HORSPATH Hammers riders celebrated on the track after their thrilling 90-89 victory away to Exeter Aces in the British League South West & Wales clash.

The victory keeps them in contention for a place in the end-of-season play-offs.

At the halfway stage, Horspath held a slender two-point lead, following early race wins from pairings Will Jeffery and Jake Neighbour, plus Lukasz Nowacki and Dave Liebermann.

Exeter clawed their way back strongly in the second half and looked odds on to take the honours when leading by six points with only two races left.

The meeting was turned on its head when Exeter’s leading rider was excluded for excessive slowing down of the race, while trying to keep a pressing Jack Ellis behind him.

The Hammers had a second bite of the cherry and did not disappoint, with Nowacki and Ellis getting a maximum heat advantage and setting up the last heat decider.

Former British champion Zac Payne duly won the race and with Neighbour finishing in third to secure a memorable victory.

Horspath scorers: L Nowacki 17+2, J Neighbour 15, Z Payne 15, W Jeffery 12, J Ellis 12, D Liebermann 9, A Johnson 8, A Neighbour 2.

l WILL Jeffery starred with a second-place finish in the second round of the National Junior Championships at Wolverhampton.

Jeffery and his fellow 15-year-old Horspath clubmate Ross Loveridge took on older riders in the under 18 category.

In a field of 28 riders, the initial aim was to get in to the top 16 to make the major finals on the day.

Loveridge did not make the cut, but Jeffery sailed through his heats and had dropped one point on his way to qualifying for the A final.

After a tense battle, Jeffery earned his place on the podium with a final-lap pass.