Around the Premier League Tracks 2005

[Merlin]

Friday, 29 April

Both Premier Trophy matches tonight resulted in away wins. In the northern section Edinburgh were well beaten by Hull while, in the southern section, Somerset [/color] lost to Rye House .


Premier Trophy: Edinburgh 42, Hull 49 Hull won the bonus point on aggregate by 102-84 .


Edinburgh had lost their previous two home matches to Hull. On this occasion they were looking to pull back an 11 point deficit from the match at Hull but once again a rampant Vikings team brushed aside their efforts to win with something to spare. This result seriously jeopardises Monarchs’ chances of taking the second qualifying spot in the section behind Workington. Edinburgh had King’s Lynn reserve Ashley Jones as a guest for the injured Robert Ksiezak while Hull used Rider Replacement for the injured Lee Dicken but welcomed back Joel Parsons after his broken collarbone injury. In fact Hull were virtually a five man team as it soon became clear that Joel Parsons was far from race fit.

Things went wrong for Edinburgh right from the opening heat when Theo Pijper failed to make it to the start line in time and was replaced by William Lawson. Emiliano Sanchez and Paul Thorp gave a clear indication of what was to come by jetting from the start to an unchallenged 1-5. Heat 2 was rerun after Joel Parsons, well at the back, fell on the fourth bend with Craig Branney leading the race. Branney was unfazed and won the rerun for a shared heat. Heat 3 was another 1-5 to Hull. Emil Kramer and Craig Branney (taking the R/R) made the gate and that was that. Then in heat 4 it looked as though Edinburgh might provide a race winner when Ross Brady shot to the front. However Garry Stead executed an inside pass to share the heat. At this point the score was 8-16 with all the Hull riders except Parsons still unbeaten.

Heat 5 saw Paul Thorp jet from the start so the race was between the other three for the minor places. Cameron Woodward and Rusty Harrison combined to keep Emiliano Sanchez at the back and the Hull rider eventually fell off on the last bend in an effort to pass the Monarchs’ pair. The result was another shared heat. At last Edinburgh produced one of their four race winners when Theo Pijper and Daniel Nermark took a 5-1 after Garry Stead had made a real hash of the second bend. However two 2-4s in the next two heats for Hull restored their eight point advantage. The score was now 20-28.

Garry Stead made it eight Hull race winners in nine heats by taking the flag in heat 9 but Cameron Woodward and Rusty Harrison relegated Craig Branney to the back for a shared heat. Then in heat 10 Edinburgh got within touching distance again with another 5-1 from Pijper and Nermark to make the score 28-32. A fast gate by Ross Brady was enough to see off the dangerous Sanchez/Thorp pair in heat 11 but Hull went six in front in heat 12 won by Sanchez, taking the R/R, from Harrison with Branney third. The score was now 33-39 and heat 13 looked ominous for the Monarchs with Thorp and Stead out for the Vikings.

So it proved as the Hull pair hit the front and were never challenged which more or less tied the match up with the Vikings now 10 ahead with just two races left. Edinburgh needed an 8-1, 5-1 finish for a win. In heat 14 Cameron Woodward took the TR and, as Lawson hit the front, with great determination Woodward passed Craig Branney on the inside then Emil Kramer on the outside on the third and fourth bends. However Branney had gone down under the pressure and the race was rerun. In the rerun Lawson again hit the front and Woodward again got ahead of Kramer. But in his efforts to get clear of the Hull rider and pass his partner for the 8-1, Woodward went just too wide on the first two bends of the last lap allowing Kramer to force his way past up the back straight for second place. The 5-2 result for Edinburgh sealed their fate and in the last lap Garry Stead jetted to the front for another Hull race winner with Paul Thorp at the back looking less than interested.


Scorers: For Edinburgh – Theo Pijper 9+1 (4), Daniel Nermark 8+2 (5), Ross Brady 7 (4), Cameron Woodward 6 (4) including a 2 point TR, Rusty Harrison 5+2 (4), William Lawson 5 (5) and Ashley Jones 2+2 (4).

For Hull – Garry Stead 11+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 11 (5), Paul Thorp 9+2 (5), Emil Kramer 9 (4), Craig Branney 8+1 (7) and Joel Parsons 1 (4).


Premier Trophy: Somerset 44, Rye House 48 Rye House won the bonus point on aggregate by 98-87 .

Somerset went into this match with high hopes considering that they only lost by seven points at Rye House . However their cause wasn’t helped by having to use Rider Replacement at number two for Jaimie Smith. They also had Ben Barker at number eight. Rye House used Mathieu Tressarieu at number six for Steve Boxall but otherwise were at full strength.

It wasn’t long before Somerset were trailing. Having shared heat 1 with a Zetterstrom win with number 8 Ben Barker at the back they had to contend with a Mathieu Tressarieu win in heat two from Jason King with Danny King third for a 2-4 to the Rockets. Heat three was run three times.
With Paul Fry excluded and Chris Neath off 15 meters for tape touching, Ritchie Hawkins finally won the race for a shared heat. However with Daniel beating Jason King in heat 4 and Brent Werner third from Glenn Cunningham another Rye 2-4 saw the Rockets four in front after four heats at 10-14.

Ritchie Hawkins and Paul Fry got the Rebels back on level terms with a 5-1 from Robson and Kennett, then took a two point lead with a 4-2 in heat 6 from Zetterstrom and Jason King with Werner second. That lead didn’t last long as in heat 7 Chris Neath and Tommy Allen scored a 1-5 ahead of Lee Smart after Glenn Cunningham had retired. Worse was to follow for the Rebels when they lost another 1-5 in heat 8 to Kennett and Daniel King with the score now 21-27.

Rye House scored a 2-4 in heat 9 with a Brent Werner win for an eight point lead and Zetterstrom won heat 10 for another share of the points. Glenn Cunningham finally got off the mark by winning heat 11 for a 4-2 to cut Rye House’s lead to six points. It all went pear shaped for Somerset in heat 12 when Rye House scored a 1-5 through Neath and Danny King to put Somerset in big trouble at 31-41.

Magnus Zetterstrom took a TR in heat 13 and finally got through to follow home Glenn Cunningham for a 7-1 in heat 13 so the visitors’ lead was cut to four points at 38-42. Although Jason King won heat 14 his partner, Paul Fry, finished last so the shared heat meant that Somerset needed a 5-1 in the last heat for a draw. Chris Neath won the heat from Zetterstrom and Cunningham so the shared heat sent the Rockets home with all three points.

Scorers: for Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 15+1 (5) including a 4 point TR, Ritchie Hawkins 8 (5), Jason King 8 (6), Glenn Cunningham 7+1 (5), Paul Fry 4+1 (4) and Lee Smart 2 (3).

