Cradley Heathens V Eastbourne Eagles 22/4

[catinthehat]

A bigger threat is going to be Richard Andrews, He put the fastest time at Kent in the first meeting, maximum on sunday he seems settled at Eastbourne and thats why he is scoreing so well, a very dark horse in him as he is a bit of a starter, he is the biggest one to watch, BWD will get double figures, George will get double figures, Mason will get 7, Dugard 6 Richings 8 andrews 7 give or take a few points so 48 points for me so its going to be a close match and a good one i hope. Its been reported that Danny is due for an operation so lets raise some money for the poor guy. #eaglestowin #missingdannywarwick

 

Danny is one of the most genuine guy's in speedway and he could be out for a while so every penny helps, http://www.gofundme.com/se6p33g

Edited April 21, 2015 by catinthehat

[Alex2000]

Don't worry, I have been there. Watching one of our many losses against Birmingham in the elite league!

Just maybe it will be different this time!

[greyhoundp]

Just maybe it will be different this time!

 

Yes, because this time its Cradley Heathens you are riding against.

[Alex2000]

 

Yes, because this time its Cradley Heathens you are riding against.

Yes and that's another reason it's going to be different I don't think anyone off our team has ridden this track before because Cradley wasn't at perry barr last year. Maybe Mason at a push might have?

[TurnTwo]

Eastbourne to win by 10

[mdmc82]

Think this should be a good one.

Expect it to be a home win but a narrow one.

[NTB]

Can we have some dirt and water on the track please?

[ruckerroo]

Well done to cradley and hard luck to Eastbourne, sounded a good match

Well done to cradley and hard luck to Eastbourne, sounded a good match

[martin_t]

Having been to all Dudley/Cradley home meetings apart from the three at Perry Barr in 2010,and after finding the first two this year a tad dull(just my opinion)I wasn't particularly bothered at not being able to attend tonights....and I miss what appears to be a cracker.Typical.

[remembertheracers]

Can I ask if the crowds at Monmore Green are matched at Perry Barr please? I imagine Cradley get more than the Brummies?

[Heathen1984]

Id say crowds are just as many at Perry barr. Cradley could of won this meeting easily but few falls and ef made it closer than it should of been

[pete cc]

Can we have some dirt and water on the track please?

Stepped in a puddle near the car park. When my boots dry out i will send back the dirt. It could do with some.

[Brummie Kev]

A throroughly enjoyable match for the neutal tonight, a match where Eastbourne really should be kicking themselves at getting nothing. at the interval they were favorites for me. They let it slip in the latter heats but all the credit to the Heathens, the likes of Clegg and Greaves who had indifferent meetings upto that point came to the party in heats 13 and 15.

 

Arron Mogridge was the standout Heathen and probably deserved heat 15 but understandable they went for Clegg and Greaves.Williamson rode well and is another that could have been considered for the last heat. It wasnt as easy for the Heathens reserve this week, Perks had an off night with a fall and a couple of EFs which could have cost Cradley. Neale stepped up in heat 14 with a good ride at a crucial time.

 

For the Eagles, was looking forward to watching Wilson-Dean and he didnt disapoint. It was like watching Ben Barker again as the lad likes to keep it wound on in the bends and is very entertaining to watch. I'm just glad we have the eagles in the cup and Wilson Dean back at Perry Barr on the 20th, him v Adam Ellis should be interesting.

 

Eastbourne booked a good guest in Ritchings, after his injuries it good to see him going well. Solid performance from David Mason too at number 1. Did find it a bit strange that they went for George Wood in Heat 14 over Kelsey Dugard who had 2,2,1 from three rides and had performed better. Guess Dugard had a problem in the pits.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Brummie Kev

[Alex2000]

A throroughly enjoyable match for the neutal tonight, a match where Eastbourne really should be kicking themselves at getting nothing. at the interval they were favorites for me. They let it slip in the latter heats but all the credit to the Heathens, the likes of Clegg and Greaves who had indifferent meetings upto that point came to the party in heats 13 and 15.

 

Arron Mogridge was the standout Heathen and probably deserved heat 15 but understandable they went for Clegg and Greaves.Williamson rode well and is another that could have been considered for the last heat. It wasnt as easy for the Heathens reserve this week, Perks had an off night with a fall and a couple of EFs which could have cost Cradley. Neale stepped up in heat 14 with a good ride at a crucial time.

