Hammers Edge Out Poole in Thrilling Showdown at The Village
Hammers Edge Out Poole in Thrilling Showdown at The Village
The Village Horspath was rocking on Sunday afternoon as the Horspath Hammers welcomed the Poole Comets in a fiery clash that lived up to the billing, despite both sides missing star riders – Horspath without Will Jeffery and Poole travelling light without Greg Gluchowski or Gav Wheeler.
It was the Hammers who drew first blood, with the electric pairing of Mark Boaler and rising talent Leon Penketh storming to a 7-3 opener, lighting up the home crowd. That was followed by a 6-4 to Horspath from Payne and Johnson in heat two, before the Comets hit back through a fierce Kenzie Bennett win and a gritty ride from Oliver Saunders, who held his line with his finely tuned elbow to snatch the 3rd place and a 6-4 response.
The middle heats saw both squads trading blows and points in an arm-wrestle of shared heats. But it was Boaler and Penketh again in heat 8 – lining up in the powerful 1&3 gate positions – who delivered another statement 7-3 with Boaler showing his trademark line and class around the track. At halftime, the scoreboard read 50-40 in favour of the home side, but it was far from over with pairing changes looming and the potential for a super heat still on the cards.
Poole refused to roll over. Despite Payne and Penketh eking out a 6-4 in heat 10, the Comets turned up the heat. Kenzie Bennett, riding on double points, stormed out of the tapes in a make-or-break superheat, pulling off a commanding win to haul in a 9-5 heat advantage and claw the scoreline back to 61-53.
Amidst the action, one standout for Poole made a real impression – Tom Colling, who raced with heart, precision, and real fire. Time and again he dug deep, putting in fearless rides that earned him valuable points and gave Poole real momentum. His contributions in key heats were instrumental in keeping the Comets in the hunt, making a huge difference to the overall performance of the Poole squad.
As the tension built, the racing only got tighter – clashes were close, elbows sharper, and the crowd louder. But it was the ever-reliable Payne and Penketh who sealed the deal with a final hammer blow: a clinical 7-3 in heat 16 that all but put the result beyond doubt. With the final two heats both drawn, the match closed out at Horspath Hammers 98 – 86 Poole Comets.
It was a match full of guts, grit, and great racing and one that confirmed both teams will be serious contenders as the season rolls on.
If you missed the match live, don’t forget the live stream is recorded and available for viewing at anytime on the British Cycle Speedway National League Facebook page. It’s a must watch match.