For Rye House – Chris Neath 11 (5), Daniel King 9+3 (6), Tommy Allen 7+2 (4), Stuart Robson 6 (4), Brent Werner 6 (4), Mathieu Tressarieu 5+1 (4) and Edward Kennett 4+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 30 April

With the opening Grand Prix of the season being televised live from Wroclaw and the Final of the British Under 21 Championship being held at Rye House the only Premier Trophy match tonight was at Stoke where the Potters were at home to Workington .


Premier Trophy: Stoke 52, Workington 42


After a long spell on the injury list Stoke welcomed back Jan Staechmann in this match against Workington . The redeclared side was at full strength for the first time while Workington had former Stoke rider, Tony Atkin, at number six in place of James Wright. Workington these days seem to be needing big scores from their reserve guests. After James Birkinshaw’s 17 points at Sheffield they struck gold again when Tony Atkin ran up 13 from the number six spot tonight.

After Alan Mogridge had beaten Carl Stonehewer to share the opening heat Stoke quickly established an eight point heat with a 4-2 from Grant and Evans, a 5-1 from Kessler and Carr then another 4-2 from Staechmann and Evans. The score after heat 4 was 16-8.

Workington hit back with consecutive 2-4s in heats 5 and 6 from Stonehewer and Little then Tony Atkin who beat Alan Mogridge and Shaun Tacey to bring the score back to 20-16. A Staechamann win shared heat 7 before Stoke went six points ahead again in heat 8 from Paul Clews who beat Tony Atkin and Barrie Evans. The score was now 27-21.

Shaun Tacey won heat 9 to keep the gap at six points but Stoke hit a decisive 5-1 in heat 10 from Alan Mogridge and Paul Clews to go 10 points up at 35-25. Carl Sonehewer took a TR in heat 11 but Staechmann won it with Grant third for a 4-4. So Tony Atkin took a TR in heat 12 only to finish second to Robbie Kessler with Evans third for another 4-4. The last three heats were all shared with Carl Stonehewer winning two of them so Workington ended up 10 points adrift.

Scorers: For Stoke – Alan Mogridge 12 (5), Robbie Kessler 10+2 (5), Jan Staechmann 10+1 (4), Rob Grant 7 (4), Paul Clews 5+1 (4), Peter Carr 4+1 (4) and Barrie Evans 4 (4).

For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 15 (5) including a 4 point TR, Tony Atkin 13 (6), Shaun Tacey 6 (4), Kauko Nieminen 4+1 (4), Scott Robson 2+1 (4), Kevin Little 2+1 (4) and Scott Courtney 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Monday, 2 May

Yesterday’s match between Glasgow and Newcastle was yet another victim to the weather but that was compensated by a glut of activity tonight. As today was Bank Holiday, there were a lot more matches than usual for a Monday Night. In fact, no fewer than ten Premier League teams were in action.

Tonight saw the first Premier League match of the season raced at Rye House against Hull . It was perhaps fitting that the opener should be between the team fancied by many to win the championship this year against last year’s champions.

The other matches were, as usual, Premier Trophy matches. In the northern section, Newcastle faced Glasgow , and Workington took on Stoke . While in the southern section Exeter switched from their usual Bank Holiday morning fixture to an evening fixture against King’s Lynn while usual Monday nighters Reading were at home to Somerset .


Premier League: Rye House 50, Hull 44

Rye House Rockets staged their first league match of the season, against Hull , and won 50-44. Hull have a number of riders who go well at the Hoddesden track and were the only team to beat the Rockets at home in the league last year. Chris Neath missed that one but he made up for it this year with an untroubled 15 point maximum. The Rockets used Karlis Ezergailis as a reserve in place of Steve Boxall, out for a few matches with a broken thumb. Hull used rider replacement for Lee Dicken who has now been released by the club and will be replaced by Italian rider Simone Terenzani.

The first half of the match was very close with Rye House leading 25-23 after eight heats. Brent Werner snatched a second place on the line from Garry Stead in heat 4 but Hull hit back immediately in heat 5. Neath got away in front with Tommy Allen second, but Allen couldn't hold his place as firstly Emiliano Sanchez and then Paul Thorp passed him in an exciting shared heat. Heat 6 was also shared when Stead produced his best ride of the day, leading all the way to hold off Edward Kennet and Stuart Robson.

Rye House stretched ahead in heats 9 and 10 : Chris Neath and Daniel King were too fast for Garry Stead and Craig Branney, and then the Robson / Kennet duo had a comfortable win over Emil Kramer and Joel Parsons.

Emiliano Sanchez, Hull's best rider on the day, was looking better with each ride, exactly as he had in the 2004 meeting. He took a tactical ride in heat 11 alongside Paul Thorp and things looked good for Hull as they led Werner and Ezergailis coming out of the second bend. However, Werner decided that this was the time to produce his best race of the year and began to reel them in. He caught Thorp first and then swept past Sanchez in the home straight to get the home fans rocking.

Heats 12 and 13 were shared. Neath won from Sanchez in the first of these but heat 13 was a thriller. The slow starting Stuart Robson found himself behind Garry Stead and Paul Thorp. Robson sized them up for a couple of laps before cutting inside Stead. He caught and passed Thorp on the home straight in lap 3 only for Thorp to regain the lead at the bend ... but Robson caught him again and stayed in front.

Rye House were eight points clear at the start of heat 14 but Hull had a chance to get right back in it. Thorp appeared as a tactical substitute, riding with Emil Kramer, against Tommy Allen and Daniel King. Kramer made the gate ahead of King and Allen. The Rye House pair held off the chasing Thorp until he caught up with Allen at the third bend. As the two entered the bend, Allen fell and was excluded, a sad end to a miserable day for him. The pressure was really on King in the re-run and he responded well, starting fast and leading Kramer. Thorp eventually got past his team mate but could make little impression on King. Hull won the heat 5-3 but King's victory had ensured a home win.

(Exclusive report by Rye House reporter: Candyman)

Scorers: For Rye House – Chris Neath 15 (5) full maximum, Stuart Robson 9+2 (5), Daniel King 9+1 (7), Brent Werner 8+1 (4), Edward Kennett 7 (4), Karlis Ezergailis 2 (4), Tommy Allen 0 (3).

For Hull – Emiliano Sanchez 14+1 (6) including a 4 point TR, Paul Thorp 11+3 (6) including a 4 point GDTS, Craig Branney 8+1 (6), Garry Stead 6+1 (4), Emil Kramer 3+2 (4), Joel Parsons 2 (4)


Premier Trophy (north): Newcastle 48, Glasgow 42


With the match at Glasgow postponed yesterday, there was no bonus point at stake in this match. Newcastle were at full strength and on the usual lines but Glasgow , with Paul Bentley deciding to continue, switched their pairings which saw Bentley move to number two with Matthew Wethers riding at four.

