Dudley Heathens 52 Newport Hornets 43

Tom Perry was back to his best as Dudley Heathens moved to within a point of the National League summit.

The grass track convert turned on the style with his trademark outside bursts as the Heathens took all three points.

Perry also handed one of only two defeats to visiting star Todd Kurtz, from against the odds when trying to get round the 18-year-old going into the third turn in heat nine, but kept it wound on and emerged in the clear.

But if Perry led the way, the rest were not far behind on a fine night of racing at what the Heathens fans are pleased to describe as ‘Monmore Wood,’ in deference to their lost home of Dudley Wood.

With the exception of 16-year-old debutant Adam Portwood, who picked up as the night went on, no-one was paid for fewer than eight points.

And Darryl Ritchings made light of his elevation from reserve berth to the awkward No 2 slot, with paid 10 and beating Newport No 1 Jay Herne.

Ritchings then went from fourth second in heat eight – and you wouldn’t have put a brass farthing on race winner Tom Young’s chances had there been a fifth lap – before producing his best effort of the night two heats later.

An easy on the eye style belies Ritchings’ pace, as he cruised round Matt Bates and set off in pursuit of James White-Williams.

The Dudley rider tried the outside run and then nearly got his man with a determined cutback, before finally getting out into the dirt to pick up drive and make the pass.

With Brendan Johnson making an impressive debut and Kyle Newman, Jon Armstrong and Ashley Morris also scoring heavily, Dudley had too much for a Newport outfit further restricted by the loss of reserve David Gough, who was taken to hospital after crashing in heat four.

The Herne and Kurtz combination, the latter on a double-point tactical ride, got their side into contention for a point with a fine 8-1 in the thirteenth.

But a somewhat bizarre penultimate race sealed their fate. Dudley needed a heat advantage to be sure, but their chances receded when Johnson twice rolled towards the tapes and was disqualified for delaying the start.

Back to the 15-metre mark he went – to be joined by Bates for exceeding the two-minute time allowance.

The split-grid line-up, looking for all the world like something out of Wolves’ Olympique handicap meeting, saw Morris take the flag with Johnson third.

A cracking final heat, won in style by Herne but with Newman, Kurtz and Perry virtually abreast off the final turn, rounded things off perfectly.

By Tim Hamblin