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This was a Conference League match postponed on a number of occasions because of the summer’s rainy weather but it was significant to both sides in their attempts to secure fourth place in the table. Boston went into the match without either of their recognised heat leaders and by the careful use of their tactical options they managed to mount a successful damage limitation exercise to ensure that they took the aggregate bonus point and claim fourth place in the league. The Rye House Raiders plundered most of the early races with a sequence of race wins on the slick surface but as Boston became used to the conditions they managed to regain some ground to achieve their main objective. The match hinged on the tactical ride by McKinna in heat 11 and the tactical substitute ride by Wright in the next race both securing second place with battling displays for a total of eight points between them in the two races. It was a backs-to-the-wall performance and the team can be proud of their efforts.

Rye House: Bowen 8, Mear 16, Halsey13, Karlis 18, Newman 6, Filmer 0.

Boston: McKinna 8, Lambert 5, Wright 10, Mallett 3, McDade 4, Lowe 3, Morris 0.

Friday October 12

Boston 36 Scunthorpe 56

(Scunthorpe win 119-66 on aggregate)

Once again the Scorpions stamped their authority over Boston and whilst the process may have been entertaining it was definitely a disappointment to the Barracudas who had hoped to finish their season at home on a high note. After winning the toss and choosing gates two and four, Boston were out-gated in Heat 1 although Brundle quickly passed Haines but could not catch Woffinden who was only one second outside the four-year-old Conference track record.

Adam Lowe’s engine suffered major damage just prior to the meeting and he did not make the start of heat two and, with McDade an early faller, Scunthorpe coasted to a 5-0 advantage. The track continued to remain grippy and some riders struggled with it and in particular Matt Wright was far from his usual self as Cockle passed him coming out of turn four of the opening lap and, with Lambert unable to catch Auty, Scunthorpe registered another 4-2 in heat three. The next race was shared with Mallett passing Compton on the first lap to romp away to a fine victory but Scunthorpe scored another 4-2 in the next race in which Woffinden looked invincible. A tactical ride for Brundle came in heat six which he won and with Adam McKinna narrowly holding off Compton after the two had battled for four laps Boston reduced Scunthorpe’s lead to four points. Mallett led Auty for three laps in heat seven before the Scorpion neatly switched inside his line as they entered the final lap. Heat eight was a disappointment for the Barracudas as Haines and Bekker scored a relatively easy 5-1.

Heat nine was shared, providing the first win of the evening for Simon Lambert and Cockle was excluded in the next when his fall clearly impeded McKinna, Brundle winning the re-run despite a hectic chase by Auty to give Boston a 4-2. But the eight-point deficit became 12 points when Woffinden and Haines led all the way for another Scunthorpe maximum in heat 11. Auty was too fast for Lambert in heat 12, yet another 4-2 to the visitors a score repeated in the next as the lead stretched to 16 points. Matthew Wright demonstrated his true ability with a fine win in heat 14 but tactical substitute Simon Lambert clearly tiring during his second match of the evening could make little impression on Bekker and Cockle.

In the final race Mallett made the gate but first Woffinden and then Auty passed him during the first lap the former completing an 18-point maximum. A big crowd had stayed on to watch the match following Kings Lynn’s Premier League fixture and they witnessed another power-house display from Scunthorpe’s talented team. Woffinden has the hallmark of a future champion and Auty could well be bracketed with him. Joe Haines, still at an earlier stage in his career, also appears to have some special abilities and may well attain the heights of his illustrious team-mates next season. Boston did their best and Brundle, Mallett and Lambert were always in the thick of the action. McKinna battled hard and Wright won a race after struggling to get to grips with the track in the early stages.

Boston: Brundle 13, McKinna 4, Lambert 9, Wright 3, Mallett 7, Lowe 0, McDade 0.

Scunthorpe: Woffinden 15, Haines 7, Auty 13, Cockle 3, Compton 6, Richardson 4, Bekker 8.

Sunday October 7

Scunthorpe 63 Boston 30

Scunthorpe achieved an emphatic 63-30 victory in this third meeting of the two clubs inside eight days. And they practically sealed their place in the final of the Conference League play-offs with such an emphatic semi-final conquest. Only Paul Cooper and Simon Lambert made significant contributions for Boston and left the Cudas with a mountain to climb in the second leg at King’s Lynn on Friday (October 12).

The meeting started badly for Boston when Paul Cooper blew a hole in the casing of his best engine in the re-run of heat one after he had touched the tapes in the first attempt to stage the race. Boston made the most awful of starts in the first four races with only Lambert splitting the Scunthorpe pair in heat three, the other races being 5-1 in favour of the home team. Cooper mounted on his second machine managed to win heat five but it was business as usual for Scunthorpe with another maximum in the following race.

Simon Lambert won heat seven but with Matthew Wright unable to get to grips with the track the race was shared and McKinna fell in heat eight another maximum to the Scorpions. The Scunthorpe onslaught was unabated until Paul Cooper scored six points from a tactical ride in heat 11 with McKinna third as Boston tried to salvage some degree of pride. Lambert outpaced Auty in the next race as Boston fought to try and preserve respectability in the score line but Cooper’s second places in heats 13 and 15 were all that Boston could muster in the closing heats.

It must be said that Scunthorpe are a remarkable side with Haines now almost as good as the peerless Woffinden and the outstanding Auty. And try as they might, Boston just could not match this fine side.

Scunthorpe: Woffinden 13, Haines 12, Auty 10, Cockle 7, Compton 7, Richardson5, Bekker 9.
Boston: Cooper 13 McKinna 2, Lambert 10, Wright 0, Mallett 2, Morris 2, McDade 1.

