Tigers defeated on debut
The Middlesbrough ‘Heat Floors’ Tigers were defeated 55-35 by a strong Leicester Lion Cubs on the side’s WSRA National League debut. Joe Thompson top scored for the Cubs with 12 whilst Jake Mulford hit an impressive 13 for the Tigers. Middlesbrough acquitted themselves well on a track with a strong home advantage and the promotion will be pleased with several of the side’s performances.
The Tigers took the first chequered flag of the meeting as Jake Mulford started his Tigers career in faultless fashion with a heat win, but with Ben Rathbone at the back, no heat advantage was forthcoming for the visitors.
Heat 2 saw the Tigers guest, Jamie Etherington excluded after falling, with the re-run won by Leicester reserve Sonny Springer. However, Tigers reserve Will Hocaniuk did take the notable scalp of Luke Crang to ensure the hosts did not record a maximum heat advantage. Heat 3 saw another 4-2 for the hosts. Jamie Halder gated for the Tigers until Arran Butcher passed the Tigers number 4 for the win, and with Danny Phillips at the back, the Lion Cubs recorded their second heat advantage of the afternoon.
Trigger took his maiden win in Middlesbrough colours with an impressive heat 4 win in a shared race whilst the ever improving Jake Mulford took his tally to 6 points from 2 outings with a tapes to flag success in another shared race.
Heat 6 saw Trigger take the lead over the Cubs skipper Joe Thompson and Vinnie Foord but with Hocaniuk falling in the early stages, there was a re-run in Leicestershire. The re-run was a different story however as Thompson and Foord edged out Trigger in the early stages to record the hosts first maximum heat advantage.
Heat 7 was an eventful encounter with movement at the tapes from Phillips causing the first stoppage whilst the all action Phillips and Max James hit the deck on the first bend on take two to force a third restaging! However, it was not 3rd time lucky as Phillips was deemed to be moving at the start meaning the Tigers skipper would go off 15m in the 4th attempt at running heat 7! The 4th and final staging saw the fast starting Halder gate but the Tigers youngster was passed by both Crang and James to give Leicester clear breathing space for the first time.
Heat 8 saw the Lion Cubs extend their lead to 16 with a 5-1 as Springer yet again won and with Foord in second, the hosts had a firm grip on proceedings. After a pair of shared heats won by Thompson and Mulford respectively, more drama ensued in an eventful heat 12. The first staging saw Phillips tangle with Springer with the Lions reserve excluded from the re-run. Phillips then missed the 2 minutes with the skipper again going off 15m. The final staging saw Tom Spencer take the heat win in a shared heat in Leicestershire.
The seemingly unstoppable Mulford took another superb win over Joe Thompson but the Lions struck their 4th maximum heat advantage in heat 14 courtesy of Crang and Butcher. The final race of the afternoon saw Trigger demonstrate his class with a heat 15 success but Jake Mulford could not complete a stunning maximum with the Tigers number 1 losing out to Joe Thompson for the first time.
Overall, the clash was one the Tigers riders would have learnt a lot from with attentions now turning to Thursday when the side travel to Sheffield.
Leicester Lion Cubs = 55
1. Joe Thompson = 12
2. Vinnie Foord = 4+2
3. Tom Spencer = 9
4. Arran Butcher = 7+2
5. Max James = 5+4
6. Luke Crang = 10+1
7. Sonny Springer = 8
Middlesbrough Tigers = 35
1. Jake Mulford = 13
2. Ben Rathbone = 1
3. Danny Phillips = 4
4. Jamie Halder = 5+1
5. Ben Trigger = 9
6. William Hocaniuk = 3+1
7. Jamie Etherington (G) = 0