COLTS SECURE ALL THREE POINTS

BELLE Vue Colts took a comfortable 51-39 victory over Middlesbrough to claim all three points on offer at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester on Monday night.

The Colts opened up the meeting with a couple of 5-1's with Jack Shimelt and former Stoke and Buxton rider Kieran Douglas in heat two and then Matt Marson and Mason Watson in heat three and also a couple of 4-2 heat advantages to lead 18-6 after the opening four heats.

Middlesbrough gained their first race winner and heat advantage of the night in heat five with a 4-2 from Ben Trigger and Ben Rathbone with Trigger getting past Marson and Rathbone passing Watson for third place to leave the Colts leading 20-10.

British Under-21 Champion Sam Hagon and Chad Wirtzfeld restored the Colts 12-point advantage with a 4-2 over Jake Mulford and with a drawn race in heat seven the Colts lead 27-15 at the halfway stage of the meeting.

The Colts continued to pile on the pressure with Wirtzfeld taking his first win of the evening having fended off Kai Ward for the four laps with his partner Shimelt taking third for a 4-2 heat race win. A couple of drawn heats saw tdhe Colts maintain their fourteen point advantage as they continue to lead 40-26 with four heats remaining.

Hagon, took victory in heat thirteen to secure victory on the night for the Colts as they gain their first points of the campaign.

With the aggregate bonus point still available Middlesbrough gained a 5-1 from Jamie Halder and Kai Ward to leave the Colts just short of taking the all important extra point leaving the Colts leading on the night 47-37.

Sam Hagon and Freddy Hodder gained a 4-2 in the final heat to secure the aggregate bonus point with Hagon completing a faultless 15-point maximum.

BELLE VUE 51: Sam Hagon 15, Freddy Hodder 10, Matt Marson 10, Chad Wirtzfeld 5, Jack Shimelt 5, Mason Watson 4+2, Kieran Douglas 2+1

MIDDLESBROUGH 39: Ben Trigger 9, Jake Mulford 8+1, Kai Ward 7+2, Danny Phillips 7, Jamie Halder 5+2, William Hocaniuk 2+1, Ben Rathbone 1

Photo credit: Ian Charles