Right on cue the rain started falling and by the end of heat two there was a lengthy delay to see if it would stop before deciding whether or not to continue. Stancl and Leverington had won the opening two heats with both shared for a 6-6 score. When the rain finally did stop extra shale was put on the bends and regrading took place. The match then resumed on a very wet track. Heats 3 and 4 were also shared thanks to a fine win by Matthew Wethers for Glasgow and James Grieves for Newcastle so, after four heats the match was all square at 12-12.

It was Glasgow who drew first blood with a 2-4 in heat 5 as George Stancl won the race with Paul Bentley third. Then, after another shared heat, Newcastle scored a 5-1 from Grieves and an impressive Lubos Tomicek to put the Diamonds two up at 22-20. But back came Glasgow in heat 8 with a win from Paul Bentley with Trent Leverington third to square the match at 24-24.

Newcastle were rocked in heat 9 when Shane Parker was followed home by young Glasgow reserve, James Cockle, for a 1-5 to the Tigers against their Franc/Kristensen pairing to take the score to 25-29. However Newcastle responded with a 4-2 and two 5-1s over the next three heats to lead 39-33. Heat 12 was a strange affair. Jaimie Robertson fell at the first bend and impeded Trent Leverington who also fell. Both riders remounted and continued to race as no red lights came on but then on the last lap James Cockle, who was leading at the time, also came to grief but got back up and remounted only to find that the race had then been stopped and awarded with him excluded.

Glasgow weren’t finished though and Shane Parker finally ended James Grieves winning run by taking heat 13 with George Stancl third to get the Tigers to within touching distance at 41-37. Josef Franc finally won a race in heat 14 and, although James Cockle took second place, Lubos Tomicek sealed things for the Diamonds by taking the vital third place to put Newcastle six points up with only heat 15 to come. A strange affair it was too with reserves Tomicek and Cockle lining up with Grieves and Parker respectively. The race was rerun after Tomicek had been excluded for riding on the grass at the first bend. James Grieves won the heat so Newcastle’s six point lead stayed the same.

Scorers: For Newcastle – James Grieves 14 (5), Lubos Tomicek 10+2 (6), Phil Morris 6+1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 5+2 (4), Josef Franc 5+1 (4), Christian Henry 4+1 (4), Claus Kristensen 4 (3),

For Glasgow – Shane Parker 13 (5), George Stancl 7 (4), Trent Leverington 6+1 (4), James Cockle 5+2 (4), Paul Bentley 5 (4), Matthew Wethers 5 (4), James Birkinshaw 1 (3).

(continued below)

[Merlin]

Monday, 2 May (continued)

Premier Trophy (north): Workington 50, Stoke 42 Stoke won the bonus point on aggregate by 94-92

Workington had gone down by ten points at Stoke on Saturday night so were well placed to challenge for the bonus point. They had recruited Aidan Collins to replace the injured James Wright and, because the team’s new averages came into play, Collins came in at number two with Kevin Little moving to reserve to partner Scott Courtney. Stoke were at full strength.

There was an unfortunate start to this match when Paul Clews ran into Aidan Collins which resulted in both riders taking heavy falls and no further part in the proceedings. Paul Clews was excluded from the rerun. With Carl Stonehewer winning the race Workington were off to a 4-2 start but made no further progress over the next four heats which were all shared to take the score after heat 5 to 16-14.

Another Comets’ 4-2 in heat 6 was followed by a 5-1 from Shaun Tacey and Kevin Little from Robbie Kessler with Peter Carr retiring from the heat. That put Workington eight points ahead at 25-17 and, since they were already missing Paul Clews, Stoke elected to put Alan Mogridge into heat 8 as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back. Although he got up to second place he couldn’t catch Kevin Little but Stoke took a 3-5 from the heat to pull back to 28-22.

Another 4-2 from a Nieminen win over Staechmann in heat 9 put Workington eight ahead again but Peter Carr beat Little and Stonehewer in heat 10 to keep it that way. In heat 11 both Workington riders fell and remounted, Kevin Little at the gate and Shaun Tacey on the fourth bend. As a result Stoke took a 1-5 from Mogridge and Evans and were now only four points in arrears. However after a Robson win for a shared heat 12 the Comets went six in front in heat 13 from Stonehewer and Tacey with Jan Staechmann retiring from the race. A 5-1 in heat 14 from Nieminen and Little after another Carr retiral stretched the lead to 10 points and the scores were now tied on aggregate.

There was no further joy for Workington as Stonehewer spun and fell off in heat 15. In the rerun Alan Mogridge beat Kauko Nieminen with Robbie Kessler picking up the third place point which sent Stoke home with the bonus point.

Scorers: For Workington – Kevin Little 13+2 (7), Kauko Nieminen 13 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10+1 (5), Shaun Tacey 8 (4), Scott Robson 5+1 (4), Scott Courtney 1 (5), Aiden Collins 1 (5)

For Stoke – Alan Mogridge 17 (6) including a 4 point GDTS from 15 metres, Barrie Evans 6+4 (5), Jan Staechmann 6 (4), Robbie Kessler 6 (5), Peter Carr 4+1 (4), Rob Grant 3+1 (5), Paul Clews 0 (1).


Premier Trophy (south): Exeter 64, King’s Lynn 29 Exeter won the bonus point on aggregate by 101-86

Exeter went into this match using Rider Replacement for the departed Jernej Kolenko but were otherwise at full strength. King’s Lynn had Michael Coles as a guest for the injured Oliver Allen at number five with Ashley Jones continuing at number 7. King’s Lynn went into the match defending a 20 point lead in search of the bonus point.

This turned out to be the biggest win of the season as Exeter eclipsed Edinburgh’s trouncing of Berwick by 62-29 to win by 35 points and take the bonus by 15. There’s not much can be said about the match as a contest although there was enough incident to keep the crowd involved.

It took until heat 5 before King’s Lynn managed to share a heat having suffered a string of Exeter successes. The Falcons started with two 5-1s and two 4-2s to lead 18-6 before Tomas Topinka taking a Tactical Ride managed a second place behind Toni Svab with Pavel Ondrasik taking the third place point for a 4-4. Another 5-1 in heat 6, after a Michael Coles engine failure, was followed by another shared heat when Mark Simmons fell and was excluded from the rerun of heat 7. The score was then 30-14 and Kings Lynn’s chances of the bonus point were looking shaky to say the least.

