Rampant Doune hit sorry students for six
After a six-week break, Stirling’s Tarran Mackenzie is back in World Supersport action at the iconic TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands this weekend.
Despite issues with his Petronas MIE Racing Honda that meant he was effectively riding a road bike at the opening two rounds of the season in Australia and Indonesia, Tarran – known to fans as Taz – has scored 15 points so far and has his sights set on more at a track he knows well.
Upgrades to the team’s CBR600RR should put the 2021 British Superbike champion back on the pace, as the European leg of the season begins at the legendary Dutch circuit.
The TT Circuit Assen is one of the most historic on the calendar, having hosted motorcycle races ever since the 1950s and the Worldsbk series since 1992.
Nicknamed ‘the cathedral of motorcycle racing’ the venue attracts large crowds of passionate fans, while the riders love the technical challenge it presents.
And Taz admits that the six-week break has left him itching to get back in action.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to the first round in Europe. Assen is an amazing track and I cannot wait to ride my bike again after having more than one month off since Indonesia.
“Aside from Donington, Assen is a track I’ve had a lot of experience at, so I’m excited to get riding again and improve on our performance at the first two rounds.”
The races from Assen are available to watch on Eurosport 2 over the weekend.
Cinch League 2
DUMBARTON .............................. 0 STIRLING ALBION ....................... 0
Stirling Albion almost have the League Two title done and dusted after securing a key point with a drab draw in Dumbarton on Tuesday evening.
The final contest between the division’s top dogs had been eagerly anticipated and was given the go-ahead at the fifth time of asking.
However, the match failed to live up to the pre-match billing – with little to raise the heart rate of the big travelling Binos fanbase who journeyed to West Dunbartonshire in anticipation of a possible league title win.
The battered Rock playing surface resembled the surface of the Moon in the mid-april sunshine and it showed in the early stages as both sides struggled to gain control.
Stirling had the first chance of the game seven minutes in when Robert Thomson met Jack Leitch’s inswinging corner but guided his header well off target.
Home keeper Brett Long’s timewasting antics were attracting the ire of the travelling support but in truth, that was all there was to get excited about in a dull first half.
The excitement in front of goal was reduced to half chances at best, with Paul Mclean nodding over at the front post from another Leitch corner.
David Wilson had the clearest sight of goal for the hosts when his deflected volley from the edge of the box flew wide of goal but that was the best on offer.
The action in the second half started little better, with the ball needing to be placed into witness protection as both sides shelled it forward to little success.
The Binos were denied by good defending from Peter Grant when the ex-falkirk man nipped in to find his goalkeeper after Thomson had headed a cross back into the danger area.
Martin Mcniff went close for the hosts when his back-post header was cleared off the line after Stirling failed to clear a corner.
Dumbarton enjoyed a good spell of pressure on the Albion goal as they pressed for the opener but created nothing of note as the stalemate set in.
At the other end, a promising move from the visitors saw Kieran Moore pick up the ball wide on the right side of the Sons area, but his drive flashed wide of the post.
The Binos had massive penalty shouts waved away by ref Greg Soutar on 83 minutes after Jordan Mcgregor’s close-range header appeared to be blocked by the hand of Sons’ defender Mcniff.
Dumbarton’s Russell Mclean
DOUNE CASTLE .................... 6 STRATHCLYDE UNI .............. 0
Doune overwhelmed their visitors, cruising to an emphatic win, with Callum Smith bagging an opportunist hat-trick.
Smith opened the scoring after seven minutes. The keeper parried Sean Wilbert’s effort, but could not stop the ball falling straight to the Castle striker. Smith slid in to side-foot home from close range to make it 1-0.
Strathclyde were tidy in possession, but lacked any kind of attacking threat. It was no surprise when Doune finally made it 2-0 after 43 minutes. Lukasz Duszynski cut nearly had the final say when he got on the end of a deep cross from the left, but the beanpole forward could only head straight at Blair Currie.
But a winner would have been cruel for either side in a match that threatened a 0-0 scoreline from the early stages.
Stirling will now move on to a clash with Annan Athletic at Forthbank tomorrow – knowing a single point in their final three will bring their first silverware since 2010. inside, and with the aid of a slight deflection off a defender, curled a rising shot over the advancing keeper to drop into the net at the far post.
Doune went three ahead after 54 minutes. Duszynski wriggled his way clear of three defenders and sprinted to the by-line. Smith smashed Duszynski’s low cross high into the net from less than a yard out.
It became 4-0 after 67 minutes. Allan Inglis saw the keeper push away his angled shot. Calum Paterson pounced on the rebound off the keeper to stab the ball home from close-range with a neat finish.
It was 5-0 on 75 minutes when Smith’s dipping header
Dumbarton – Long, Wylde (Love 80’), Buchanan, Orsi, Wilson (Mclean 76’), Lynas, Byrne, Gray, Grant, Blair, Mcniff.
Subs not used – Broun, Vata, Carswell.
Stirling Albion – Currie, Mcgeachie, Clark, Mclean, Mcgregor, Banner, Davidson, Moore, Leitch (Dunsmore 88’), Carrick,thomson.
Subs not used – Weir, Denholm, Cummins, Duffy, Hamilton, Spence, Cooper.
Referee – Greg Soutar. beat the keeper all ends up and dropped into the far corner, with Inglis following up to make sure.
With two minutes remaining, Doune completed the routing when they made it 6-0 in the fading light. Robbie Hurst drove a corner from the right to the back post. Callum Macdougall timed his run perfectly and powered an unstoppable downward header into the net from 10 yards.
Doune Castle – Pacitti, Campbell, D Innes (Gillespie), Manson, Nelson, Wardrope (Hurst), Duszynski (Macdougall), Paterson, Wilbert (Inglis), Smith, Macdonald (Stevenson).
Sub not used: Brown.