Mk Knights Win Mdl Title

[Main Man]

MK Knights are 2012 MDL Champions

After three failed attempts to run the 2012 MDL Grand Final, MK “Alpine Cooling” Knights & Belle Vue Colts finally got to race each other in the championship decider at Coventry’s Brandon Stadium on Friday night.

Finishing 1st & 2nd in the regular season, both sides went into the final knowing that victory was within their grasp, both sides taking one win against each other in the league and both having drawn their league matches against Coventry-Mercia Vikings @ Brandon

With Belle Vue fielding their regular four-man team of Max Clegg, David Holt, Tom Woolley & Michael Neale, Knights were forced into two changes with Adam Portwood & Mark Baldock, in for injured skipper Conor Dwyer & Adam Sheppard, joining Shaun Tedham and Ollie Greenwood.

Heat 1 saw Shaun Tedham, who has developed into one of the best riders in the MDL, shoot from the tapes to claim the 1st of his 3 wins on route to his first full maximum in a Knights race jacket

Heat 2 saw Ollie Greenwood and debutant Mark Baldock edge the Knights in front with a 4-2 heat advantage, Tedham & Baldock doubling the lead in the next race with another 4-2

Greenwood protected the lead in heat 4, holding off a late challenge from Max Clegg and then in heat 5, stand in skipper Tedham raced ahead from the tapes with David Holt & Tom Woolley holding Portwood at the back, knowing that a 3-3 would take the contest into a last heat decider. As they entered the 3rd lap, Woolley went wide letting Portwood through into a crucial 3rd place, he then took up the chase and nearly took Holt on the line, his 3rd place ensuring a unassailable 6pt lead going into the last heat and confirming the Knights as MDL Champions 2012

With the last heat a formality, all that was left was for Ollie Greenwood to claim his 6th full maximum from 7 meetings and confirm a 21-15 victory

With champagne corks popping, the MDL co-ordinator presented the “MDL Championship Shield” as the jubilant Knights supporters, who have followed the team all season, started to celebrate a fantastic first season back in the sport for over 20 years

 

 

 

 

 

MK Knights - 21

1. Shaun Tedham 3 3 3 = 9

2. Adam Portwood 0 0 1 = 1

3. Oliver Greenwood 3 3 3 = 9

4. Mark Baldock 1 1 0 = 2

Belle Vue Colts - 15

1. Max Clegg 2 2 2 = 6

2. David Holt 1*0 2 = 3+1

3. Tom Woolley 0 2 0 = 2

4. Michael Neale 2 1* 1* = 4+2

H1 Tedham, Clegg, Holt, Portwood 3-3/3-3 64.6secs

H2 Greenwood, Neale, Baldock, Woolley 4-1/7-5 67.2secs

H3 Tedham, Woolley, Baldock, Holt 4-2/11-7 66.1secs

H4 Greenwood, Clegg, Neale, Portwood 3-3/14-10 65.9secs

H5 Tedham, Holt, Portwood, Woolley 4-2/18-12 66.2secs

H6 Greenwood, Clegg, Neale, Baldock 3-3/21-15 65.6secs