Then followed three successive 5-1 heat wins to Exeter which included a TR for Michael Coles in heat 9 (his partner Jan Jaros didn’t even let him through for the extra point at the back!). Exeter had now taken the score to 45-17 and the bonus point looked secure. Finally King’s Lynn produced a race winner when Tomas Topinka won heat 11 for a shared heat. Another 5-1 to Exeter was then followed by a 1-5 to King’s Lynn for a ray of sunshine amongst the carnage. This occurred in heat 13 thanks to Michael Coles and Tomas Topinka who beat Mark Lemon and Seemond Stephens. Although King’s Lynn were 28 points down they still had a mathematical chance of winning the bonus point but it meant Jan Jaros going from 15 metres back as a Tactical Substitute in heat 14 to partner Adam Allott. There was no fairy tale finish though as Exeter thumped home a 5-1 and finished with yet another in heat 15.

Scorers: For Exeter – Toni Svab 15+3 (6) paid maximum, Lee Smethills 14+1 (5) paid maximum, Mark Lemon 11+2 (5), Seemond Stephens 11 (5), Pavel Ondrasik 9+2 (5), Nick Simmons 4+2 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 11+1 (5) including a 4 point TR, Jan Jaros 6 (5) including a 2 point GDTS from 15 metres, Kevin Doolan 5 (4), Michael Coles 5 (5), Adam Allott 1+1 (4), James Brundle 1 (4), Ashley Jones 0 (3).



Premier Trophy (south): Reading 48, Somerset 42 Reading won the bonus point on aggregate by 93-90


Reading met Somerset in their return Premier Trophy match having gone down by only 3 points at Somerset. The Racers had Jamie Westacott at number 6. Somerset were still missing Jamie Smith so used Rider Replacement at number 2. They again nominated Ben Barker as their number 8.

Somerset were off to a winning start when Andrew Appleton suffered an engine failure in the opening heat for a 2-4 to the Rebels and better was to come for the visitors as they took a 1-5 in heat 2 to lead 3-9. Their luck ran out in heat 3 as Paul Fry had an engine failure at the start of the race and Reading took a 5-1 of their own. They were back on level terms with a 4-2 in heat 4 so the score was 12-12.

The next four heats were all shared before Reading finally got their noses in front with a 4-2 in heat 9 thanks to a Simota win from Cunningham and a Wolff third place. They followed that with a 5-1 in heat 10 from Appleton and Mills and now led by 33-27. Matej Zagar and Zdenek Simota won heats 11 and 12 but both times Somerset filled the minor places so the lead was still 6 points going into heat 13. In this heat Matej Zagar beat Magnus Zetterstrom for the second time but Glenn Cunningham kept Andrew Appleton at the back so there were still only six points between the sides at 42-36 with two races left.

In heat 14 Paul Fry finally came to life to win the heat after Jason King had fallen causing the race to be rerun with Reading on a 5-1 at the time. The shared heat clinched the match for Reading. There was still the matter of the bonus point though with Somerset needing a 1-5 to clinch it in the last heat. Magnus Zetterstrom did his bit by beating Matej Zagar but Glenn Cunningham finished behind Zdenek Simota for the ninth shared heat and fifth on the trot.

Scorers: For Reading – Matej Zagar 14 (5), Zdenek 12+1 (5), Chris Mills 8+2 (4), Richard Wolff 6+1 (4), Andrew Appleton 5 (4), Mathieu Tressarieu 3+1 (5), Jamie Westacott 0 (4).

For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 13 (5), Glenn Cunningham 8+1 (5), Ritchie Hawkins 8 (5), Paul Fry 4+1 (4), Lee Smart 4+1 (4), Jason King 3+2 (4), Ben Barker 2+1 (2).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 4 May

The Premier Trophy action tonight was at King’s Lynn where the Stars were at home to Newport.


Premier Trophy (south): King’s Lynn 53, Newport 39


King’s Lynn had one of last year’s side, Shaun Tacey, as a guest at number five for the injured Oliver Allen while Newport were at full strength for this match.

Tomas Topinka and James Brundle got King’s Lynn off to a 4-2 start in the opening heat but the next three heats were all shared resulting in a 13-11 lead for the Stars after heat 4. The Allott/Doolan pairing took a 5-1 in heat 5 then Craig Watson won heat 6 for a shared heat. Newport pulled two points back in a rerun heat 7 won by Mads Korneliussen with Neil Collins third for a 2-4 but in heat 8 James Brundle and Ashley Jones scored another 5-1 for the Stars to make the score 28-20 after heat 8.

Adam Allott beat Craig Watson in heat 9 for a 4-2 but this was neutralised by a 2-4 to Newport in heat 10 won by Mads Korneliussen with Neil Collins third. Heat 11 was shared so the score was 37-29. King’s Lynn then hit two 5-1s in heats 12 and 13 to sink the Wasps but they were lucky in heat 13 when Craig Watson on a TR ground to a halt on the second lap when leading the race turning a potential 3-6 into a 5-1. So instead of facing a nine point deficit Newport now found themselves 16 points down with no way back.

They gave Neil Collins a TR in heat 14 and, although he finished second to Adam Allott, his partner, Tony Atkin, finished third for a 3-5 to the Wasps. Craig Watson wrapped things up by winning heat 15 but with Topinka and Doolan passing Mads Korneliussen the heat was shared.


Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 12 (5), Adam Allott 10+1 (4), Kevin Doolan 9+2 (5), Shaun Tacey 9+1 (4), Ashley Jones 6+3 (5), James Brundle 5+1 (4), Jan Jaros 2 (3).

For Newport – Craig Watson 11 (5), Mads Korneliussen 10 (5), Michael Coles 6 (4), Neil Collins 6 (4) including a 4 point TR, Tony Atkin 5+2 (6), Kristian Lund 1 (3), Karlis Ezergailis 0 (3).


Individual Meeting: CPD Classic at Hull

This was an individual meeting with 16 riders competing over the 20 heat formula. The sixteen riders competing were the seven Hull riders plus nine invitees from the northern tracks. The result was as follows:

Winner – Paul Thorp (Hull) with 14 points
Second – Ross Brady (Edinburgh) with 13 points
Third – Michal Makovsky (Berwick) with 12 points.

[Merlin]

Thursday, 5 May

There was only one Premier Trophy meeting tonight but it was a vital one for both sides. Sheffield were at home to Hull in a match in which defeat for either side would almost certainly mean the end of their hopes for qualifying for the semi-finals by taking the runners-up spot in the group.


Premier Trophy (north): Sheffield 64, Hull 28 Sheffield won the bonus point on aggregate by 109-75


For this match Sheffield were at full strength with new signing, Trevor Harding, at number 7 in place of Kyle Legault. Hull , having redeclared their team to bring in Italian rider Simone Terenzani after releasing Lee Dicken, moved Joel Parsons to number 3 with Terenzani coming in at 6 to partner Craig Branney in the reserve berths. Hull won their home match against Sheffield by 47-45 so Sheffield only needed to pull back two points for the bonus. In the event Sheffield registered the biggest win of the season at Premier League level. Their 64-28 win consigned Exeter’s 64-29 drubbing of King’s Lynn on Monday night to the dustbin.

