3:05pm Friday 7th May 2010
Horspath Hammers had to be content with a bronze medal in the European Club Championships at Bury.
Hammers led the final after dopping just one point in the first four heats, but eventually finished five points behind Polish winners Zielona Gora.
Horspath had earlier finished ahead of Zielona when winning their quarter-final of the 16-team tournament.
After their strong start, a gate exclusion to Mike Morgans and a last from Mark Carmichael in heats five and six saw the scores bunch up.
After eight races, Hammers were tied with Zielona Gora and Wednesfield on 21 points. The Poles led by two after 12.
Heat 14 saw Hammers’ Lewis Osborne bought down by Zielona’s Marcin Szymanski without being excluded.
A do-or-die effort from Steve Harris in the penultimate heat and a last heat win from Mark Boaler were not enough, with Wednesfield taking silver.
Hammers’ resident Polish rider Mateusz Szymczak raced for his Polish team Leszno who came fourth in the final.
HORSPATH SCORERS Qualfying round: Horspath 53 (S Harris 11, M Boaler 14, M Carmichael 10, L Osborne 8, M Morgans 10), Leszno 49, Birmingham 37, Norwich 19. Quarter-final: Horspath 49 (L Osborne 7, M Carmichael 7, M Boaler 15, S Harris 16, M Morgans 4), Zielona Gora 44, Birmingham 40, Ostrow 26. Semi-final: Horspath 43 (S Harris 8, M Boaler 13, M Carmichael 9, L Osborne 9, M Morgans 4) Wednesfield 40, Torun 37, Leicester 37. Final: Zielona Gora 46, Wednesfield 43, Horspath 41 (SHarris 11, M Boaler 14, M Carmichael 7, L Osborne 7, M Morgans 2) Leszno 26.
LEADERS Horspath Hammers host Norwich in the Premier League tomorrow (2).
Matty Szymczak, Chris Osborne and Shaun Rudman should be added to the European Championships squad.
HORSPATH are at Southampton on Saturday for round two of the British Junior and Youth League.
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