COLTS END ON A HIGH

BELLE Vue ended their WSRA National Development League campaign on a high with a 45-44 win in a dramatic finish at Leicester.

The Lion Cubs led by a point heading into Heat 15 but with Colts No.1 Will Cairns out in front home captain Ben Trigger suffered mechanical failure midway through the race.

That enabled Colts skipper Freddy Hodder into the vital third place to win on the night, although with Leicester taking the aggregate point it wasn’t quite enough to move the Manchester side above Middlesbrough in the standings.

The Lion Cubs were limited to third place in the table as they suffered their first-ever home defeat in the NDL since joining the competition in 2019, and it means Edinburgh are confirmed as runners-up.

Cairns (14) and Hodder (13) led the Colts’ scoring with Cooper Rushen scoring 12 and Trigger 10+2 for the Lion Cubs.

Leicester boss Jen Crossland said: “We were gutted for the Lion Cubs because they didn’t deserve to lose their meeting.

“But it’s been the story of the season in many ways that key moments have just gone against us.”

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Photo credit: STEVE DIXON