Any hopes that Hull might have had of getting any sort of result in this match disappeared in the first four heats. They managed to share the opening heat when Paul Thorp jumped the start to beat Sean Wilson but 5-1s in heats 2 and 3 plus a 4-2 in heat 4 for Sheffield sunk the Vikings without trace. In heat 2 Trevor Harding won his debut race for the Tigers but Simone Terenzani trailed badly at the back. Ashworth and Hall added the second of Sheffield’s two 5-1s for a heat 4 score of 17-7.

In heat 5 Paul Thorp and Emiliano Sanchez gated well but both were passed by Ricky Ashworth for a shared heat and Sheffield just kept pulling away after that. Two 4-2s in heats 6 and 7 stretched the lead to 28-14 before Hull nominated Emiliano Sanchez for a TR in heat 8. It didn’t do much good though as Ben Wilson and Trevor Harding headed Sanchez home for a 5-2 taking the score to 33-16. Another 4-2 from Ashworth and Hall resulted when Garry Stead got by Hall in heat 9 to make the interval score 37-18.

After the interval it was business as usual for Sheffield. In heat 10 Emil Kramer held an early lead only for the two Wilsons to pass him for a Sheffield 5-1. In heat 11 Paul Thorp took a TR but did no better than his team mate Sanchez and finished third behind Andre Compton and Paul Cooper for a 5-2. Craig Branney managed a second place for Hull in heat 12 as Sheffield scored a 4-2 then the expected 5-1 in heat 13 from Compton and Sean Wilson duly materialised in spite of a good gate from Paul Thorp. The score after 13 heats was 56-24.

In heat 14 Ricky Ashworth suffered an engine failure but Paul Cooper won the race to restrict Hull to the minor placings for a shared heat. The rout was finally completed with Sheffield’s seventh maximum heat win from Andre Compton and Sean Wilson both of whom had to come from the back to pass Emil Kramer. Hull had the indignity of registering the lowest score of the season with only 28 points from 15 heats – and two of those were extra points from TRs.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 15 (5) full maximum, Sean Wilson 12+2 (5), Ricky Ashworth 9 (4), Paul Cooper 8+2 (4), Ben Wilson 7+2 (4), Trevor Harding 7+1 (4), Richard Hall 6+1 (4).

For Hull – Paul Thorpe 8 (5) including a 2 point TR, Emil Kramer 7 (5), Garry Stead 6 (4), Craig Branney 4+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 3 (4) including a 2 point TR, Joel Parsons 0 (3), Simone Terenzani 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Friday, 6 May

Of the two matches raced tonight one was in the Premier Trophy and the other for Premier League points. The local derby at Edinburgh where Glasgow were the visitors was a Premier Trophy match. At Somerset the second Premier League match of the season took place as Workington provided the opposition for the Rebels.


Premier Trophy (north): Edinburgh 53, Glasgow 40 Edinburgh won the bonus point on aggregate by 99-86


This was the fourth local derby of the season as Edinburgh met Glasgow this time on Premier Trophy business. The match at Ashfield had ended in a draw so the result of the match would determine the destination of the bonus point. Edinburgh had switched round their top two with Ross Brady moving to number 1 and Daniel Nermark to number 5. They also had Jamie Courtney as a guest at number 7 in place of the injured Robert Ksiezak. Glasgow, who could no longer qualify for the semi-finals, switched Jamie Birkinshaw to number 2 and Matthew Wethers to number 3. They also used Rider Replacement at number 4 for Paul Bentley who was missing from the line up.

George Stancl forced his way past both the home riders to win the opening heat for a 3-3 but Edinburgh took a four point lead with successive 4-2s in heat 2 and 3. They got a shock in heat four when Glasgow drew level with a 1-5 from Shane Parker and James Cockle who shot from the gate for an early lead. Although Daniel Nermark passed James Cockle he made a mess of the second bend and the young Glasgow reserve moved back into second place for the maximum heat win. The score was now 12-12.

It looked as though it might be Glasgow’s night when they went ahead in heat 5 thanks to another Stancl win this time over Rusty Harrison. Cameron Woodward in third place suffered an engine failure to gift James Birkinshaw the third place point. However there was to be no repeat of the previous week’s collapse as Edinburgh rattled off four consecutive 4-2s and a 5-1 over the next five heats. Theo Pijper beat Shane Parker in heat six but it was heat seven which was the real turning point. George Stancl took the R/R for Paul Bentley but came crashing down on the second bend leaving Daniel Nermark to win the rerun comfortably. In one of the best races of the night Rusty Harrison came from behind to beat Shane Parker in heat 9 before a Brady/Pijper 5-1 put the Monarchs 10 points ahead in heat 10 at 35-25.

Glasgow wasted no time in giving George Stancl a TR in heat 11 but it was Daniel Nermark who hit the front to hold off Stancl and Leverington. The 3-5 made the score 38-30 so Glasgow gave Shane Parker a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back replacing James Cockle in heat 12. At this late stage in the meeting this was a real gamble and it did not pay off as Parker made no inroads to the lead built up by William Lawson and Rusty Harrison from the start. The 5-2 put Glasgow 11 points in arrears at 43-32.

Heat 13 resulted in a pile up at the first bend as George Stancl fell bringing down his team mate Shane Parker with Daniel Nermark piling into both of them. Stancl was excluded and, in the rerun, Daniel Nermark brought the house down with a superb drive inside Parker on the fourth bend for a fine win and a 4-2 to Edinburgh. The Tigers played their last card giving Matthew Wethers a TR in heat 14. William Lawson hit the front leaving Wethers to fend off the chasing Woodward for second place. Woodward caught up with him coming off the fourth bend on the second lap and as both riders headed for the same spot of track on the first bend something had to give. Matthew Wethers fell and the race was awarded to Edinburgh 5-1. In the last heat Nermark touched the tapes and was replaced by man of the match William Lawson who had by far his best meeting for the Monarchs. Not in this heat though as Parker and Stancl hit the front with Rusty Harrison retiring on the third lap and then Lawson suffering an engine failure on the last lap and having to push home for the third place point.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – William Lawson 12 (6), Theo Pijper 10+1 (4), Daniel Nermark 10 (4), Rusty Harrison 8+1 (5), Ross Brady 6+1 (4), Cameron Woodward 6+1 (4), Jaimie Courtney 1 (3).

For Glasgow – Shane Parker 14 (6) including a 2 point GDTS from 15 metres, George Stancl 12+1 (6) including a 4 point TR, James Cockle 5+1 (5), Trent Leverington 5+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 3 (4), James Birkinshaw 1 (3).


Premier League: Somerset 39, Workington 45


Somerset opened their Premier League campaign with a defeat at the hands of Workington . The Rebels welcomed back Jamie Smith after his absence with rib injuries and were at full strength. Workington were without Aidan Collins and used Rider Replacement at number two. They also had Jonathan Bethall at number 6 for Scott Courtney who has been released from the team to concentrate on riding for Buxton in the Conference League. Somerset suffered a bad blow when Ritchie Hawkins fell in heat 5, hurt his back and took no further part in the meeting. Eventually the meeting was abandoned after heat 14 due to heavy rain with Workington having already won the match.

Magnus Zetterstrom won the opening heat from Carl Stonehewer for a 3-3 before the Rebels stormed into an eight point lead with 5-1s in heats 2 and 3 with Kevin Little falling in heat 2 and Ritchie Hawkins and Paul Fry beating Scott Robson and Kauko Nieminen in heat 3. There then followed a succession of five shared heats to take the score to 28-20 after heat 8. Somerset’s cause was not helped by a fall by Jason King in heat 4, a fall for Ritchie Hawkins causing him to withdraw from the meeting in heat 5, an exclusion for Jamie Smith in heat 6 and a fall by Lee Smart in heat 7. This meant that in four of the first seven heats the Rebels had had only one finisher!

A retiral by Lee Smart in heat 9 led to a 2-4 to the Comets as Shaun Tacey beat Paul Fry and worse was to come for Somerset in heat 10 when Nieminen and Robson scored a 1-5 at the expense of Magnus Zetterstrom. Another retiral for Lee Smart in heat 11 meant that Glenn Cunningham’s win was for a share of the points. At this stage the Rebels still led by 34-32 although they could now claim only one finisher in six of the eleven heats.

With Ritchie Hawkins having withdrawn Somerset had to go with their two reserves in heat 12 and, after another retiral by Lee Smart, Workington wiped out Somerset’s lead with a 1-5 from Scott Robson and Kevin Little to put the Comets two in front at 35-37. The match finally slipped away from Somerset when Carl Stonehewer and Shaun Tacey scored a 1-5 ahead of Magnus Zetterstrom and Glenn Cunningham in heat 13 as Workington went six ahead at 36-42. Although Paul Fry won heat 14, yet another retiral by Lee Smart ended the Rebels hopes as the race was shared and the Comets retained their six point lead with just one heat to go. At this point the referee, having consulted both captains, called a halt to proceedings as the rain had made track conditions too dangerous.

Scorers: For Somerset – Paul Fry 10+1 (4), Glenn Cunningham 9 (4), Magnus Zetterstrom 8 (4), Jason King 3+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 3 (2), Jaimie Smith 3 (4), Lee Smart 3 (6)

For Workington – Kevin Little 10+2 (7), Shaun Tacey 9+1 (4), Kauko Nieminen 8+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 7+2 (4), Scott Robson 7+2 (4), Jonathan Bethall 5+3 (4).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 7 May

There should have been four Premier League fixtures tonight but the match between Berwick and Newcastle was a late casualty to the weather. The three other matches were at Rye House where the Rockets were at home to Sheffield , at Stoke where the Potters were at home to Somerset and at Workington where Newport were the visitors.


Premier League: Rye House 61, Sheffield 32


Rye House raced their second Premier League match tonight before most sides had even started. They had Harland Cook at number six for the injured Steve Boxall. Sheffield were at full strength.



In trouncing Sheffield 61-32, Rye House added substance to predictions that they will be strong contenders for this year's Premier League title. Star of the show was Tommy Allen with a paid maximum, in total contrast to his performance less than a week before when he suffered from a carburettor problem. Well done too, to Harland Cook (3+1), promoted from Rye's Conference League side to reserve in place of Steve Boxall.

The first heat set the tone for the evening. Sean Wilson and Ben Wilson led Edward Kennett and Stuart Robson out of the second bend but, within a lap, both had been passed. Kennett and Robson went on to win by a distance. Harland Cook followed Daniel King home in heat 2 although he was helped by the Sheffield pair, Paul Cooper and Trevor Harding, appearing to race each other. As a result, both went wide on the third bend of the first lap to leave Cook in clear second place. He made no mistakes and cantered home for his first Premier League points.

Heat 4 saw the appearance of Andre Compton for the visitors and it soon developed into two races : Brent Werner chasing Compton and Trevor Harding trying to hold off Daniel King. Compton appeared to be winning his duel with Werner but the American has been in inspired form recently and he finally caught and passed Compton. Harding took third place for a shared heat.

Andre Compton produced another good ride in heat 6 but he couldn't keep up with Edward Kennett. He did, however, manage to stay ahead of the chasing Stuart Robson who just failed to get up on the line. Compton took a tactical ride in heat 9, against the rock solid partnership of Neath and Allen. Tommy Allen flew from the tapes to lead throughout whereas Neath, in second place, spent much of the race looking over his shoulder to check on Compton's position but he was never close enough to worry Neath.

It was Sean Wilson's turn to take a tactical ride in heat 11 but Brent Werner beat him comfortably to take his third successive heat win. Wilson produced a better ride in heat 13, against Werner and Robson, but, for once, Stuart Robson gated quickly from the inside and remained in control throughout. Sheffield claimed their first heat win in the last heat of the evening, Andre Compton leading home Brent Werner ahead of Wilson and Kennett. However, Compton really had to work for his win, Werner giving everything in the chase.

Rye House : Kennett 12 (5), Allen 11+1 (4) paid maximum, Werner 11 (5), Robson 8+2 (4), Neath 8+2 (4), King 8+1 (4), Cook 3+1(4).

Sheffield : Compton 10+1 (5) including a 2 point TR, Sean Wilson 9 (5) including a 4 point TR, Ashworth 5 (4), Hall 4+1 (4), Harding 2+1 (4), Ben Wilson 1+1 (4), Cooper 1 (4).

(Report by Candyman)


Premier League: Stoke, Somerset 42


The unfortunate Jan Staechmann, after a long spell on the injury list, has had to withdraw from the Stoke side again possibly for the rest of the season. Tonight in his place Rusty Harrison was again the guest this time at number 5. Somerset were missing Jaimie Smith and used Rider Replacement at number 2. This was the Rebels’ second Premier League match in two days having lost at home to Workington last night.

It didn’t start well for the Potters as Somerset were quickly into their stride. After a shared opening heat won by Magnus Zetterstrom, Somerset struck with a 1-5 in the reserves race for a four point lead. Peter Carr won heat 3 after Robbie Kessler had fallen and been excluded for another shared heat then Somerset went further ahead in heat 4. Jason King beat Rusty Harrison with Glenn Cunningham third. The 2-4 took the score after heat 4 to 9-15.

The next three heats were shared before Stoke hit back with a 5-1 in heat 8 from Paul Clews and Barrie Evans from Ritchie Hawkins and Jason King. This reduced the gap to two points at 23-25. Glenn Cunningham won heat 9 from Kessler and Carr but Stoke wiped out the deficit and took the lead with a 5-1 in heat 10 from Alan Mogridge and Paul Clews. Stoke were now in front at 31-29.

Rusty Harrison beat Magnus Zetterstrom for a shared heat 11 and Stoke followed up with another 5-1 in heat 12 from Peter Carr and Barrie Evans to go six up at 39-33. Glenn Cunningham won heat 13 to keep the Rebels in the match but it was all over with another Potters’ 5-1 in heat 14 from Barrie Evans and Robbie Kessler from King and Fry. Stoke were now 10 points in front and it was just as well because Glenn Cunningham and Magnus Zetterstrom finished with a 1-5 to reduce the gap to six points making the bonus point a precarious target for Stoke later in the season.

Scorers: For Stoke – Rusty Harrison 11 (5), Peter Carr 9+1 (4), Paul Clews 8+2 (4), Alan Mogridge 7+2 (5), Barrie Evans 7+2 (5), Robbie Kessler 5+2 (4), Rob Grant 1 (3).

For Somerset – Glenn Cunningham 13 (5), Magnus Zetterstrom 10+1 (5), Jason King 7+2 (7), Paul Fry 5 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 4+2 (5), Lee Smart 3 (4).



Premier League: Workington 43, Newport 49


This result must classify as the shock result of the season so far but it highlights the danger of using Rider Replacement and going with an inexperienced reserve when things go wrong. With Scott Robson being taken to hospital after a fall in heat 5 Workington just couldn’t cope trying to cover all the gaps and succumbed to an excellent performance from Newport . Workington were without Aidan Collins and used Rider Replacement at number 2. They had Jonathan Bethell at number 7 and nominated Scott James as their number 8. Newport were at full strength.

To be fair to Newport, Workington weren’t exactly having it all their own way before Robson’s injury. The teams shared 4-2s in the first two heats but Newport took the lead in heat 3 thanks to a 2-4 from Neil Collins and Mads Korneliussen split by Scott Robson. It was all square after heat 4 when Shaun Tacey beat Craig Watson with Jonathathan Bethel heading home Karlis Ezergailis for a Workington 4-2.

The turning point came in heat 5 when Scott Robson hit the safety fence while chasing Michael Coles and was taken to hospital for a check-up. The race was awarded to Kauko Nieminen with Robson excluded for a shared heat but it was now backs to the wall for the Comets. Carl Stonehewer won heat 6 but Kevin Little finished at the back behind Craig Watson and Tony Atkin for another shared heat. The depleted Comets side could hardly afford to lose the 1-5 in heat 7 when Mads Korneliussen and Neil Collins beat Kevin Little and Shaun Tacey but worse was to come in heat 8 when Krister Lund and Tony Atkin repeated the dose ahead of Scott James, the Comets’ number 8, who was pressed into action. The score was now 20-28 with the writing clearly on the wall.

Watson, then Stonehewer, won the next two heats both of which were shared then there was a ray of hope for the Comets when they took a 5-1 from Tacey and Little in heat 11 from Lund and Coles. Their joy was short-lived though as Mads Korneliussen and Tony Atkin took another 1-5 from Kevin Little with Nieminen retiring with an engine failure. Carl Stonehewer won heat 13 but, with Shaun tacey relegated to the back behind Craig Watson and Michael Coles, Workington were still 8 points down at 35-43 with just two races to go.

To have any chance of winning, Workington had to introduce a Tactical Substitute in heat 14 and in came Carl Stonehewer from 15 metres back to partner Kevin Little. Stonehewer got past Atkins and Little but couldn’t catch Neil Collins who wrapped the points up for the Wasps. The 5-3 pulled two points back and a win for Carl Stonehewer in the last heat, with Tacey again last, resulted in a six point win for Newport.


Scorers: For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 19 (6) including a 4 point GDTS from 15 metres, Kevin Little 8+3 (7), Shaun Tacey 6 (5), Kauko Nieminen 5 (5), Scott James (No.8) 2 (2), Scott Robson 2 (2), Jonathan Bethell 1 (3).

For Newport – Neil Collins 11+2 (5), Craig Watson 11 (5), Tony Atkin 8+2 (5), Mads Korneliussen 8+1 (4), Michael Coles 5+1 (4), Kristen Lund 5+1 (4), Karlis Ezergailis 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 8 May

There were two Premier League fixtures raced today plus the Championship of Great Britain qualifier at Newcastle . The first Premier League match was at Glasgow where the Tigers faced the Exeter Falcons. The other match was at Newport where the Wasps were at home to Stoke .


Premier League: Glasgow 55, Exeter 38


There was an early 1.00pm start at Glasgow this afternoon to give the fans time to get to the meeting at Newcastle later in the day. This afternoon’s visitors were Exeter . Glasgow were at full strength with Paul Bentley taking his place in the line up at number 4, Matthew Wethers returning to the number 2 spot and James Birkinshaw to number 3. Exeter used Rider Replacement for new signing Ray Morton at number 3.

After Mark Lemon had won the opening race for a shared heat, Glasgow took a four point lead with a 5-1 in the reserves race. Heat 3 was awarded after James Birkinshaw had collided with Lee Smethills. With Paul Bentley winning the race it resulted in a shared heat but Tigers stretched their lead to six points in heat 4 when Shane Parker passed Pavel Ondrasik for the heat win with Trent leverington third. The score was now 15-9.

Another Lemon win resulted in a shared heat 5 but George Stancl won heat 6 from Seemond Stephens with Matthew Wethers third for a 4-2 which saw Glasgow go 8 points ahead. The lead went to 10 points with Shane Parker and James Cockle taking another 4-2 in heat 7. Exeter decided to give a TR to Pavel Ondrasik in heat 8 but that was the wrong choice since it was Smethills who won the race from Matthew Wethers and Ondrasik. Nonetheless the result was a 2-5 to Exeter pulling three points back and the score went to 28-21.

James Birkinshaw passed Seemond Stephens in heat 9 to join Paul Bentley for a 5-1 which put Glasgow 11 ahead at 33-22 and another followed courtesy of George Stancl and Matthew Wethers in heat 10 stretching the Tigers’ lead to 15 points at 38-23. With Tigers’ big finish still to come that really finished Exeter’s chances and damage limitation was the name of the game for the Falcons.

They gave Mark Lemon a TR in heat 11 but Shane Parker continued on his winning way so the TR produced only four points. Lee Smethills backed Lemon up however so Exeter took a 3-5 to trail by 41-28. Tony Svab produced his only race win in heat 12 for a shared heat and the usual Parker/Stancl 5-1 duly materialised in heat 13. This was neutralised by a 1-5 to Exeter in heat 14 when Pavel Ondrasik and Toni Svab headed home James Cockle but another Parker/Stancl 5-1 in the last heat increased Glasgow’s lead to 17 points again to get their Premier League campaign off to a fine start.

Scorers: for Glasgow – Shane Parker 15 (5) full maximum), George Stancl 12+2 (5), Paul Bentley 8 (4), Matthew Wethers 6+2 (4), Trent Leverington 6 (4), James Cockle 5+2 (5), James Birkinshaw 3+2 (3).

For Exeter – Mark Lemon 11 (5) including a 4 point TR, Pavel Ondrasik 11 (7) including a 2 point TR, Toni Svab 8+1 (5), Lee Smethills 5+2 (5), Seemond Stephens 3 (5), Nick Simmons 0 (3).


Premier League: Newport 46, Stoke 48


Well if Newport produced a shock away win last night at Workington they were on the wrong end of another shock result this afternoon when Stoke beat them on their own track. Like last night though it was injuries which proved crucial with Krister Lund being taken to hospital with a back injury then Craig Watson falling and suffering a suspected broken ankle. Newport were at full strength but Stoke again had Rusty Harrison as a guest at number 5 for Jan Staechmann.

Newport seemed to start well enough, though with 5-1s in the opening two heats with no sign of the drama to come although in the first heat Alan Mogridge had fallen and been excluded from the rerun. The next two heats were shared and the score after heat 4 was 16-8.

Alan Mogridge fell again in heat 5 but remounted as Newport hammered in another 5-1 from Korneliussen and Collins to put the Wasps 12 ahead at 21-9. Stoke gave Rusty Harrison a TR in heat 6 and he duly obliged by winning the heat from Michael Coles and Tony Atkin. Atkin had come in as a reserve replacement as Krister Lund had gone off to hospital with a back injury although it’s not clear what he did to cause it. The 3-6 pulled three points back for Stoke who now trailed 24-15. Following this heat there was an interval while the track, which had tuend into a dust bowl, was watered.

Craig Watson won heat 7 to share the points then Alan Mogridge took a Tactical Substitue ride from 15 metres back in heat 8 replacing Barrie Evans. Paul Clews won the heat but Mogridge got passed Ezergailis to double his one point and Stoke took a 2-5 to get back to six points in arrears. Rusty Harrison won heat 9 for a shared heat then Peter Carr and Robbie Kessler took a 1-5 in heat 10 ahead of Michael Coles as Stoke closed the gap to two points at 33-31.

Wins for Craig Watson and Mads Korneliussen were only good for shared heats in heats 11 and 12 then disaster struck for Newport in a big way in heat 13. Craig Watson fell on the third bend after hitting the fence and was removed from the track by ambulance with a suspected broken ankle. In the rerun Harrison and Mogridge took a 1-5 which not only wiped out Newport’s lead but put the Potters two in front at 40-42. with two heats to go. Neil Collins beat Robbie Kessler in heat 14 with Tony Atkin third to tie the scores at 44-44.

In heat 15 Alan Mogridge beat Neil Collins for the three points with Rusty Harrison holding off Mads Korneliussen to give Stoke a victory which hardly seemed likely after heat 5.

Scorers: For Newport – Mads Korneliussen 10+1 (5), Neil Collins 9+1 (5), Craig Watson 9 (4), Tony Atkin 7+1 (6), Michael Coles 7 (4), , Kristen Lund 2+1 (1), Karlis Ezergailis 2+1 (5).

For Stoke – Rusty Harrison 15 (5) including a 6 point TR, Alan Mogridge 8+2 (6), Peter Carr 8+1 (4), Paul Clews 7 (4), Robbie Kessler 6+3 (4), Barrie Evans 3+1 (4), Rob Grant 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Monday, 9 May

With no Monday night match at Exeter this week the only Premier Trophy action was at Reading where Rye House were the visitors.


Premier Trophy (south): Reading 40, Rye House 48 Rye House won the bonus point on aggregate by 103-80


It was a much depleted Reading side that took on Rye House tonight. The Racers were without Mathieu Tressarieu, who had stomach bug, and Chris Johnson who has a broken collarbone. Their places at reserve were taken by Ben Barker and Daniel Giffard. Rye House were without Steve Boxall who has a broken thumb and gave another outing to their Conference League side’s Harland Cook. Reading were looking to overcome a 15 point deficit from the match at Hoddesdon for the bonus point.

On what was reported as a ‘dust bowl’ of a track, Reading lost a 1-5 in the opening heat to Stuart Robson and Edward Kennett and never got back into the match. In fact every one of the Rye House side won a heat, apart from Harland Cook, while Daniel Giffard at number 7 for Reading failed to complete four laps in each of his four races. Reading did win heat two 3-2 with Ben Barker beating Daniel King after Harland Cook had fallen and Daniel Giffard had suffered an engine failure. Cook was withdrawn from the meeting at this point. A shared heat 3 was followed by a 2-4 to the Rockets when Daniel King, who failed to beat Ben Barker in heat 2, beat Matej Zagar! The score after heat 4 was 9-14.

Heats 5 and 6 were shared then Reading had another 3-2 success in heat 7 won by Matej Zagar from Chris Neath as both Daniel Giffard and Tommy Allen retired. Rye House hit back with a 2-4 in heat 8 when Chris Mills separated the Rockets’ pairing of Kennett and King to take the score to 20-26.

Another 3-3 in heat 9 was followed by a Rockets’ 2-4 in heat 10 with Mills again separating the two Rockets – Chris Neath and Tommy Allen - with Andrew Appleton finishing last. Heats 11 and 12 were shared and Reading remained eight points down but they pulled two points back with a 4-2 in heat 13 won by Andrew Appleton from Stuart Robson with Matej Zagar third. The score was now 35-41. Any lingering hopes the Racers had disappeared in heat 14 with yet another Rye House 2-4 this time from Tommy Allen and Daniel King. Matej Zagar won the last heat for a share of the points. This result surely wraps the southern section up for Rye House.

Scorers: For Reading – Matej Zagar 12 (5), Richard Wolff 8+1 (5), Chris Mills 6 (4), Andrew Appleton 5+1 (4), Zdenek Simota 5+1 (4), Ben Barker 4+1 (5), Daniel Giffard 0 (4).

For Rye House – Chris Neath 13 (5), Stuart Robson 9 (4), Edward Kennett 8+4 (5), Brent Werner 7 (4), Daniel King 7 (5), Tommy Allen 4 (4), Harland Cook 0 (1).