At the third time of asking Kent Eagles finally managed to complete their National Development Trophy campaign for season 2025 at Leicester’s Hydroscand Arena on Thursday evening.
The less positive news was that the Iwade outfit failed to finish within 6-points of their hosts which would have meant them wresting the sections runner up spot.
In the event the local Fox Cubs returned a 50-34 victory which secured for them the two league and the aggregate bonus point that saw them leap from fifth into second place in the table themselves courtesy of an overall 91-81 margin over the two meetings.
Not so much a match of two halves, more one of three thirds in which fortunes ebbed and flowed but the truth of the matter, had it not been for bad luck, the Eagles would arguably have had no luck whatsoever.
On the plus side, guest Connor Coles, replacing the injured Nathan Ablitt, proved the star of the show, romping to a commanding 12-point maximum that included a brace of wins over Leicester’s leading duo, Freddy Hodder and William Cairns
However, prior to the meeting, the Kent outfit, already devoid of the talents of Luke Harris due to work commitments also lost Jacob Clouting who was taken ill trackside in the run up to the contest, the visitors having to utilise the Rider Replacement facility in his place.
The opening four heats witnessed a catalogue of misfortune, an ailing clutch seeing number one Vinnie Foord ruled out of heat one having exceeded the two-minute time allowance and in race four skipper Ben Morley suffered similar gremlins which saw him run a last.
Indeed, Coles first of four wins in the third proved the only bright spot, the other three races going the way of the home side by a 5-1 margin, a sequence that saw them swiftly rattle up a 19-5 lead, one that wiped away the Eagles 6-point (47-41) advantage from the first match up between the teams.
Fortunes fared better for the visitors in the next half dozen races, the Kent side provided the first man to the chequered flag in no fewer than five of these, eroding the home advantage from 14-points back to just six, and restoring parity over the two legs to 74-points apiece.
The first of these, heat five saw Foord and Charlie Wood combine for maximum points and then Morley was back bang on form, posting a sixth race victory over Cairns and Fox Cubs guest (indeed one of five) Ryan Ingram.
Coles continued his winning ways in the seventh leading home Hodder with guest Dylan Huthwaite securing third place for the 4-2 and although Ingram was an all the way winner of heat eight, the Eagles hardworking reserve duo of Wood and Nathan Hargrave tucked in behind him for a share of the spoils as the scores moved to 27-21.
With Morley and Coles wrapping up heats nine and ten respectively, 33-27 proving the difference on the night at that stage with the aggregate scores still deadlocked it appeared that the visitors still might bank the necessary points to seal the section runners up spot.
It was not to be however, Hodder saw off the challenge of Foord in heat twelve, a 4-2 going the way of the hosts with Wood a faller thus handing Harry Fletcher third place.
Although Coles made in four wins out of four in the twelfth, a calamitous heat thirteen saw Foord suffer a fall, and subsequent exclusion with Morley again being plagued with machine problems this enabled Hodder and Cairns in bagging the 5-1 that saw clear daylight between the sides, the scores now 45-33 with six-points (86-80) the difference over the two legs.
Only maximum points in each of the final two races would now be enough if they were to overhaul their hosts so far as the aggregate standings were concerned and although Hargrave and Wood appeared set to prolong the Eagles challenge in the early part, Leicester’s own impressive reserve duo of Seth Norman and Fletcher swiftly carved a path past their opposite numbers, the Fox Cubs fifth 5-1 of proceedings settled the scores at 50-34 and putting their side out of reach so far as the section second place was concerned.
In the event, that is as far as the action would go, the venues 10.30 curfew had been reached so the final nominated heat was unable to be contested.
At the end of an unfortunate night for his side, Eagles Team Manager David Graveling commented, ‘You have to play the cards that you are dealt and tonight, for a variety of reasons, they didn’t fall too kindly for us. Congratulations to Leicester, who had difficulties of their own, for grabbing the runners up spot, however.
‘Though there is an element of disappointment that we didn’t quite finish the job, we remain proud of what we have achieved this season and we thank all the riders who have sported our colours and played a part in a memorable first campaign for us’.
Fox Cubs : Freddy Hodder 10+1(4), Harry Fletcher (Guest for Max Broadhurst) 10+1(6), William Cairns 10(4), Seth Norman (Guest for Jordy Loftus) 9+2(6), Ryan Ingram (Guest for Stene Pijper) 7+3(4), Bailey Fellows (Guest for Ace Pijper) 4+3(4), Ryan Ashcroft (Guest for Mason Watson 0(1). – 50
Eagles: Connor Coles (Guest for Nathan Ablitt 12(4), Charlie Wood 7+1(6), Ben Morley 7(4), Vinnie Foord 5(4), Nathan Hargrave 2+1(7), Dylan Huthwaite (Guest for Luke Harris) 1(4), Rider Replacement for Jacob Clouting. – 34
In the opening meeting of Thursday night’s double header, Leicester Lion Cubs slipped to a 45-44 defeat at the hands of the Belle Vue Colts, this seeing them finish in third place in the National Development League table behind winners, the Oxford Chargers and the Edinburgh Academy.