DUDLEY Heathens are celebrating their first major silverware after clinching the National League Fours championship at Stoke on Saturday.

Heathens overcame Buxton to win the National Shield earlier in the season but the Loomer Road event featured eight of the ten National League clubs, and it was Dudley who came out on top.

Heathens made short work of their semi-final, qualifying comfortably with Mildenhall as the two sides proved too strong for the Isle of Wight and Hackney.

Mildenhall won the group with Heathens two points behind, although a fall for Adam Roynon when leading his second ride more than accounted for the difference, and it had no significant effect on Dudley’s progression.

They were joined in the Final by Belle Vue and Stoke which made for a strong line-up – but a solid effort from the Heathens saw them finish three points clear.

Roynon, who only returned from a broken leg last Tuesday, won both of his rides, and they went into the last race one point ahead of Stoke with Belle Vue a further point back.

The pressure was on Ashley Morris in what turned out to be a three-man race as Mildenhall’s Cameron Heeps crashed out – and Morris made a fabulous start to head home Adam McKinna and Jaimie Pickard to the delight of the Heathens fans.

Jubilant team boss Will Pottinger said: “Nights like this make everything worthwhile. It was very tense, but Ashley was brilliant to win it for us in the last race.

“It was nice for us to celebrate with our fans, once again they were brilliant!”

Heathens will parade their silverware at their next home meeting, when they face Mildenhall in the National League at Monmore Green on Tuesday.

SEMI-FINAL: Mildenhall 18, Dudley 16 (Richard Franklin 5, Jon Armstrong 4, Ashley Morris 4, Adam Roynon 3), Isle of Wight 8, Hackney 6.

FINAL: Dudley 15 (Adam Roynon 6, Ashley Morris 4, Jon Armstrong 3, Richard Franklin 2), Belle Vue 12, Stoke 12, Mildenhall 9.