Friday October 5

Boston 30 Scunthorpe 62

(held at Scunthorpe)

This KO Cup semi-final second leg meeting proved to be a big disappointment for the Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas” who had hoped to improve on their showing at the same venue just five days earlier when they restricted the Scorpions to a mere six point advantage. But the return to the Scunthorpe ranks of Tai Woffinden appeared to raise everyone else’s game and although the match was interesting and attracted a good crowd, in reality there was only ever one team in it as Scunthorpe went on to secure a 113-75 passage into the final.

The immaculate Woffinden opened his account with a superb race win over Paul Cooper in Heat1 with Joe Haines passing Adam McKinna for the third place point. Heat 2 left the Barracudas with major problems when McDade spun and fell in the path of Adam Lowe as the pair came out of turn two, the latter striking his grounded partner and was thrown from the bike which then proceeded to a spin violently out of control across the infield luckily hitting no-one before it eventually came to rest. Lowe himself was excluded for a fall in the re-run to complete a disastrous start for the “home” team with the Scunthorpe pair cruising to a 5-0 at the third attempt to stage the race.

Things did not improve with consecutive 5-1s for Scunthorpe who led by an incredible 19-4 after four races. Lambert managed to split Woffinden and Haines in heat five, resisting pressure from the latter who almost squeezed past and with Cooper scoring a six-point tactical ride victory in heat six the beleaguered Boston had climbed back to within 14 points of the Scorpions. Slight relief for the Barracudas came in heat seven when Jamie Cockle slid off his bike while third but it was merely the calm before the storm.

Scunthorpe continued their relentless attack with four more maximums in the last eight heats demonstrating their strength right across the board. Race victories during the final onslaught came from Haines (twice), Bekker, Woffinden and Auty the Barracudas being swept aside by a sea of talent that was both devastating and efficient in its execution. A fall by Woffinden in Heat 9 was the only blemish and it was left to Cooper, Lambert and Mallett to provide any real opposition to one of the greatest sides that the Conference League has seen and who would appear destined to claim all of the major team events at this level in 2007.

Boston: Cooper 12, McKinna 1, Lambert 7, Wright 3, Mallett 6, Lowe 1, McDade 0.

Scunthorpe: Woffinden 14, Haines 10, Auty 16, Cockle 5, Richardson 7, Bekker 10.

Sunday September 30

Scunthorpe 51, Boston 45

With yet another rain off for the Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas at the Norfolk Arena on Friday they certainly made a brilliant recovery after a terrible start at Normanby Road on Sunday coming back from an 18 point deficit to end the match a mere six points adrift of their multi Champion opponents. Indeed after trailing 10-2 after just two heats the Barracudas outscored mighty Scunthorpe over the remainder of the match not something many teams can do at the “Normanby Fortress.”

Forgetting the scoreline it was a memorable afternoon of Conference League speedway demonstrating totally the entertainment value at this level of the sport. After a poor start by Boston as so often happens they started the fight back with a shared heat three followed up with another drawn heat after Byron Bekker fell close to the end of heat four. Paul Cooper won heat five for Boston but Scunthorpe were still looking very strong at this stage and their lead had advanced to 16 points by the end of heat eight. After sharing heat nine an outstanding last bend pass by Josh Auty gave the Scorpions a 4-2 and an 18-point lead.

Paul Cooper was nominated for a tactical ride in heat 11. And, with Adam McKinna fending off the challenge from his opponents, Boston scored an 8-1. The next two heats were shared with a battling performance from Simon Lambert in heat 12 in which he used the dirt line of the outer tack edge to great effect to out pace the Scorpions pair. Cooper, who was inspirational both on the track and in the pits enabled Boston to share heat 13 with his third race win. Boston pulled Simon Lambert back 15 metres in the penultimate race to enable him to double his points scored if he beat one of the Scunthorpe riders. It took the Boston captain three laps top get past Richardson who blocked his every move but as Lambert swept passed him on the final turn he maintained his momentum to go under James Cockle in one of the manoeuvres of the season to take a 6-3 advantage from the race. In heat 15 Josh Auty reared at the gate allowing Paul Cooper an easy victory with Lambert nursing a sick motor around to take third place to end a remarkable match.

Scunthorpe: Auty 11, Haines 14, Cockle 7, Compton 6, Richardson 5, Bekker 8.

Boston: Cooper 16, McKinna 4, Lambert 15, Wright 2, Mallett 5, Lowe 1,McDade 2.

Sunday September 9

Sittingbourne 40, Boston 53

Boston made a terrible start to this match with the Crusaders and were trailing 17-7 after just four heats and looking all at sea on a very slick track which contained a number of ruts making cornering difficult especially on turns three and four

James Brundle was given a tactical ride in heat five and with Adam McKinna following his No.1 home the Crusaders lead was reduced to three points. Another 5-1 to Sittingbourne in Heat 6 was quickly reversed by Wright and Lambert in the next before eventually the superior skills of the visitors showed as they got more and more used to the track eventually easing to a comfortable win

This was achieved without the services of McKinna after heat five in which he caught his right leg in a rut leaving him with further damage to his knee.

Sittingbourne: Felton 12, Cook 11, Reynolds 4 Cross 4, Baseby 3, Hart 6, Mullins 0

Boston: Brundle 12, McKinna 2, Lambert 9, Wright 13, Mallett 6, Lowe 4, McDade 7

Friday September 7

Boston 58, Buxton 34

This was a really exciting match spiced up for Boston and their fans by the first return visit of their early season No.1 Jon Armstrong, who left for Birmingham in May but who is now with Buxton after the Brummies terminated his services.

The match began badly for the Barracudas when, although seeing James Brundle and Adam McKinna take the lead, the former then shed a chain and McKinna hit the fence when trying to re-pass Armstrong, giving the Hitmen a 5-1 to start their campaign. Lewis Dallaway led heat two from start to finish but the Boston reserves were comfortably ahead of Paul Starke when he retired with a problem. Simon Lambert and Matthew Wright looked a strong pairing as they put the Barracudas on terms with a 5-1 in the next and Mallett showed little sign of his recent injury when he won heat four with McDade collecting third place to put Boston ahead for the first time.

