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TOO TIGHT TO CALL
Saturday September 07, 2013
Despite providing the winner in just five of the fifteen races, the Silver Ski Rockets’ more balanced scoring evened out Workington's big hitters in a closely contested 45-45 draw at Rye House on Saturday night.
A seesaw encounter saw the Rockets bounce back from a visiting 5-1 in the opening heat to level the level the score four laps later, as Kasper Lykke surged around both Chris Mills and Ashley Morris to join Ben Morley at the front in Heat 2.
It was Morley’s turn to be the focus of attention in Heat 8 as he held Rusty Harrison off by the narrowest of margins to partner Pontus Aspgren to another 5-1 that once again bring Rye level, this time at 24-24.
The home side then took the lead in Heat 10, when early race leader Tero Aarnio drifted to the back with mechanical problems to hand Aspgren and Olly Allen a further maximum. The advantage widened to 39-33 when Jason Bunyan and Morley finished either side of Ashley Morris two heats later, only for Workington hot shots Lawson and Rene Bach to blast a 5-1 in the next race, and then Aarnio and Ashley Morris to level the score with a 4-2 over Tyson Nelson and Morley. That last result came after the race was originally called back for an unsatisfactory start for early movement by Aarnio, with both Rockets hitting the deck in a second bend collision after the red lights had come on.
The 42-42 score-line set up a last race decider – Aspgren and Anders Mellgren versus the unbeaten Lawson and Bach - which required two attempts for completion. The first brought a warning for Bach, again for early movement, while the second saw the Dane quickly hit the Dane quickly hitting the front but followed home by the Rockets’ duo, who closed down Lawson to ensure a share of the spoils.
The result leaves the Comets on the brink of qualification for the Championship Play-Offs, and was thoroughly deserved, with Lawson and Bach each dropping points in just a single race and lesser lights Aarnio and Morris providing vital back-up.
The Rockets also deserved something from the match in what was their third home draw in the Premier League this season. Mellgren – who will finish the season as the team’s top scorer – was once again into double figures, while Aspgren showed few side- effects from his heavy fall of a week earlier.
Perhaps their biggest hero, though, was a rider who started the day not even scheduled to be at the match! Rye House asset Ben Morley was originally due at Stoke with his National League team Kent, only for that fixture to suffer an early rain-off and free him up as guest cover for Jason Garrity. As he explained afterwards, “I got the phone call at 12 o’clock, telling me that Stoke was off and to get my backside to Rye!
“Tonight went really well, just like my last meeting here (which netted paid 13 across a double header). I was disappointed about my last race, where I hit a rut that stopped me dead, but I can’t complain about the rest of the night.â€
Regarding his being collected by team mate Tyson Nelson in the first attempt at that Heat 14, Morley’s analysis of the moment comes with a smile. “Tyson just rode into me. He picked up a bit of drive and I was in the way!â€
As for his dash to the line with Rusty Harrison in Heat 8, “I kept going wider and wider every lap because I knew that Pontus (Aspgren) was inside me. Fortunately I came back to the inside on the last bend. I looked across and I could see Rusty’s front wheel, but I knew I’d got it!â€
The Essex teenager will be a part of both the British U-19 and the National League Riders’ Championships that take place at Coventry (September 20th) and Rye House (21st) on successive nights. He has finished on the rostrum in the former – claiming third place in 2011 – and sixth in the latter (2010), but although quietly confident refuses to be drawn on any predictions this time around. “I’ve got one after the other, but it should be alright. I’ll prepare myself as I normally do and aim to make good starts, and just go from there.â€
Rye House scorers:
Olly Allen 4+1 (4 rides)
Pontus Aspgren 9+2 (5)
Jason Bunyan 4+1 (4)
Tyson Nelson 8 (4)
Anders Mellgren 10 (5)
Kasper Lykke 3+2 (3)
Ben Morley 7+2 (5)
Workington scorers:
Richard Lawson 11+1 (5 rides)
Rusty Harrison 5 (4)
Kyle Howarth 2 (4)
Tero Aarnio 8 (4)
Rene Bach 11+1 (5)
Ashley Morris 8+1 (6)
Chris Mills 0 (3)
Match Points: Rye House 1 Workington 2
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