Coventry Cycle Speedway Beat Leicester

Last updated : 23 July 2015 By Joe McLoughlin

Coventry Cycle Speedway team raced to a highly entertaining 92-87 home Midland League victory over arch rivals Leicester at sun soaked Hearsall Common last Sunday in a classic local derby encounter. 

The two teams served-up the best match of the season in front of a sizable crowd. Coventry paraded a youthful side, whilst Leicester sprung a late shock by including three times world champion, and former Coventry star, Dave Hemsley in their line-up. 

Coventry`s emphasis on promoting youth was made abundantly clear in the opening two heats, when dashing teenagers Mason Phillips and Dan Drewett scotched to victory as they raced into an early 8 point lead.  

In heat 4, Coventry once again took maximum points with Australian ace Bobby McMillan superbly team riding by bringing Tom Sensicall home as Coventry made all the early running. 

The visitors then took heat 6 and they continued to steady the ship by drawing the final three heats of the first half, as Coventry took a 49-41 interval advantage amid some spectacular racing and bone-jarring crashes. 

Leicester registered their own 7-3 maximum heat success in heat 11, as the visitors closed to within four points of the Hearsall Common men. When both Great Britain star Myke Grimes and Sensicall both took heavy falls, Coventry`s early dominance was under severe threat. 

However, the potent McMillan/Phillips pairing won heat 12 and with big guns McMillan and Grimes taking four wins late in the match, Coventry closed out the remaining heats in a succession of drawn races to take the Midland League points.

McMillan warmed-up for the third and final Great Britain V Australia Test match at Hearsall Common on Thursday 6th August by recording `bonus` maximum return by being unbeaten by a Leicester rival.  

Coventry point scorers: Bobby McMillan 17, Mason Phillips 15, Myke Grimes 15, Dave Frith 12, Dan Drewett 11, Tom Sensicall 11, Matt Hambidge 6 and Steve Ingram 4. 

Coventry were also successful in the Midland League division 2 fixture between the sides, scoring a 60-50 success over their Leicester counter-parts.