Burns, broken bike and broken leg break Bullets' hearts in their opening speedway clash

Archie Freeman broke his leg in Berwick Bullets' first fixture of the speedway season. Picture: Keith Hamblin

Teenager Archie Freeman suffered a broken leg and Mason Watson a slight concussion, forcing their early withdrawal, while Josh Embleton – one of only two Berwick race winners at the National Speedway Stadium on Good Friday afternoon, was withdrawn from his final ride after suffering burns to a leg in a tumble.

With skipper Greg Blair blowing one engine and suffering more mechanical gremlins with his second bike and borrowed equipment, the visitors always had an uphill task against the fast-starting home side.

While the result was never in doubt as Sam Hagon roared to a full fiver-ride maximum while James Pearson and Jack Smith were both paid for full houses, Connor Coles, Danny Phillips and Jamie Halder – along with Embleton before his misfortune – made them work hard for their points.

Berwick must now regroup after their 61-29 defeat and use a combination of guests and rider replacement when they travel to Leicester tonight (April 8).

Freeman made the best gate in the opening heat but he visibly slowed as he moved to the inside line, leaving Coles with nowhere to go other than into his young team-mate.

Coles fell heavily while Freeman slid off further around the corner, and when medical staff got his boot off, a broken leg was diagnosed.

Belle Vue steadily opened up a comfortable lead with only Phillips and Coles able to challenge the home side,

Embleton and Halder gated together in heat eight and were never troubled, recording what would turn out to be the visitors’ only heat advantage of the meeting.

Embleton was challenging again in the next heat only to fall awkwardly, the bike flipping on top of him and the exhaust burning through his kevlars.

Phillips led from tapes to flag in 14 to share the points, but he was left at the back in the nominated riders’ race.

“There was no way back after losing Archie and Mason so early in proceedings,” team manager Gary Flint said.

“It was a heavy defeat but one of the things about this level is learning and moving on.”