The Kent SLYDE Kings fell to defeat in their first fixture of the 2015 season despite a stirring comeback from the away side.
The comeback unfortunately couldn’t get the Kings closer than the 13 point deficit which saw them lose 53-40 to the Eastbourne IT First Eagles.
The Good Friday weather delivered more or less what’s sadly all too typical for a Bank Holiday weekend and more or less as predicted by the boffins ensconced in the Met Office, with afternoon and early evening rain meaning it was as well that the third tier newcomers had ensured there was a lot of dirt placed on their circuit.
A side from Kent venturing out to Sussex for local derby action hadn’t happened since the mid 1980s and there was a suitable touch of the retro when sawdust was applied pre-meeting to try and soak up excess water on the track!
True to their word and to the pleasure of a good sized crowd the Eastbourne promotion got the teams to tapes and a lively meeting ensued.It started well for the visitors with no. 1 Ben Morley racing to a speedy victory in a time far quicker than any race which followed – thus establishing an impressive mark as the National League track record. Debutant Danno Verge secured third spot and an initial two point lead was established.
Sadly that evaporated quickly and the SLYDE Kings were not destined to lead in the match again, as the homesters led by the impressive Kiwi newcomer Bradley Wilson-Dean, Marc Owen and local hero (from the clan who’ve run this track sine the 1930s!) Kelsey Dugard piled on the points.
In truth the conditions were proving tricky for a number of the Kent boys, with Jamie Couzins and especially Adam Sheppard taking a number of tumbles out in the deep dirt. Certainly it was neither the weather nor track shape and composition the lads would’ve chosen for their first sortie of the season.
For a rider used to excelling on the grasstracks of the UK and the Continent, new boy James Shanes looked less troubled by the conditions and certainly if he’d made the starts instead of having to graft in spectacular style from the back for his points his return of six points would certainly have been bettered.
Perhaps the defining moment came as early as heat 5 with Morley pitched up against his good pal but track rival this evening Owen and the undoubtedly impressive new acquisition from down under, Wilson-Dean.
It was the Kiwi leading with Owen holding off the SLYDE Kings’ captain – Ben made a dash on the inside to get past Owen and came to grief. The decision was an exclusion for Ben – costly but to be fair it was to be the only race he didn’t win all evening on an impressive first outing as the leader on track for the Sittingbourne-based outfit.
The ensuing 5-1 was one of five heat advantages (three of them maximums) for the Eagles in the opening six heats and at 25-11 it seemed they were flying away with the match.
Cue Danny Ayres and Aaron Baseby in heat 7 with Ayres given the responsibility for a first time in his career of the black and white helmet for double points on a Tactical Ride. He didn’t disappoint taking a tapes to flag victory. Meanwhile, to the delight of a large contingent of travelling Kent fans, Baseby produced a fantastic pass of his one time team-mate from Bournemouth days, Danny Warwick and it was an 8-1 to the visitors: the gap reduced to 7 points.
Sadly if hope is meant to spring eternal it certainly didn’t in unseasonably wintry conditions as the home side strengthened their position quickly after this set back, blasting out three quick fire and match deciding 5-1s; and going into the interval it was a damaging 41-22 score line the SLYDE Kings boss Chris Hunt was looking at and needing to lift the spirits of the team.
And lifted they were in the most spirited of come backs with three heat wins by Morley after the break and his team mates securing a six point overall advantage of plus six points in heats 11 through to 15 – to make the final score-line far more respectable.
The maximum hopes of Owen, Dugard and Wilson-Dean were all to be dashed (albeit unluckily for the impressive New Zealander due to a final heat retirement) and certainly it was the visitors who ended in the ascendancy: a second maximum of the night in heat 15 when Baseby followed home his skipper ahead of Owen.
Speaking after the fixture Team Boss Chris Hunt, said: “There was no question we improved as a team as the meeting went on. Ben was in great form and unlucky that an exclusion for a fall that wasn’t his fault denied him the maximum he deserved. I have to praise Aaron for a very impressive performance too – he looked very good today and paid 10 in difficult circumstances is a good return.
“Danny had some good rides and some misfortune too whilst James was his normal spectacular self showing how to pass – he just needs to make the starts more, for if he’d got out the gate there’s no doubt he’d be scoring heavily. For the less experienced riders in the team such a tricky track in wet and slippy conditions was understandably a challenge”.
The two teams reconvene in the ‘return’ National Trophy fixture at Central Park on Easter Monday – gates open at 1.30pm with tapes up at 3pm.
Eastbourne 53
1. Dan Greenwood (Guest) 2 , 3 , 3 , 2 = 10
2. Richard Andrews 0 , 1 , 2′ , 2′ = 5+2
3. Marc Owen 2′ , 3 , 3 , 3 , 1 = 12+1
4. Bradley Wilson-Dean 3 , 2′ , 2′ , 3 , EF = 10+2
5. Danny Warwick 1 , 0 , 2 , 0 = 3
6. Georgie Wood 2′ , 1 , 0 , 1 = 4+1
7. Kelsey Dugard 3 , 3 , 3 , R = 9
Kent SLYDE Kings 40
1. Ben Morley 3 , F/X , 3 , 3 , 3 = 12
2. Danno Verge 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 = 4
3. Aaron Baseby 1 , 2′ , 1 , 2 , 2′ = 8+2
4. Danny Ayres 0 , 6^ , 0 , 2 = 8
5. James Shanes 2 , 2 , 1 , 1 = 6
6. Jamie Couzins 0 , R , 0 , 1′ = 1+1
7. Adam Sheppard 1 , R , R , R = 1
1) Morley, Greenwood, Verge, Andrews f.rem. Time: 61.6 (2-4) 2-4
2) Dugard, Wood, Sheppard f.rem., Couzins f.rem. Time: 63.4 (5-1) 7-5
3) Wilson-Dean, Owen, Baseby, Ayres f.rem. Time: 63.5 (5-1) 12-6
4) Dugard, Shanes, Warwick, Sheppard f.rem. twice ret. Time: 64.2 (4-2) 16-8
5) (rerun) Owen, Wilson-Dean, Verge Morley fell exc. Time: 63.2 (5-1) 21-9
6) Greenwood, Shanes, Andrews, Couzins ret. Time: 64.0 (4-2) 25-11
7) Ayres [T/R], Baseby, Wood, Warwick Time: 64.1 (1-8) 26-19
8) Dugard, Andrews, Verge, Sheppard f.rem. ret. Time: 63.6 (5-1) 31-20
9) Owen, Wilson-Dean, Shanes, Couzins Time: 63.2 (5-1) 36-21
10) Greenwood, Andrews, Baseby, Ayres Time: 63.1 (5-1) 41-22
11) Morley, Warwick, Verge, Wood Time: 63.6 (2-4) 43-26
12) Owen, Baseby, Couzins, Dugard f.rem. ret. Time: 63.3 (3-3) 46-29
13) Morley, Greenwood, Shanes, Warwick Time: 63.0 (2-4) 48-33
14) (rerun) Wilson-Dean, Ayres, Wood, Sheppard f.rem. ret. Time: 63.0 (4-2) 52-35
15) Morley, Baseby, Owen, Wilson-Dean EF Time: 63.2 (1-5) 53-40
Images courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie