WHITE Acres Match record holder Kieron Rich returned to Cornwall to realise a dream, winning the 170-entry White Acres Preston Innovations Autumn Festival with a maximum four section wins for 36 points earning the £2000 winner’s cheque.
Kieron has finished as runner-up on no less than six previous occasions and despite his widely acknowledged stance as a top angler had yet to win anything major.
The Dudley, West Midlands based 27-year-old put the record straight but with the best four from five results counting. He needed a superior dropped result of 7 to edge out the defending champion Will Raison¹s challenge.
World class Will, who is backed personally by Daiwa, had also rattled up a 36 point maximum with four section wins but a dropped result of 6 saw him settle for the £900 runner-up cheque.
Mosella groundbait wholesaler Kieron’s rise to the top started with lake second and section win at Porth Reservoir with 20-12-0 of feeder and chopped worm tempted skimmers.
Day Two and saw him weigh in 104-8-0 from Bolingey¹s peg 12, but it was only good enough for third in section, his dropped result!
Winning Pollawyn Lake with 77-13-0 on waggler and meat shallow was followed with the best a weight of the week weight from the new Canal Match Lake, where peg 19
produced 57-1-0 of carp and skimmers.
That set up his final day opportunity and while title rival Raison showed his class digging out a 51-6-0 section win on Pollawyn¹s peg 16 Paul Yates and Phil Ringer, also on for maximums fell away at Bolingey.
Tri-Cast backed Kieron on peg 55 at Gwinear sealed the crucial fourth section with 89-2-0 of big mirror carp mostly coming to poled worm at eight metres in the latter stages.
Will Raison¹s attempt to retain the crown he won a year ago was valiant indeed starting with a fine 40-2-0 section from the Canal¹s peg 2 and including lake wins at Gwinear¹s (137-5-0) and Porth¹s (19-6-0).
Keenets Milo’s Tim Rowe took the third placed £800 cheque after posting three wins and two seconds for a 35 points tally.

BIGGEST WEIGHT PRIZE
DAIWA Dorking skipper Steve Sanders earned the £100 cheque for the highest daily winning weight with a fifth match 175-7-0 carp haul at Gwinear.

BIGGEST FISH
UK Champion Jamie Masson learned the £50 for the biggest individual fish with a 12 lb 3 oz carp from Pollawyn.

PRIZE BOOST
WHITE Acres boosted the prize fund with an additional £1000 cash pushing the pay out down to 15th individual place. Sponsors Preston Innovations provided a cracking line up of product with the winner receiving a CM80 pole and spares, second prize was a Diatex 7030 carp pole, while third took home a 15-17′ rod. Fourth place reward was a 14′ rod while complete luggage sets went to anglers  down to 10th place.

MYSTERY MEN?
SIX mystery weight prizes of £100 each went to Vince Sicklemore (67-2-0), Swan¹s Nigel Waddel (74-1-0), Milton Keynes Trevor Jeans (84-0-0), Wellingborough¹s Matthew Grant (55-0-0); Todber Manor¹s Alan Gates (32-6-0), and Graham Harding (45-3-0).

MAN OF THE MATCH
Bill Knott, who paid out £500 on winner Kieron Rich, made his man of the match award to Bag Up Baits Alan Barker in 48th place with 28 points winning a selection of event sponsor Preston Innovations luggage.

TOP 15
1 Kieron Rich (Mosella Tricast), 36 points dropped 7, £2000
2 Will Raison (Daiwa), 36 points dropped 6, £900
3 Tim Rowe, (Keenets Milo), 35 points, £800
4 Grant Albutt (Mosella Keenets Milo), 34 points dropped 7, 261-5-0, £700
5 Paul Yates (Drennan), 34 points dropped 7, 139-15-0, £600
6 Harry Billing (Bill Knott’s Bookmakers), 34 points dropped 6, 205-5-0, £500
7 Geoff Banks (Top Lock), 34 points dropped 6, 194-10-0, £400
8 Steve Sanders (Daiwa Dorking), 34 points dropped 5, 254-2-0, £300
9 Phil Ringer (Essex County Van den Eynde), 34 points dropped 5, 164-4-0, £250
10 Steve Cooke (Ringer Baits), 34 points dropped 4, £200
11 Jamie Masson (Maver Jack Purchase), 33 points dropped 7, £150
12 Alex Murray (Team Sillybait), 33 points dropped 6, £100
13 Emma Pickering (Preston Innovations), 33 dropped 5, 223-3-0, £100
14 Martin Cocks (Thatchers 2000), 33 points dropped 5, 198-11-0, £100
15 Gary Thorpe (Ton Up Baits), 33 points dropped 2, £100

Lake Winners
Day 1: Pollawyn, Steve Cooke (Ringer Baits) 122-15-0 peg 26; Trelawney and Canal,
Dave Rudman (Oxford AC), 90-5-0 peg T22; Gwinear, Steve Ringer (Shimano Van
den Eynde) 133-4-0 peg 14; Porth, Lee Woodhouse (Carbotec Select) 21-14-0 peg
35; Bolingey, Pete Wedgebrow (Slapheads) 109-11-0 peg 24.

Day 2: Trelawney and Canal, Kristian Powers (Garbolino Sillybait), 59-9-0 peg
T23; Gwinear, Will Raison (Daiwa) 137-5-0 peg 14; Porth, Steve Ringer (Shimano
Van den Eynde) 19-0-0 peg 89; Bolingey, Dean Barlow (Kamasan) 169-6-0 peg 20;
Pollawyn, Dave Bruton (Team Sillybait) and Gary Thorpe (Ton Up Baits), both
43-4-0 pegs 25 and 29.

Day 3: Gwinear, Rob Brennan (MAP Garbolino Starlets) 114-15-0 peg 25; Porth,
Will Raison (Daiwa) 19-6-0 peg 36; Bolingey, Tim Rowe (Keenets Milo) 135-12-0
peg 26; Pollawyn, Kieron Rich (Tricast) 77-13-0 peg 28; Trelawney and Canal,
Leon Duvalier (WAC Tackle) 52-13-0 peg T16.

Day 4: Porth, Harry Billing (Bill Knott Bookmakers) 20-12-0 peg 77; Bolingey,
Phil Ackerley (RJH Fiske Sweden) 93-4-0 peg 17; Pollawyn, Tim Rowe (Keenets
Milo) 125-13-0 peg 27; Trelawney and Canal, John White (Somerset Angling)
63-4-0 peg T22; Gwinear, Gary Thorpe (Ton Up Baits) 123-15-0 peg 27.

Day 5 Bolingey, Kevin Arathoon (Coca Cola) 103-0-0 peg 23; Pollawyn, Jim
Barrowman (Woodbridge) 120-6-0 peg 29; Trelawney and Canal, Alex Murray (Team
Sillybait) 63-1-0 peg T23; Gwinear, Steve Sanders (Daiwa Dorking) 175-7-0 peg
14; Porth, Paul Greenwood (Veals Sensas) 16-4-0 peg 73.