Wright rode a fine heat five and with Lambert behind him resisting the challenge of Armstrong the crowd began to buzz with anticipation as their lead was stretched to six points. Another win for Mallett in a shared heat seven was followed by an impressive effort from Lowe as he took heat eight replacing the injured McKinna with Hodgson presenting a threat which the youngster staved off to take the win. Lambert and Wright increased the lead with a 4-2 in heat nine, Lambert and Armstrong battling for the lead which changed hands several times before the Boston captain won the race.

Brundle and McDade scored another 4-2 in heat 10 with Ben Taylor eventually passing the Scot to prevent another Boston maximum. Darren Mallett passed Jon Armstrong who took a tactical ride for the Hitmen in heat 11 to minimise the damage as Buxton clawed two points back Boston leading 38-30 with four heats remaining.

The Barracudas then despatched the Hitmen with four consecutive 5-1 race wins to end the match but that does nothing to reflect their efforts in achieving such a grandstand finish. Lambert won the first of the sequence with Adam Lowe adopting a round the boards style that earned him second place with the crowd gasping at his flirtation with the outer limits of the track.

The impeccable Brundle and Mallett gave Armstrong no chance in heat 13 and then Lowe returned to his exploits passing and re-passing Ben Taylor around the outside actually brushing the fence on one occasion to win his battle with Taylor bravely while Matt Wright powered home with great drama, which had the crowd on their feet, going on behind him. It was heady stuff and marked Lowe’s best performance for Boston and the match was completed when Wright and Mallett took yet another 5-1 in the final race. Boston’s play-off hopes were still alive and a very supportive crowd cheered them loudly on their victory lap.

Boston: Brundle 9, McKinna 1, Lambert 11, Wright 12, Mallett 13, Lowe 8, McDade 4.

Buxton: Armstrong 11, Hodgson 6, James 5, Taylor 7, Dallaway 5, Starke 0.

Boston 65, Rye House 26

With Boston’s injury list almost cleared and Rye House struggling to field a team with Messrs Cottham and Strudwick injured and Luke Bowen in action for his parent club, the Rockets, it was perhaps no wonder that the final score line saw 39 points separating the two teams.

However, the Barracudas tore into this match as if their lives depended on it opening with a salvo of three 5-1s against the depleted Raiders who, although outclassed in the early stages, had two heroes in the shape of Robert Mear and Daniel Halsey who did their utmost against massive odds to keep the Boston victory level down. But the Barracudas were simply awesome as they progressed to 29-7 after six heats leaving stand-in team manager Jack Lee with a heavy frown as he looked for ways and means of obtaining points for his team.

A tactical ride for Robert Mear in heat seven produced the first shared heat of the evening but two more 5-1s for the Barracudas and the match was all over by the end of heat nine with a scoreline of 43-13 in favour of the home team. Robert Mear shot from the tapes to bravely win heat 10 and Halsey joined Ezergailis to share the points in the following race as Rye tried to edge towards respectability.

Indeed Mear took second place in heat 12 as he split Lambert and McDade and Halsey did the same one race later getting between Brundle and Mallett. Kye Norton fell and Shane Henry retired in the penultimate to gift a 5-0 to the rampant Barracudas before Mear and Halsey snatches a 3-3 in the final race maintaining their effort to the end. Every one of the Boston team rode well with Lambert looking especially sharp and Mallett making a return after breaking his collarbone for a useful eight point haul.

Boston: Brundle 10, McKinna 9, Lambert 14, Wright 10, Mallett 8, Lowe 6 McDade 8.

Rye House: Ezergailis 3, Mear 13, Henry 0, Halsey 9, Laurence 1, Norton 0

Friday August 31

Oxford 50, Boston 43

Everyone associated with the Barracudas can be very proud of the way that the team performed at Oxford where despite the difficulties faced by both sides due to injuries a highly competitive and entertaining match was played out at Sandy Lane, which brought considerable appreciation from many Oxford supporters and their promoter Alan Trump.

For Boston it was an opportunity to end a dismal run against Oxford but with so many riders missing through injuries the run of Oxford victories was extended to eight – and they are Barracudas’ bogey team by a long way. Simon Lambert, Matthew Wright and Adam McKinna all delivered outstanding performances as did Cal McDade promoted to No 2 for one week and he turned in a fine display.

McDade said: “I’m really up for it again now and I think that’s starting to show.” he said. “I’ve got my bikes going well again and that is so important.” he stressed. Lambert rode through the pain barrier and even scored a Tactical Ride six point victory in heat 11 while Matthew Wright and Adam McKinna weighed in with very important victories.

Oxford: Smethills 16, Hughes 3, Martin 14, Andrews 2, Campos 6 Johnson 9.

Boston: Lambert 11, McDade 5, Dunworth 0, Wright 13, McKinna 9, Lowe 3, Pickard 2.

Friday August 17

Boston 46, Scunthorpe 43

Boston Barracudas claimed the prized scalp of reigning Conference League champions Scunthorpe with a pulsating victory at the Norfolk Arena in what was arguably one of the highlights of the club’s 2007 campaign — in the process becoming the first team this season to lower the Scorpions’ colours. Top scorer for the Cudas as James Brundle with a 17-point haul.

The match opened with drama when Josh Auty looped at the gate in heat one and received an exclusion. Adam McKinna retired from the re-run with a machine failure and in this strange opening race Benji Compton defeated James Brundle who was riding Simon Lambert’s machine after his own gave him problems. Heat two was won by Joe Haines who led by a country mile with the Boston pair well clear of Scott Richardson. Simon Lambert gave a foretaste of things to come with a fine victory in heat three with Compton and Bekker behind him and he repeated his victory in heat four leaving the teams separated by one point in the visitors’ favour after the first four heats.

