Heathens Beat The Warriors In Style
- John Latham
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Isle of Wight Wightlink Warriors 33 – Cradley Heathens 57 - Vince Mapley trophy 1st leg
On Tuesday evening, the Wightlink Warriors braved the rain but ultimately fell short against a fierce Cradley Heath team. The first leg of the Vince Mapley Trophy attracted a large crowd at Smallbrook, who witnessed an intense showdown.
All pictures supplied by Sportography.
The home team faced a tough challenge, missing their captain Arran Butcher (broken arm) and high-scoring Ben Morley, who was stranded on the mainland due to work commitments. However, Cradley also had its own struggles without Connor Coles and Tom Spencer.
Heat one set the stage for an unexpected outcome as Darryl Ritchings clinched victory, marking his first of six unbeaten races. The heat ended in a balanced split of 3 points each. However, heat two showcased former Warrior Danno Verge's prowess on the Smallbrook track as he dominated, while Heathens' Charlie Wood, returning from an arm injury, impressively surged past Henning Loof and Charlie Southwick to propel the visitors ahead 4-8.
The advantage grew when 15-year-old Ryan Ingram clinched victory in the third race, with Nathan Hargrave returning from injury to take third place. In the fourth, Ritchings was flawless again, sharing the heat with Parker. Wood seized another opportunity against Loof. Verge and Wood then widened the gap for their team, leaving it at 10-20 after another decisive 1-5.
The Warriors launched a determined comeback, with Ritchings and Freeman clinching a close 4-2 victory against Ingram. Following up, Ritchings teamed with Loof to secure an impressive 5-1 win over the previously unbeaten Verge (who started off with a challenging 15-metre handicap) and Parker. This series of victories narrowed the score gap to 19-23.
Wood and Verge secured a 2-4 lead, followed by Ingram and Hargrave, then Ingram again with Parker, who powered in two quick 1-5’s, seizing control at 23-37. Ritchings halted the momentum with a win in the tenth, but Wood and Verge claimed minor spots once more, splitting the heat again.
Ingram was set to start from a 15-meter handicap in the 12th, but Hoof's movement sent him back as well. When the race kicked off, Hargrave took an early lead, followed by Morgan Williams and Loof. Ingram swiftly overtook both competitors for a decisive victory. Unfortunately for Loof, his race ended dramatically after he crashed during the final lap due to a chain break.
Parker effortlessly clinched the thirteenth race, while Hargrave managed to secure third after a fall and remount, despite starting with a 15-meter handicap for missing the 2-minute rule. In the penultimate heat, Parker and Verge added insult to injury for the home team with another dominant 1-5 finish. Ritchings capped off an impressive night by winning the final race, achieving a perfect six ride maximum.
Results:
Warriors; Ritchings 18, Freeman 5, Loof 4+1, Southwick 4, Williams 2.
Heathens; Parker 13+1, Wood 12+3, Verge 10+1, Ingram 13+3, Hargrave 9+1
Barry Bishop the Island promoter despite the result was gracious in defeat stating. "Despite the weather at the start of the meeting all of the riders put on a great show for the fans - I was particularly proud of the youngsters before the meeting who went out in rain - what an induction.Â
"The Heathens were just too strong for the Warriors on the night and deserved their win. We did have some bright moments with Darryl unbeaten, Southwick finding some form towards the end of the meeting and young Freemans getting amongst it. Hopefully when Ben and Arran return for the second leg the result will be a different story."
The action returns next week for the Steve Piper Memorial, with three teams in action, Warriors, Heathens and the addition of the Weymouth Wildcats. We will be at the track, but not commentating, we will be there updating via social media and bringing some great interviews too. You will be able to hear the results on Grace's Jukebox Oldies show.
We would like to wish all the injured riders who were unable to take part in this meeting, a speedy recovery and would also like to send our thoughts to Henning Loof, who although unhurt, was involved in a crash in his van after the meeting.