STOKE suffered a heavy 60-30 defeat against Cradley in the Travel Plus National League at Monmore Green on Tuesday night.

The A.R. Richards Potters got their first race winner and heat win in heat nine after Heathens rider Luke Chessell fell while challenging Ben Hopwood leaving Hopwood to go on and win the race with Chris Hay held off a late challenge from Chessell who had remounted to take third with Heathens No.8 Joe Lawlor splitting the Potters pairing to give Stoke a 4-2 heat advantage.

Cradley were dominant throughout the meeting with both Ashley Morris and Max Clegg both going undefeated by an opponent as the Potters struggled on the Monmore Green circuit.

The Heathens gained six 4-2 heat advantages and four 5-1’s out of the fifteen heats with only Wilson, Hopwood and Phillips showing any form, Phillips looping his bike at the start in heat fourteen and to a lesser extent Chris Hay who scored a creditable five points at reserve.

CRADLEY 60: Ashley Morris 15, Max Clegg 13+2, Luke Chessell 9, Bradley Andrews 8, Joe Lawlor (No.8) 6, Ben Basford 5+2, Richard Andrews 4+1, James Purchase r/r
STOKE: 30: Ben Wilson 8, Ben Hopwood 7, Danny Phillips 6, Chris Hay 5, Tony Atkin 3+3, Shaun Tedham 1, Paul Burnett 0