07/06/2026
COMETS CONQUER HECKMONDWIKE IN ONE-POINT THRILLER! ☄️🏆
The Comets travelled across the Pennines today for Round 3 of the North & Scotland League, navigating a loose Heckmondwike track to secure a spectacular Group A victory by the narrowest of margins.
The loose shale caught plenty of riders out with costly slips, but the team dug incredibly deep to beat closest rivals Astley & Tyldesley by just a single point!
In Heat 1, a returning Danny Taylor made a sublime pass on Emily Burgess, allowing Eryk Motala to follow him through and lock in a vital 5-5 opening draw against A&T. Heat 5 proved trickier, with Danny and Eryk both struggling off the gate and with slides on the loose surface while trying to find a way past a strong Jake Ferguson.
The match truly tilted in our favour thanks to a powerhouse combination: the dominant pairing of Mike Baldock and power reserve Reece Pollitt read the conditions perfectly, blasting their way to three big 7-3 heat wins across the afternoon.
Heat 14 was interesting with a dispute which saw Fife's Kyle Holland initially excluded for obstruction. In the subsequent re-runs, Edinburgh's Jack Brownell was also excluded for excess force, a heavy clash that left Scotland international Harry Langdale on the centre green!
A 5-5 in Heat 18 looked to be costly for Bury, but the Comets refused to panic. Needing big advantages at the death, Bury hammered home two consecutive 7-3 scorings in our remaining heats, snatching a sensational 68-67 victory over A&T right at the flag!
Group A Results
Bury — 68
Astley & Tyldesley — 67
Fife — 61
Edinburgh — 41
Referee: Darren Kent
Comets Scores
Mike Baldock: 22 (6 rides)
Reece Pollitt: 19 (6 rides)
Danny Taylor: 16 (6 rides)
Eryk Motala: 8 (4 rides)
Mark Radford: 3 (2 rides)
Owen Simcock: Did not ride
With Edinburgh dropping down after finishing fourth in Group A, Hull will be promoted to the top tier for the next round after winning an incredibly tight Group B battle today with 76 points, just edging out Sheffield A.
Group B Results
Hull — 76
Sheffield A — 74
Heckmondwike — 47
Sheffield B —42
Referee: Ed Morton
The day ended with the traditional Match Race Trophy shootout between Reece Pollitt and Frank White. Unfortunately, a movement on the gate for Reece meant he essentially forfeited the race to Frank before the tapes went up.
This victory extends our lead at the very top of the league, giving us a fantastic cushion heading deeper into the campaign before the next round up at Glasgow.
