MATCH OF TWO HALVES
Thursday June 26, 2014
The Silver Ski Rockets let a mid-point 24-18 lead slip as they fell to a 52-38 defeat at arch-rivals Ipswich.



The Rockets started brightly with a 5-1 from Edward Kennett and Luke Bowen in the opening race after Richie Worrall had been excluded for a fourth bend fall, and further misery for the home No.1 – this time a 15 metre penalty for a tapes infringement - helped set Steve Boxall and Jason Bunyan up for another maximum result in Heat 6, to lift Rye’s advantage to 21-15.

Former Witch Mathieu Tresarrieu won the next race to maintain the Rockets’ cushion, and at that point the Hertfordshire side had provided the first man home in five of the first seven races. Their next race success, however, was not to come until Jason Garrity took the chequered flag in Heat 14, as the Suffolk side upped their gating game to slam in five 5-1s and a 4-2 from the remaining eight races.

It left Rye House team manager John Sampford to reflect on a match that clearly got away in its second half - and he considered the changing track conditions to be a key factor. “We were in the ascendancy when the circuit was damp and grippy, and they didn’t seem to be able to handle it as well as us. Once it had dried out a little and slickened off, their trapping became much better than ours – and on a slicker surface that became critical.

“Jason Garrity and Mathieu Tresarrieu also had falls at various points when well placed. I’m not saying that would have changed the result, but it didn’t help.”

The Rockets will look to get back to winning ways when they entertain the Richard Lawson-led Redcar Bears at Hoddesdon on Saturday (7pm start). The meeting also includes a 6 race Midland Development League fixture between the Rye House Raiders and King’s Lynn.

Rye House scorers:

Steve Boxall 9 (5 rides), Edward Kennett 8 (5), Mathieu Tresarrieu 6+1 (4), Jason Bunyan 6+1 (5), Jason Garrity 5 (4), Luke Bowen 4+2 (4), Marc Owen (guest) 0 (3)

Ipswich scorers:

Rohan Tungate 13 (5 rides), Ritchie Hawkins 8+3 (5), Gino Manzares 8+2 (4), Morten Risager 8 (4), Richie Worrall 7+2 (5), Cameron Heeps 6 (4), Adam Ellis 2+1 (3)

Match Points: Ipswich 3 Rye House 0