Josh Auty retired in heat 5 in which Boston scored a 4-2 to take the lead for the first time, something they hung onto with considerable grit throughout the rest of the match. Heat six saw that lead extended to three points when Brundle, back on his own bike, outpaced Richie Dennis with Adam McKinna well clear of an out of touch Richardson.

Real drama came in heat seven when Auty crashed on the third bend with Bekker and Lambert close behind forced to take evasive action and ending up in the fence. The two had been only two feet apart when the accident occurred and it was surprisingly announced that the race would be awarded. Apparently this announcement was made prematurely whilst the referee Tony Steele and rrainee referee John Homer were still deliberating the situation and subsequently a re-run was announced with Auty excluded as the prime cause of the stoppage.

This had always seemed the most logical option although obviously it caused some consternation for the Scorpions’ management and supporters even though it appeared to be a fairer decision. In the re-run Lambert won despite feeling the effects of his skirmish with the fence and with Lowe third behind Bekker the home team’s lead was now up to five points. Scunthorpe replied with a 5-1, Joe Haines showing all the skills in his youthful armoury with Compton close behind.

At this point the situation required more courage from Boston and that was provided by Matthew Wright who after a modest start to the match suddenly found his form and with Dennis unable to catch him and McKinna third Boston edged away again from the league champions. Brundle and McKinna gave the Barracudas another 4-2 in heat 10 and by now the home fans were beginning to sense that the seemingly impossible might just be about to happen. But those thoughts went back on ice when Compton beat Lambert in heat 11 with Haines third to cut Boston’s lead back to three.

The atmosphere was tense as heats 12 and 13 were shared and in an interesting and vital heat 14 a superb effort by McDade held up Bekker long enough to allow Wright to distance himself from the South African although well behind Haines ensuring that Boston went into the final race one point ahead of the Scorpions.

Heat 15 would settle everything one way or another with Scunthorpe needing a 4-2 for victory and Boston only needing to share the race. Scunthorpe won the toss and took gates one and three with Brundle speeding around the field from gate four and he led Compton down the back straight with Lambert in third place always well clear of Dennis. The race looked safe with Boston in control and on the night the Barrcudas were worthy winners ending a very long run of Scunthorpe success over them and taking their unbeaten league record from them.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle								17
2. R/R
3. Adam McKinna								4
4. Matthew Wright								8
5. Simon Lambert								12
6. Adam Lowe								3
7. Cal McDade								4

Scunthorpe: Auty 0, Compton 14, Bekker 9, Dennis 6, Richardson 0, Haines 14.

Rain, however, put paid to Boston’s hopes of following up their memorable triumph with the subsequent trips to Rye House (Saturday) and Sittingbourne (Sunday) being washed out by the inclement summer conditions.

Sunday August 12

Buxton 47 Boston 43

Boston lost this match in the first three heats as they struggled initially with the tight and difficult track. But from that point they made a tremendous fight of things, their efforts ultimately ending in the final race when Buxton scored a 4-2 to ensure their victory. Boston never gave up and entertained the home crowd with some excellent speedway as they battled back into the match. But although they reduced Buxton’s early lead to two points they could not get on terms. Skipper Simon Lambert was again a real hero and James Brundle also produced some good races although the reserves struggled to match Lewis Dallaway who was perhaps the main difference between the teams.

Buxton: Bethell 10, Hodgson 1, James 5, Taylor 13, Roberts 8, Dallaway 9, Starke 1.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	2	1	2	3	3	2		13
2. R/R
3. Simon Lambert	1	3	1*	3	3	0		11+1
4. Matthew Wright	0	2	2*	0	3			7+1
5. Adam McKinna	1*	2	2	2	1			8+1
6. Adam Lowe	2	0	0	R				2
7. Cal McDade	Ex	1*	1*	R				2+2

Friday August 10

Boston 43 Oxford 47

This match produced some close racing but with the track surface dry and slick, the generally quick gating Cheetahs proved just too strong for Boston. The lead changed hands on several occasions and the match could have gone either way before three disastrous heats from 11 to 13 that left Boston eight points behind. Team manager Malcolm Vasey put his captain, Simon Lambert, into heat 14 for double points from a 15m handicap and although the rider captured a gallant second place, he could not pass the impeccable Betson and the heat was shared to ultimately decide the destiny of the points.

Boston: Brundle 13, Lambert 19, Wright 5, McKinna 4, Lowe 1, McDade 2.

Oxford: Smethills 10, Hughes 5, Betson 15, Martin 8, Piper 0, Johnson 10.

Wednesday August 8

Stoke 46 Boston 46

Boston raced into an 11-point lead and looked as if they would score a great victory in the Potteries. But the Spitfires fought back with a tactical ride win from Barrie Evans. And when Paul Cooper’s machine shed a chain on the line in heat 13, luck ran against the Barracudas. A 4-2 in a dramatic penultimate race gave them a further chance of victory but the Stoke pair scored a 5-1 in the final race to snatch a draw after a most exciting match.

Stoke: Evans 15, Legg 2, Branney 16, Kendrew 0, Dore 4, Pickard 4, Isherwood 5,

Boston: Cooper 12, Lambert 11, Wright 8, McKinna 9, Lowe 5, Morris 1.

Sunday August 5

Scunthorpe 50, Boston 31

(Abandoned after heat 13 due to electrical failure, result stands)

Boston Barracudas suffered defeat away to reigning champions Scunthorpe, the match being cut short when a track electrics fault could not be repaired and the referee called a halt to proceedings. But with the issue already beyond a patched-up Boston’s redress, the result will stand. Paul Cooper top scored for the visitors with 12 points.

Boston trailed the Scorpions by 17 points after just six heats before a dramatic partial recovery that saw them restrict the home side to the extent that had Woffinden been excluded instead of Cooper when the two touched in the final race, Boston would have gained points on their rivals during the second half of the match. It was a tight call when referee Tony Steele excluded Cooper in heat 13 when he fell amid dust clouds. And although contact was minimal it was a tight decision that could have gone either way.