 

For the Eagles, was looking forward to watching Wilson-Dean and he didnt disapoint. It was like watching Ben Barker again as the lad likes to keep it wound on in the bends and is very entertaining to watch. I'm just glad we have the eagles in the cup and Wilson Dean back at Perry Barr on the 20th, him v Adam Ellis should be interesting.

 

Eastbourne booked a good guest in Ritchings, after his injuries it good to see him going well. Solid performance from David Mason too at number 1. Did find it a bit strange that they went for George Wood in Heat 14 over Kelsey Dugard who had 2,2,1 from three rides and had performed better. Guess Dugard had a problem in the pits.

They have changed Dugard for Wood before. It seems that maybe he is a team player and wants to let his fellow reserve get more points? I don't know why else because he can't have bike problems on heat 14 of both away meetings

[Piccolo]

£11 for that? Best value night out I've had in ages.

[TurnTwo]

Connor said he changed Dugard for Wood as Wood was racing the bike harder than Dugard and he could hold off Perks or make a pass.

 

which was the correct decision because once he got going he was nearly in the back of Richard Andrews.

[arnieg]

It is worth noting that although Connor Dug Ard scored paid 7 every rider he beat fell off - which shows just how many points Cradley through away.

 

But it made for a great meeting. Particularly pleasing to see the progress made by Arron Mogridge and Darryl Ritchings racing again.

 

I thought BWD was over - hyped before the season started, but he has justified all the praise heaped on him.

[catinthehat]

From looking at the updates i am not a tactician but George wood never finished a race let alone do a lap, from the grass track scene and is hard as anyone on a bike, I would have put money on George getting more points than the big Zero. But I would also have replaced Dugard with George Wood due to Dugard being way behind and his only score he got was by people falling off his true value of points is not what the what he was really worth.

 

Think it was a gamble that didn’t pay off but nothing was really gained or lost. Also what the chance of a chain falling off BWD bike when he lent it to him? Also I have to say that the people have also said what a great sports man brad was for getting up off the track when Cradley were on a 5-1 not like that perks guy. Did himself no favours and it was reported that he was screaming in the pits at his mechanics and punching the wall? Maybe the wall can’t fight back. I watched Josh Bates do that on TV and broke his hand lol, come on Perks “grow up now” lol

[greyhoundp]

£11 for that? Best value night out I've had in ages.

 

I have to say i agree with you.

 

After a steady 4 hour drive for my Home meeting here is my humble opinion on the meeting.of the current League Champions Cradley Heath against the Challengers from the South Eastbourne Eagles.

 

The Heathens gained an early 6 point lead after just 2 Heats which could have been 8 points but for a fall for Michael Neale, this quickly laid to rest any nerves (including mine) about the outcome of the meeting, but then in Heat 3 ex Cradley Heathen Daryll Ritchings gave a hint it was NOT to be all one sided with the eagles first heat win over Matt Williamson, game ON, Then in heat 4 we had the highly anticipated and acclaimed youngster from the isles of New Zealand Bradley Wilson Dean up against another bright prospect from the Southern Hemispere in Ellis Perks, he was riding with the 17 year old highly regarded British Heathens Heat Leader Nathan Greaves, Nathan gated followed by BWD who was even more closely followed by Ellis who misjudged the entry into turn 2 lap 2 and fell but quickly remounted, BWD was charging hard around the outside of Nathan who under pressure from the Kiwi, made a mistake and fell, its not often in the NL that Nathan comes under such pressure when in front 5-1 to the Eagles, Then in Ht 5 most Heathens fans were expecting at least a 3-3, but David Mason and Richard Andrews had not read the script, put simply they gated and were gone, for a pretty easy 5-1 to the Eagles who had not only won the Heat 5-1 but edged in front overall 16-14. Heat 6 we had BWD up against OUR very OWN young Captain, the highly regarded British prospect rated by some 2nd only to Robert Lambert in his age group Max Clegg, could Max lower the colours of the young Kiwi, and would Cleggy go for it ? YES he did but destroyed the Tapes and was excluded, Team manager Pottinger IMO correctly decided it was just to much to ask Max to catch BWD off -15 so brought in Ellis Perks to again try to defeat the flying Kiwi, BWD gated and won pretty comfortably followed by the steady Arron Mogridge who could not make any impression on the leader, with Ellis a dissapointing third, that was 4 consecutive Heat winners from the Eagles and a 19-17 lead, Could Nathan stop the rot in Heat 7 ? Nathan gated, and despite heavy pressure from Darryl he held on to take the win from Dazza in 2nd and Mike Neale taking the valuable 3rd place to level the scores, we then had three consecutive Heat wins from two of Cradleys unsung heroes in Matt Williamson and Arron Mogridge who probably had his best ever NL score of 11 from four rides and only beaten by that man/boy BWD, Matt Williamson had the plaudits of being the first Cradley rider to beat Wilson Dean in Heat 9 by gating and holding off BWD despite strong pressure he never made a mistake and proved to the Cradley riders the Kiwi hotshot was beatable. During all of this Clegg and Harris had picked up a couple of 3rd places to edge into a 4 point lead at the interval.

