AFTER a quiet couple of weeks without racing over the Easter period, Bury Cycle Speedway returned to the track with a bang at the weekend, taking one of their most important victories in years.

Six-times Northern League champions Stockport were the visitors to Goshen, having lost only once, home or away, since the Comets last lowered their colours way back in 2012.

The match started well for Bury after a heat-two maximum win for an in-form Kris Ramsden and confident Will Owens gave the home side the advantage.

Further heat victories in races six and nine, both involving James Elston, put the Comets 49-40 up at half time.

The reigning champions hit back early in the second half with a couple of convincing heat wins from the young but very experienced side cutting Comets’ lead to just two points by heat 13.

Stockport’s strongest two riders, Ben Higham and Jack Lush, then took the visitors into the lead with an excellent 7-3 win in heat 16.

Shared points in heat 17 forced a final-heat decider – the Comets' Ramsden and Danny Taylor lining up against former British champion Terry Norman and Chris Eaton for Stockport.

Bury needed a maximum heat win to take the match and Norman was disqualified after the first running of the heat, which was re-run with just three riders.

Taylor and Ramsden duly gated and took up first and second in the race, with Eaton trying everything to pass Ramsden, eventually earning a red card from the referee for his efforts, a decision that sealed an 89-81 victory for Bury.

Ramsden had probably his best ever match for the club, riding in a composed and untroubled manner from gate to line despite the close scores.

Chris Parish also raced well while Elston's superb last-bend pass in heat nine was a highlight of the meeting.

The rest of the Bury side all made strong contributions, producing a match in which the visitors only won three of the 18 races.

The Division Two fixture turned into more of a battle than had been expected, as Stockport's three ineligible riders (conceding 57 penalty points) carefully shepherded their young team-mates to a series of heat wins.

Frustration mounted for the Comets after a disastrous heat seven, which saw both of the home riders (and one from Stockport) excluded.

Bury's riders were more controlled in the second half as first Adam Turnbull and then Kaysar Mohammadi took well-deserved wins.

Mohammadi did another brilliant job in heat 14, covering Erik Motala’s second place for a shared heat.

Adams, Taylor and Turnbull sealed the win by working over Mat Lush in the final heat.

The Division Three race featured only Bury competitors, the flexible format providing for a match despite a lack of Stockport under-13s riders.

Harry Radford rode unbeaten once again, closely followed by Josh Neath. Newcomer Holly Quinn impressed as did Dawar Mohammadi and Thom Deakin.

Many of the all conquering Division Three squad were in action on Saturday in round one of the British Youth and Junior League regional rounds at Stockport.

The Comets took overall team victory, with a winning score of 143, beating second-placed Astley and Tyldesley by 43 points.

Individually it was also a good day for Bury with Duncan Whalley winning the u8s A Final and Harry Radford the u12s.

Zac Thacker edged team-mate Kaci Neath into second place the u10s B final. Elsewhere, Josh Neath was fourth in the u12s A final, Dawar Mohammadi, Thom Deakin and Luis Roberts were second, third and fourth, respectively, in the u12s B final, and Charlie Thacker, Holly Quinn Bury and Katie Byrom made it a one-two-three for Bury in the u12s C final.

Kaysasr Mohammadi was runner-up in the u14s A final, Louis Turner was third in the u14s B final, Asim Hussain won the u14s C final and Eyrk Motala was third in the u17s A final.

This coming Sunday sees more action at Goshen, as this season’s Northern 4s and Grand Prix Leagues begin. Tapes up is at noon and all spectators are welcome.

Results

Northern League Division One: Bury Comets 89 Stockport 81

Bury scorers: Kris Ramsden 20 (from 5 rides), Chris Parish 19 (5), Danny Taylor 14+1 (5), James Elston 11+1 (5), Neil Howarth 9+1 (5), Will Owens 8+1 (5), Adam Turnbull 5 (4), Adam Taylor 3 (2).

Division Two: Bury 108 (including 57 penalty points) Stockport 92

Bury scorers: Kaysar Mohammadi 13+1 (5), Adam Turnbull 8 (4), Adam Taylor 8 (5), Erik Motala 7 (4), Will Thacker 6 (4), Steve Mann 4 (4), Asim Hussain 3 (2), Alan Plimley 2 (2).

Division Three: Bury 114 Stockport 0

Bury scorers: Harry Radford 16 (4), Josh Neath 14 (4), Holly Quinn 12 (4), Dawar Mohammadi 11 (4), Thom Deakin 10 (4), Kaci Neath 9 (4), Luis Roberts 9 (4), Duncan Whalley 9 (4), Dane Brooks 8 (4), Charlie Thacker 8 (4), Zak Thacker 8 (4).

British Youth and Junior League Regionals round one: Bury 143, Astley & Tyldesley 100, Sheffield 97 and Stockport 42.