Boston were dominated in the early heats but did enough as the match progressed to suggest that at their best they are capable of giving any team including Scunthorpe something to think about. The meeting ended after 13 heats when Paul Cooper’s machine damaged the circuit electrics during that incident with Woffinden.

Scunthorpe: Woffinden 14, Compton 6, Bekker 7, Dennis 7, Richardson 5, Haines 11

Boston: Cooper 12, McKinna 5, Wright 3, Lambert 10, Lowe 1, McDade 0.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Paul Cooper								12
2. Adam McKinna								5
3. R/R
4. Matthew Wright								3
5. Simon Lambert								10
6. Adam Lowe								1
7. Cal McDade								0

Friday August 3

Boston 52, Stoke 44

Boston Barracudas secured more important Conference League points on the strength of success in a home fixture against Stoke. Skipper Simon Lambert led the way for the Cudas with a paid 14-point haul, although his efforts were eclipsed by the 19-point tally harvested by visiting top scorer Barrie Evans and team-mate John Branney (paid 17).

But the meeting wasn’t without more problems for an already patched-up Cudas side with Darren Mallett apparently suffering a shoulder injury following a final heat spill — his setback adding to the absences of already sidelined senior trio of Paul Cooper, James Brundle and Shane Waldron.

Before Mallett’s fall, Boston had exerted plenty of early dominance to stamp authority on proceedings right from the off with maximum heat advantages in four of the first six races to establish a 27-9 lead.

Stoke threw in a couple of tactical “double points” substitutions to reply with 7-2 and 6-3 advantages in heats seven and eight. But Boston weathered the brief riposte to have the match spoils settled when leading 47-37 after heat 13. But the home side’s overall strength in depth proved decisive — notably with tidy returns from debutant Adam McKinna and reserve pairing Adam Lowe and Cal McDade.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Paul Cooper (R/R)
2. Adam McKinna	1*	2*	2	ef	1*			6+3
3. Simon Lambert	2	3	2*	3	2	1		13+1
4. Matthew Wright	1	3	3	2*	3			12+1
5. Darren Mallett	3	2	1	2	2	0		10
6. Adam Lowe	2*	0	1*	1				4+2
7. Cal McDade	3	2*	1*	1*				7+3

Stoke: Evans 19, Flint 0, Branney 16+1, Dore 5+1, Pickard 3, Isherwood 1, Kewndrew 0.

Saturday July 28

Cleveland 35, Boston 35

Boston Barracudas made Conference League KO Cup progress at the expense of Cleveland Bays in a second leg match cut short by the meeting over-running a local council imposed curfew. As such, with the match at its heat 12 stage, the result was declared a valid one. And Boston (top scorers Simon Lambert and Paul Cooper with nine points apiece) moved into the next round on an 84-75 aggregate.

This was a match marred by a series of nasty crashes and although Boston have progressed to a very attractive semi final match against Scunthorpe they are left with a string of injuries that leaves numerous problems to be resolved before their home next match with Stoke. The incidents began as early as heat one when Shane Waldron picked up excessive drive exiting turn four just after passing Greg Blair and shot into the safety fence with his machine. He was later diagnosed in hospital with a broken bone in his leg and possible ankle tendon and other damage that will keep him out of action for about eight weeks.

Another crash when Morris ran into the back of Lowe left both Barracudas on the track in heat eight and Adam Lowe followed Shane Waldron to hospital with neck and back injuries. Morris tried to continue but was unable to complete his next race leaving Boston with no reserves and no cover for the injured Waldron. The side rallied well and despite these handicaps clung on to their precious lead and the match was halted at after Heat 12 as the curfew time had been reached. This was a gutsy performance by the entire Barracudas team and they are well deserving of a crack at Scunthorpe in the next round.

Cleveland: Burrows 5, Burnett 1, Johnson 5, Beaton 6, Blair 13, Wallinger 6.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Paul Cooper	3	3	3					9
2. Shane Waldron	Fx							0
3. Darren Mallett	2*	1	2*					5+2
4. Simon Lambert	3	3	3					9
5. Matthew Wright	2	2	3					7
6. Adam Lowe	1	1	1*	F				3+1
7. Kieran Morris	F	0	Fx	R				0

Friday July 27

Boston 55, Sittingbourne 38

Boston Barracudas secured more important Conference League points with a tidy triumph over lowly Sittingbourne — the home top scorer being Simon Lambert with a paid 13 score.

This was a lively and entertaining match with Sittingbourne looking anything but a bottom of the table side as their riders put together a very respectable challenge on a track that was difficult in the early stages but improved as the match progressed.

Danny Warwick won Heat 1 against Paul Cooper who was making his home debut for the Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas and with Shane Waldron a comfortable third the race was shared. Heat two looked to be going the same way when a lapse of concentration spelt disaster for Adam Lowe who was leading at the time.

In the re-run Kieran Morris who had been a poor fourth in the original race shot to the front and although he came perilously close to a fall more than once, clung on gamely to win. Darren Mallett and Simon Lambert were never troubled in heat three but Boston’s four point lead was halved in the next with Mark Baseby winning comfortably with Jeran Hart third for the Crusaders.

Warwick again showed his paces when he led Mallett and Lambert from start to finish in Heat 5 and at the third attempt Baseby won heat six that was also shared. But Boston seized the initiative and quickly built up a lead when Adam Lowe won heat seven with Matthew Wright content to sit behind his partner to repel any possible challenge and Waldron took the next with Morris third to increase the lead to eight points.

These heats were followed by another 4-2 and a 5-1 and suddenly the Barracudas had developed their narrow advantage to 14 points. The immaculate Warwick won the next taking a tactical ride to offset Boston’s advantage with a 6-3 in heat 11 before another Boston 4-2 almost restored the status quo.