Much of the Terrace talk during the interval was could Cradley hold on due to the fact Bradley Wilson Dean would be in 3 of the 5 remaining races and Dazza probably in two of them, also what would Team manager Pottinger do in Heat 14.

Onto the 2nd half of the meeting Heat 11 Young Nathan Greaves against BWD we saw the best of Wilson Dean he completely missed the gate and was at the back exiting bend 2, he quickly passed Neale and Mason, and set off after Nathan, for two laps he stalked Nathan until coming down the home straight out of bend 4 he went past Nathan going into the last lap, Mason held off a determined challenge from Mike Neale for third place 4-2 the Eagles. Then we had an eventful Heat 12 Cradleys duo of Williamson & Perks gated on a 5-1 until the 3rd bend when Georgie Wood in 3rd place took a nasty fall into bend 3, Dazza quickly laid his bike down Wood excluded. In the rerun as often happens this time Dazza gated and led from the tapes then Perks fell and was excluded, then there were two, Ritchings gated again and took a routine win from Matt who though never far behind couldnt get a telling challenge in 3-2 the Eagles 36-35 to Cradley, three races to go all to play for.

Heat 13 saw three of the NLs brightest young prospects up against each other, we had BWD only beaten once up to that point, Cradleys Captain Clegg without a win until then, and Nathan beaten twice by BWD previously, the race was made up by the NLs highest ever points scores the veteran and Captain David Mason. The race didnt dissapoint the many Heathens fans present; 2 races in one, Cleggy gated BWD second, Mason 3rd, and Nathan out of bend two in last place, up front there was never much in it,but captain Clegg held enough speed and rode the right lines to keep a determined Wilson Dean behind him who try as he might could not find a way past, meanwhile behind this the action continued with David Mason trying to hold off a hard trying Nathan, the wily old campaigner did his best to out smart the youngster but on lap two Nathan had just to much speed for the veteran and squeezed past Mason to hold on for a valuable 3rd place point 4-2 the Heathens 43-40 overall. Onto heat 14 2 weeks ago team manager Pottinger made what many though was the wrong call by leaving in Young Luke Harris and taking out Mike Neale for Ellis Perks, this time around he made NO mistake and took young Luke out of the firing line and it was Perks and Neale against Andrews and Wood, Perks gated followed Neale looking like a 5-1 then Perks bike momentarily cut out and evreyone went past, but Mike rode a fine line to keep the eagles at bay, another shared heat 3-3 and its 43-40 going into the last, any result was still possible.

Ht 15, Cometh the hour cometh the men Cleggster and Greaves against The flying BWD and Determined Dazza, From the gate Cleggy was like a rocket, tight in behind but Nathan came down the back straight in 2nd place and looking good, BWD burst past Darryl, and again had Nathan in his sites entering the home straight and into turn one lap 3 something had to give and it was BWD who fell, game OVER 5-1 to the Heathens and 48-41 overall meaning the Eagles failed to take the point there showing deserved.

 

All in all it was a good nights racing hard but fair worth every penny of the £11 admission, The Heathens showed they will not be giving up the Title without a fight, a good all round showing of strength in depth, the Eagles also proved they will be flying high come the end of season, as for Bradley Wilson Dean, he is a fine young prospect and bodes well for the future of New Zealand Speedway, it wont be long before someone comes along with a cheque book, enjoy him while you have him.

[Mike.Butler]

most enjoyable meeting so far this season. Eagles deserved a point.

 

I'd say crowd tonight was on a par with Brummies last week. c. 1,000..total guess..

The guy on the door was counting us all in and van Stratten twice asked him for running total. CVS seemed happy enough..

didn't hear the answer though from over the fence...

 

also, can't remember the last time heat 2 of a league meeting produced the fastest time of the night!

Edited April 23, 2015 by Mike.Butler