Hitmen ride to victory in cup tie but are edged out on aggregate

The Hitmen went into last Sunday’s match with a 16-point deficit from the first leg and to compound matters it was the visitors who stamped their mark on the meeting in Heat 1.

Morris and former Hitmen rider Isherwood combined for a 5-1 win.

Blacklock and Woolley then pulled back the score to 5-7 for the Hitmen, with a 4-2 in heat 2, before another 4-2 in Heat 3 levelled the scores at 9-9.

The Heathens won Heat 5, 4-2 to take the lead again, but Hitmen levelled the scores again in Heat 7. With heats 8 and 9 drawn, the Heathens took the lead again in heat 10, winning 4-2.

The Hitmen clung on to the match, as they kept the Heathens lead at two points, before Wright and McKinna levelled the scores in heat 13, 39-39.

Heat 14 saw a 5-1 win for the Hitmen which put them in the lead for the first time in the meeting.

Wright made another great start in Heat 15 and held Blackbird at bay, whilst McKinna and Morris battled for third place, but Morris was able to block McKinna with the heat being drawn 3-3, and the Hitmen running out winners 47-43, although the final score was 98-86 to Dudley.