Heat 13 brought drama as Baseby was excluded as he tried a last bend dive unfairly under Wright who ended up in the fence the race being awarded although the leader completed the heat ahead of the red light to obtain a time.

Lambert and Lowe strolled to a 5-1 in Heat 14 and Heat 15 brought another exclusion for Baseby when he fell in front of Mallett but despite the frightening appearance of the incident there was no lasting damage to anyone.

Boston won comfortably enough but Sittingbourne are an improving team and their first victory cannot be too far away and in Danny Warwick they possess an inspirational figure who on his day is a match for most at this level.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Paul Cooper	2	2	3	2				9
2. Shane Waldron	1*	1*	3	2*				7+3
3. Darren Mallett	3	2	1	3	1*			10+1
4. Simon Lambert	2*	1*	3	3	2			11+2
5. Matthew Wright	2	2*	2	1*				7+2
6. Adam Lowe	Fx	3	1*	2*				6+2
7. Kieran Morris	3	R	1	1				5

Sittingbourne: Warwick 18, A Baseby 2, Felton 4, Theobald 1, M Baseby 8, Reynolds 2 Hart 3.

Friday July 20

Plymouth 50, Boston 41

Boston Barracudas missed out on more precious Conference League points when going down to a narrow margin of defeat in a tightly-contested tussle at Plymouth, the visitors’ hopes largely being dashed by the non-arrival of Darren Mallett due to him being caught up en route by traffic jams caused by flooding across the centre of country after prolonged heavy rainfall. Sean Stoddart stood in at short notice, but the reshuffled Cudas were just unable to peg back their hosts.

Plymouth: S Stephens 13, B Legg 3, T Brown 10+1, J Westacott 7+2, N Glanz 10+2, R Smith 0, B Hopwood 8+1.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Paul Cooper	1*	0	3	2	*2/**TR	3	3	14+2
2. Shane Waldron	2	3	2	3	1*	0		11+1
3. Sean Stoddart	1	2	2	2	2			9
4. Simon Lambert	0	1*	1*	R	0			3+2
5. R/R
6. Adam Lowe	2	0	F					2
7. Kieran Morris	1*	0	0	0				1+1

Saturday July 14

Stoke 47, Boston 43

New signing Shane Waldron made a stunning debut for the Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas in their final Conference Trophy match at Stoke last Saturday. He top scored for a depleted Cudas side that almost took the honours in the Potteries.

Boston without the injured Matthew Wright and with James Brundle unavailable, they included Wayne Dunworth and matched Stoke point-for-point until heat 14 when the Spitfires finally drew clear. There was considerable evidence of the affect of the wet weather in the Potteries with the infield saturated in places although on a reasonable track the two sides served up an entertaining match which the Spitfires clinched in the final two races.

For Boston, the outstanding feature was the brilliant debut of Shane Waldron who only joined the club earlier in the week and made a 16-point return from his six rides to head the Boston scorers. Waldron clearly enjoyed the experience. He said: “I was pleased with that my confidence was much higher tonight.”

Kieran Morris returned to the Boston side after a long lay off due to injury and showed some neat touches in his three rides. Morris retains his place at Plymouth on Friday continuing his partnership with Adam Lowe who was delighted with his heat win at Stoke but was somewhat inconsistent over the course of the evening. Wayne Dunworth, making his first appearance in two years for Boston, scored three points but understandably tired as the meeting went on.

Stoke: Evans 16, Flint 3, Dore 9, Pickard 5, Kendrew 1, Isherwood 13.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. Darren Mallett								3
2. R/R
3. Shane Waldron								16
4. Simon Lambert								13
5. Wayne Dunworth								6
6. Adam Lowe								6
7. Kieran Morris								2

Friday July 6

Boston 56 Cleveland 33

Boston Barracudas secured a convincing Conference League success over Cleveland Bays, a result that guaranteed a league double over the north-easterners with Boston having won the reverse fixture by a slender one-point margin earlier in the campaign. Top scorer on this occasion for Boston was Darren Mallet with a paid 13 tally. Cleveland were best served by Martin Emerson who netted eight points.

Boston were in complete control of from heat three onwards when Mallett and Simon Lambert raced to a 5-1 victory. And apart from a slight glitch in heat 11, the home side either won or drew every race.

The match had started dramatically when visiting number one Mark Burrows blew an engine in the first race. And with Smith falling, there were just two finishers — Emerson ended up a country mile behind Brundle. Adam Lowe hung on for a good win over the lively Blair in heat two and from that point the Barracudas moved ahead with a comfortable series of heat wins interspersed with a shared race here and there. Burrows won heat five but Brundle and Smith scored Boston’s second maximum in the next putting the Barracudas eleven points ahead.

The Bays’ tactical ride for Blair in heat eight made no impression, the youngster eventually falling heavily as he tried to make up ground. As the track became a little slicker, the Bays looked more comfortable. But Boston swept them aside in the final three heats when it was clear that Cleveland were perhaps saving themselves for the Knockout Cup match to follow. All of the home big guns looked impressive while for Cleveland, Burrows was always a threat and Emerson had a good match. Beaton, too, improved as the meeting went on but Boston never looked in any danger.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	3	3	3	3				12
2. Rob Smith	ef	2*	2	1				5+1
3. Darren Mallett	3	2	3	2	2			12
4. Simon Lambert	2*	1*	2*	3	3			11+3
5. Matt Wright	3	3	1	2*				9+1
6. Adam Lowe	3	0	0	1				4
7. Jeran Hart	0	1	1*	1*				3+2

Cleveland: Burrows 6, Emerson 8, Beaton 6, Johnson 5, Jones 2, Wallinger 2, Blair 4

Boston 49 Cleveland 40

Part two of Friday’s double header produced a much closer scoreline — and one that meant Boston’s return KOP Cup second leg visit to Cleveland will have plenty at stake. Boston, well served by 14-point James Brundle managed to establish only a nine-point advantage over Cleveland whose top scorer was the all-action figure of Mark Burrows (11 points). Full report to follow.

