SITTINGBOURNE Crusaders ventured north for what was always likely to be an energy-sapping pair of matches - only to find it turned literally into a marathon effort.

Staying over in Middlesbrough on Saturday night after a Conference Shield match in the afternoon against the Cleveland Bays, the speedway party became embroiled in the city’s annual Fun Run.

Team Manager Chris Hunt explained: "The hotel the riders and fans were staying in was on the route of the Middlesbrough 10K road race.

"Suddenly it was sprung on us that if we didn’t move all our vans out of the car park by 7am we’d be stuck in there until Sunday afternoon due to the road closure.

"So there was no lie-in for us – otherwise we’d never have got the bikes down to our second match at Scunthorpe."

That was just one rude awakening on a character-building northern tour.

Other sides in the Shield competition are tracking riders of a higher level of experience than the generally youthful side from Iwade.

So, though for the likes of youngsters like Luke Goody, Aaron Baseby, Gary Cottham and Dan Blake racing on different circuits was valuable experience in their ongoing education, it scarcely made for close competitive racing.

Hopes that there might be a repeat of the close encounter at the Old Ferry Road track earlier in the month were dashed when the Bays opted to track Premier League riders Daniel Giffard and Jack Hargreaves. They predictably went through the card unbeaten.

Skipper Dean Felton top-scored with eleven for the Crusaders, with Baseby the only other visiting rider to record a heat win.

It was a similar story at Shield favourites Scunthorpe, with the North Lincolnshire side fielding a number of Premier League class riders in their line-up. They also used the Rider Replacement rule to their advantage, making it mission impossible for the Kent side.

However, to their credit Sittingbourne were able to avoid complete humiliation and rack up 24 points.

One positive for the Crusaders was the performance of young reserve Aaron Baseby, who produced an away-best return with two scores of paid seven.

The Sevenoaks-based teenager said: "Obviously it’s difficult to enjoy such heavy defeats, but I feel my speed is up and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season."

Results:

Cleveland 60 Sittingbourne 32 (Crusaders scorers: Felton 11; Baseby 5; Blake 5; Cottham 3; Dean Garrod 3; Cross 3; Goody 2)

Scunthorpe 64 Sittingbourne 24 (Crusaders scorers: Baseby 5; Goody 5; Felton 5; Cottham 5; Cross 3; Blake 1; Garrod 0