Conference League - 16th August 2008

Referee: Barbara Horley

Heat Results
1.  Herne, Wright, Beaton, James, 53.1 5-1
2. Newman, Greenwood, Johnson, Reade (F.Exc), 54.1 4-2 (9-3)
3. (re-run) Mason, Beaton, Priest, Mudgeway, 54.9 4-2 (13-5)
4. Herne, Compton, Newman, Greenwood, 53.4 4-2 (17-7)
5. James^, Beaton, Priest, Mason (ret), 54.6 8-1 (18-15)
6. Wright, Compton, Newman, Greenwood, 54.0 4-2 (22-17)
7. Herne, Mudgeway, James, Johnson, 54.6 3-3 (25-20)
8. Wright, Newman, Beaton, Greenwood, 54.3 5-1 (30-21)
9. Priest, Compton, Mason, Greenwood, 54.6 4-2 (34-23)
10. Wright, Priest, Mudgeway, Compton, 55.2 5-1 (39-24)
11. Herne, James, Beaton, Johnson, 55.4 3-3 (42-27)
12. Newman, Mudgeway, Priest, Greenwood, 55.3 4-2 (46-29)
13. Herne, Compton, James, Wright, 54.4 3-3 (49-32)
14. Mason, Mudgeway, Johnson, Greenwood, 54.7 4-2 (53-34)
15. Mason, James, Beaton, Johnson, 55.1 3-3 (56-37)

The Wildcats showed no mercy to the Cubs on their second visit to the Wessex stadium in eight days after last weeks scheduled first staging of this meeting was washed out by heavy rain they. The hosts piled in the points beating the Cubs 56-37.

Jay Herne started his night with a rider replacement ride for the absent Andrew Bargh and romped home in first place well ahead of the rest a feat he was to repeat in each of his remaining four rides to score his first full five ride maximum of the season. Making his debut for the Wildcats tonight Matt Wright also looked to be on his way to a paid maximum after four rides dropping only one point to team mate Herne in his first ride but a last place in heat thirteen put paid to that although by then the meeting was won and the pressure was off.

Luke priest started slowly, struggling to get out of the gate and recording just two thirds but after radical changes to his bike setup he returned to blast out of gate four and take a tapes to flag victory in heat nine and taking the rider replacement ride in heat ten with team mate Wright recorded another maximum for the hosts. Wildcats skipper Karl Mason put in a good solid performance for the Cats winning three of his five races with only Benji Compton getting the better of him in heat nine and a unlucky retirement in heat five costing the Newport based rider valuable points.

Kyle Newman was in awesome form again for the Cats winning his first ride easily before being pegged back into third place for his next two rides both behind Premier League rider Benji Compton who he tracked closely for four laps but couldn’t find a way past. It was in his last two rides though that he really came to life after pushing Gary Beaton for three laps he blasted past on the last lap to join team mate Wright for a 5-1 maximum but then in his last ride in heat twelve with Jade Mudgway out front and Luke Priest pushing him hard on the inside Newman blasted past the pair of them in an awesome overtaking manoeuvre down the back straight to take the lead and the heat victory. Brendon Johnson had a night he will probably want to forget for the Cats as he appeared to struggle and managed to record just two points.

Already operating rider replacement for the missing Arron Summers after just two heats the Cubs were down to just five men after Ben Reade suffered a nasty looking crash running wide on the last bend of the last lap and getting hooked up on the fence. Remaining reserve Dan Greenwood had his full complement of seven rides but only managed to a record second in his first outing. The Cubs only actually managed to record one heat advantage against the Cats although it was a big one with the pairing of Scott James and Gary Beaton notching up an 8-1 maximum after James donned the black and white colours in heat five. It wasn’t enough though and even with the valiant efforts of Mudgway and Compton to back up James and Beaton they could not kerb the dominant Wildcats.