***

There is no doubt that the Bays were really focused on the second event of this double header, making a concerted effort to limit Boston’s lead and leave themselves with a fighting chance for the second leg in couple of weeks’ time. This resulted in some gritty and determined racing from both teams. And after Boston had opened an early lead the Bays hung on gamely, although surprisingly they did not use any tactical substitute opportunity which would have given Burrows the chance to chase down one of the Boston reserves.

This may have been because the visiting number one suffered further problems with his machinery and was forced to use borrowed bikes after crashing with Matthew Wright in heat 11. Indeed it was a machine problem for Burrows and a fall by Hodgson that gave Boston an opening race 5-0 advantage.

The excellent reserve pairing of Emerson and Blair reduced the lead after Hart fell in heat two but Mallett and Lambert again swept ahead in the next and Boston looked as though they might repeat their earlier score line. But the Bays battled hard with three consecutive drawn heats before Beaton and Johnson scored a 4-2 in heat seven after Lowe had fallen while making an outside charge.

Heat 8 was shared, Rob Smith scoring a good win in what may be his last match for Boston. Lambert and Mallett produced another home 5-1 in the next before Beaton and Johnson followed Brundle home in heat 10.

Heat 11 was dramatic with Wright out-gating Burrows from the inside. The two then locked together in the approach to the corner, separating briefly before coming together a second time and crashing heavily into the safety fence. When the carnage was cleared up Wright was eventually able to limp back to the pits but bravely came out for the re-run and also rode in heat 13 despite having a chipped bone in his foot later diagnosed at his local hospital. Blair passed Lambert in heat 14 reducing Boston’s lead to seven points. But Brundle and Mallett reversed that in the final race Burrows chasing Brundle hard but unable to get close enough to the home number one to threaten his victory.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	3	3	3	2	3			14
2. Rob Smith	2*	ef	3	0				5
3. Darren Mallett	3	1*	2*	2	1			9
4. Simon Lambert	2*	2	3	2				9
5. Matt Wright	3	2	2	1*				8
6. Adam Lowe	2	F	1*	0				3
7. Jeran Hart	F	0	0	1				1

Boston: Brundle 14, Smith 5, Mallett 9, Lambert 9, Wright 8, Lowe 3, Hart 1.

Cleveland: Burrows 11, Hodgson 2, Beaton 9, Johnson 3, Jones 3, Emerson 3, Blair 9.

Sunday July 1

Boston 47 Weymouth 42

After more than a month without a home fixture, Boston Barracudas were able to resume their Conference League programme at the Norfolk Arena. And in the process they recorded an important 47-42 success over Weymouth with James Brundle top scoring on 13 points. The slenderness of the winning margin wasn’t enough to wrest the aggregate bonus point away from the south coast side. But the success still enabled Boston to climb up to fourth in the table.

Boston were extended all the way before claiming a victory in the last three hugely exciting heats as the match built climactically to a last race decider. David Mason out-gated home No1 Brundle who buzzed around his back wheel for four laps but could not find a way past. Heat two provided an indicator of the Wildcats’ strength in depth when Jay Herne and Terry Day looked strong in scoring a 5-1 against the home reserves.

Boston fought back in heat three when Mallett led all the way but Smart nipped past Lambert to split the home pair. Matthew Wright continued where he left off at Weymouth with a tapes-to-flag victory in the next. The Cudas went ahead for the first time in heat five, Lambert winning from Mallett. And with Brundle and Smith achieving a 4-2 in heat six, the home side looked to be in control. Irwin fell when challenging in heat seven and then Smart pulled up with a mechanical problem to give Boston a nine-point advantage. But Weymouth ensured that no-one went to sleep with a 5-1 in heat eight.

Mallett’s machine caught fire on the start line in heat nine which was won by Lambert and Smart passed Brundle in an exciting heat 10 the consequential 4-2 cutting the Barracudas’ lead to a mere three points. The complexion of the match changed significantly in heat 11 when Mason and Hurst made an excellent start to give the visitors a one-point advantage nullified one race.

This was quickly nullified when Mallett and McDade transformed a 2-4 situation into a 5-1 success when Smart broke down towards the end of the race. Boston suffered a similar fate in heat 13, this time it was Wright who broke down when a 5-1 looked inevitable leaving Boston still three points ahead with two heats to go. Lambert defended the advantage successfully in an exciting heat 14 being passed by Irwin but responding with an exciting sweep around the former Boston man on the final turn to bring the crowd to life. With one race to go, any result was possible. But here Brundle and Lambert stormed to the front. However, Smart had other ideas as he passed Lambert but Brundle proved too quick and the Barracudas scored a 4-2 to win the match by five points.

In the Bert Harkins Bronze Helmet match race championship, sponsored by Moorwell Service Station, the holder Lee Smart lost the toss and challenger James Brundle chose the outside gate position for his attempt to lift the trophy. Brundle narrowly outpaced Smart over the first 30 metres and edged clear out of the first bend. But Smart clung on never allowing the Boston rider more than a length or so when challenging inside and outside every which way but Brundle always managed to keep ahead of his opponent following an excellent mistake free line to win the race. It was an excellent race that brought the crowd to their toes and both riders rode well in an exciting contest.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	2	3	2	3	3			13
2. Rob Smith	1*	1	R	R				2
3. Darren Mallett	3	2*	R	3				8+1
4. Simon Lambert	1	3	3	3	1			11
5. Matt Wright	3	3	1	R				7
6. Adam Lowe	1	2*	0	0				3+1
7. Cal McDade	F	0	1	2*				3+1

Weymouth: Mason 8, Hurst 5, Smart 7, Irwin 3, Mason 7, Herne 6 Day 6.

