 2 12 5. Rider Replacement – Lee Payne 6. Andy Mellish 0 2' 1 3 1' 7+2 7. Luke Woodhull 2 0 0 1 3 Kent Kings 37 1. Mitchell Davey (Guest) 3 3 2 2 1 11 2. Bradley Andrews 0 0 0 0 3. Ben Hopwood 0 1 0 1 2 4. Jack Thomas 2 0 2 3 7 5. Nathan Stoneman 3 2 3 0 0 8 6. George Hunter 3 0 1' 1 0 5+1 7. Anders Rowe 1 1 2 0 4