Leaders Leicester too strong for Tigers!
The undefeated Leicester Lion Cubs proved too strong for the Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers as they ran out 54-36 winners at the ECCO Arena. Jake Mulford hit a dazzling paid 14 for Middlesbrough whilst William Cairns scored paid 16 for the visitors.
The WSRA National League leaders started in superb fashion with a maximum as the impressive Sonny Springer won, and with Joe Thompson holding off Ben Trigger’s advances, the Tigers were immediately on the back foot. The reserves race saw Cairns gate for an extremely comfortable win, but with Arran Butcher unable to pass Will Hocaniuk for 2nd, Leicester had to settle for a 4-2 heat advantage.
Heat 3 saw another away 5-1 as the fast starting Springer took his second chequered flag, and with Tom Spencer opening his account with a paid win, Leicester had opened up a 10 point advantage in the blink of an eye. Jake Mulford recorded the Tigers first heat winner with a comfortable heat 4 win, but with Hocaniuk at the rear, Middlesbrough remained 10 behind.
Leicester’s dominance continued in heat 5 as Thompson and Springer once again combined for a 5-1 to give the visitors a 14 point advantage in their quest for a 3rd tier league title. Heat 6 saw Cairns defeat Trigger, and with Luke Crang in an unopposed 3rd after Kai Ward fell, Leicester were well on their way to an away win.
After a shared heat 7 won by the fast starting Mulford, Leicester’s grip on the meeting was strengthened even further as Springer won another heat, and with Hocaniuk dropping to the back behind Butcher after a fast start, Middlesbrough were staring down the barrel of a big home defeat after another Lion Cubs 4-2.
Heat 9 saw another Cairns win with a shared race looking likely, but with Jamie Halder shedding a chain and falling, Luke Crang came through for 3rd to give Leicester their 7th heat advantage. The tenth race of the contest saw Cairns record yet another win, and with Spencer in 3rd ahead of Ward, Leicester increased their lead to 22 points on Teesside.
After Mulford continued his undefeated run in a shared heat 11, Danny Phillips gave the home crowd plenty to cheer as he (for the 2nd meeting in a row) defeated Williams Cairns despite the young British sensation giving everything for 3 laps until the Leicester guest hit trouble on the final lap and had to settle for 3rd place.
Heat 13 saw a brilliant race as Thompson gated, only for both Trigger and Mulford to pass the Leicester number 1 to secure Middlesbrough’s first heat advantage, much to the delight of another big home crowd. Heat 14 saw another fantastic race as Cairns gated, with Ben Rathbone close behind. Rathbone remained close throughout the race and pounced on a Cairns mistake on the backstraight of the final lap to take the win, but with Halder at the back, Middlesbrough could not secure another heat advantage.
The final race of an exciting evening’s racing saw Thompson gate for the win, despite Trigger and Mulford battling with all they knew to pass the Leicester skipper, but with the Middlesbrough pairing having to settle for the minor placings, the visitors could not secure another heat advantage in the final race.
Middlesbrough Tigers = 36 (71)
1. Ben Trigger = 9+1
2. Kai Ward = 2
3. Danny Phillips = 6
4. Jamie Halder = 1
5. Jake Mulford = 13+1
6. Ben Rathbone = 3
7. William Hocaniuk = 2
Leicester Lion Cubs = 54 (109)
1. Joe Thompson = 11+1
2. Sonny Springer = 12+2
3. Tom Spencer = 7+1
4. Vinnie Foord R/R
5. Luke Crang = 5+1
6. William Cairns (G) = 15+1
7. Arran Butcher = 4+2