Friday June 29

Weymouth 59 Boston 34

Matt Wright was the lone star as Boston Barracudas suffered a heavy loss on the south coast away to Weymouth. The Cudas — without any track action for more than a month due to the on-going rainy condition — appeared a touch ring-rusty as valuable Conference League spoils slipped away despite a 15 (paid 16 haul from Wright, easily his best return since joining Boston in the spring).

This was a disappointing performance from the Barracudas who found the tiny track and slick conditions very difficult. The Dorset club tore into the Barracudas from the word go and only Wright seemed able to cope with the requirements imposed by the Wessex Stadium circuit on which the home riders seemed to enjoy almost complete mastery of. Wright won three heats while Brundle and Mallett scored one race win each in what turned out to be a difficult evening for the Cudas. The highlight f0or Boston was Wright’s success in a tactical ride when he beat the renowned David Mason for a six-point haul.

Weymouth: Mason 8, Hurst 4, Smart 12, Irwin 5, Mason 7, Herne 15, Day 8

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	1*	1	1	3	0/TS	0		6+1
2. Rob Smith	2	0	0	0				2
3. Darren Mallett	0	0	3	1				4
4. Simon Lambert	1	1	R	2				4
5. Matt Wright	3	6/TR	3	2*	1			15+1
6. Adam Lowe	0	0	0					0
7. Cal McDade	1	1	1	0				3

Friday May 25

Boston 49 Plymouth 43

Boston Barracudas grabbed more Conference League spoils from a pulsating encounter against highly-fancied Plymouth Devils. Heat leaders James Brundle and Simon Lambert were the key figures in the success, leading a solid all-round team effort with plenty of aplomb. Brundle opened his account for the Staffsmart Barracudas with a tapes to flag win over Seemond Stephens with the reliable Rob Smith third for a home 4-2.

The Plymouth reserves recovered the points with Webster eventually passing Lowe and McDade strangely down on power in fourth place. Boston then delivered a salvo of two 5-1’s before two shared races as the teams battled hard for points. Matthew Wright protected Adam Lowe in heat seven but with Brown always threatening an outside move on the pair the Boston heat leader had to ensure victory with Brown passing Lowe only for the latter to turn very sharply on the final bend and with his wheels in line rode a perfect finish for another Boston 5-1.

Boston were surprised that their visitors ignored the opportunity of a tactical substitute ride for the high speed Roynon in heat eight and Smith’s comfortable victory with McDade third extended the lead to 14 points. Roynon was given a tactical ride in heat nine with a resultant 6-3 in Plymouth’s favour.

Heat 10 was eventful with Smith receiving a tape exclusion. His replacement was McDade who was taken very wide by Legg before hitting the fence and his animated response made his feelings very clear and yet the fallen rider was excluded. In the re-run at almost the same spot Brundle was taken wide by Legg falling as a result and this time Legg received the exclusion light. Plymouth continued to chip away at Boston’s lead going into heat 14 six points adrift and yet again declined the use of a tactical substitute ride that might have forced a last heat decider.

As it was Boston put the match beyond the Devils reach with a Lambert-Lowe 4-2 the latter completing his best ever match in Boston’s colours. Heat 15 was looking like a possible classic when Brundle shed a primary chain and although Lambert headed Roynon briefly the Cumbrian displayed plenty of speed and class to win the race. Plymouth must surely regret their reticence to use a tactical substitute whilst Boston were delighted to go top of the table and end the Devils’ season long unbeaten run.

Boston score chart	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pts
1. James Brundle	3	2	2	2	ef			9
2. Rob Smith	1	1	3	XT				5
3. Darren Mallett	3	1*	1*	3				8+2
4. Simon Lambert	2*	2	2	3	2			11+1
5. Matt Wright	2*	3	2	0				7+1
6. Adam Lowe	2	2*	0	1				5+1
7. Cal McDade	0	3	1	FX	0			4

Friday May 18

Conference Fours

Boston failed to make any sort of impact in the annual staging of the Conference League Fours. The meeting was held at Plymouth. Boston scored just seven points when finishing bottom of their semi-final group, Rob Smith top scoring on four points. Other Boston riders’ scores were: Darren Mallett 2, Simon Lambert 1, Matthew Wright 0.

Results:

Semi-final one: Scunthorpe 20, Buxton 14, Oxford 11, Sittingbourne 3

Semi-final two: Plymouth 22, Weymouth 11, Cleveland 8, Boston 7

Final: Scunthorpe 19, Plymouth 16, Weymouth 8, Buxton 5

Saturday May 5

Cleveland 46 Boston 47

Boston got their Conference League campaign off to a winning start with a thrilling and nail-biting success away to divisional newcomers Cleveland. The Barracudas edged to a slender one-point triumph thanks in no small measure to the 13-point haul heroics of both Jon Armstrong and Simon Lambert.

With a mixture of skill and a little good fortune, the Barracudas led the Cleveland Bays 27-15 after seven heats and seemed on course for a comfortable victory. But the match was turned on its head when Danny Norton and Steven Jones were withdrawn from the match with injuries to be replaced by two lively reserves who followed up Mark Burrows’ 15-metre tactical substitute victory in heat 8 with a series of good results in a fast and furious match.

Indeed, the pair put Cleveland three points in front in heat 12 with a 5-1, leaving Boston with plenty to do to rescue the situation. Armstrong and Matthew Wright hit back with a 4-2 in heat 13 while Lambert and Cal McDade shared the penultimate race.

In the final heat Lambert made the gate ahead of Blair with Armstrong having to fend off constant pressure from Burrows. The riders were so close for most of the race that any outcome was possible. But Lambert looked very sure footed in front and Armstrong managed to foil a last bend attack from the Bays’ captain to seal a magnificent win. The Boston supporters who had made the journey north were overjoyed as the see-saw match finally tilted the Barracudas way.

Cleveland: Burrows 11, Emerson 7, Jones 2, Norton 0, Beaton 3 Hodgson 13, Blair 10.