Around the Premier League Tracks 2005

[Merlin]

Thursday, 19 May

Tonight’s fixture at Sheffield was for Premier League points against Reading .


Premier League: Sheffield 60, Reading 35


This turned out to be another runaway win for Sheffield which was perhaps not surprising as they took on a Reading side coming off the back of two away defeats and one home defeat last weekend. Sheffield were at full strength while Reading had Ritchie Dennis at number 6 for the injured Chris Johnson.

Three 5-1s in the opening three heats set the pattern for the match. It took until heat 4 before Reading managed a shared heat when Trevor Harding finished last behind Tressarieu and Zagar. The score after the first four races was 18-6.

The next four heats were all won by Sheffield riders although Andrew Appleton managed a second place behind Ricky Ashworth in heat 5 while on a TR and Matej Zagar did likewise behind Andre Compton in heat 6. Reading’s middle pairing of Wolff and Simota conceded the second of their three 1-5 reverses in heat 7 then Tressarieu finished second behind Ben Wilson in heat 8. The two 4-2s, 5-1 and 4-4 took the score to 35-15.

In heat 9 Reading finally had some success when Matej Zagar, taking a TR, won the heat from Ashworth and Hall for a 3-6. However it was only a temporary halt to the Sheffield steamroller. In heat 10 the two Wilsons inflicted the third 5-1 over Wolff and Simota before Mathieu Tressarieu finished second to Compton for a 4-2. In heat 12 Ricky Ashworth suffered an engine failure but had been passed by Mathieu Tressarieu before he spluttered to a halt. Simota in third place also had an engine failure allowing Trevor Harding to finish second although Simota did complete the race for a point. The 2-4 to Reading brought the score to 49-28.

Sean Wilson won heat 13 but the action was at the back where Matej Zagar finally got the better of Andre Compton while Appleton pulled up. In heat 14 Richard Hall fell trying to pass Richard Wolff and was excluded. Paul Cooper won the rerun for a shared heat. Heat 15, like heat 13, resulted in a win for Sean Wilson. Again the battle was at the back between Compton and Zagar with Zagar just getting up to beat Compton on the line for a last heat 4-2.


Scorers: For Sheffield – Sean Wilson 14+1 (5), Andre Compton 11 (5), Ben Wilson 9+1 (4), Paul Cooper 9+1 (4), Ricky Ashworth 7+1 (4), Trevor Harding 5+1 (4), Richard hall 5 (4).

For Reading – Matej Zagar 13 (5) including a 4 point TR, Mathieu Tressarieu 10+1 (6), Andrew Appleton 4 (4) all from a TR, Richard Wolff 4 (5), Zdenek Simota 2 (4), Steve Masters 1 (3), Ritchie Dennis 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Friday, 20 May

In the two matches tonight Edinburgh began their Premier League campaign with a home match against King’s Lynn while Somerset continued their Premier Trophy campaign with a match against Newport .


Premier League: Edinburgh 57, King’s Lynn 38


For their first Premier League match of the season Edinburgh welcomed King’s Lynn to Armadale. The Monarchs were at full strength with Theo Pijper having managed to put a bike together for this match following the theft of all of his equipment last weekend. King’s Lynn had Armadale specialist James Grieves riding at number 5 for the injured Oliver Allen and had moved Adam Allott to number 2 with Paul Lee riding at number 3.

King’s Lynn so dominant round their own track provided little threat other than the fast-gating Tomas Topinka who had by far and away his best ever match at Armadale dropping only one point – to Daniel Nermark in the opening race. The Stars were unfortunate to lose the services of James Brundle who appeared to have dislocated his shoulder after a fall in heat 7 but with Brundle, Allott, Jones and Jaros contributing only six points between them to the team total it was a question of damage limitation for the Stars.

Edinburgh started with an opening 4-2 from Nermark and Brady, a 5-1 in the reserves race, and another 4-2 in heat 3 when Theo Pijper dispelled some of his gloom with a fine win over a lively Paul Lee with Cameron Woodward coming from the back to pass James Brundle. James Grieves stooped the rot with a heat 4 win from Rusty Harrison for a shared heat to make the heat 4 score 16-8.

Tomas Topinka romped away with heat 5 after passing Pijper and Woodward round the first two bends for a 3-3 but Monarchs struck again in heat 6 with an excellent 5-1. Ross Brady made the gate and blocked the line James Grieves wanted to keep him behind. Meanwhile Daniel Nermark made up the ground on the two front runners and ‘nudged’ his way past Grieves on the second lap back straight as Grieves tried to close him down to join his partner for the maximum. The next two races were shared with Paul Lee having a fine win over Rusty Harrison in heat 7 then Ross Brady winning heat 8 with Ashley Jones and Adam Allott taking the minor places to bring the score to 30-18.

Heat 9 was the race of the night. James Grieves took a TR for the Stars but it was Theo Pijper who led from the start. Grieves looked comfortable in second place but Cameron Woodward had other ideas. With a superb outside drive on the first and second bends he swooped past Grieves coming off the second bend to join Pijper and ruin the TR ride by taking the heat 5-2. Edinburgh struck again in heat 10. Paul Lee charged from the tapes again off gate 4 and made to drive round the outside of Ross Brady but Brady was having none of it moving out to block Lee’s run and allow Daniel Nermark to nip up the inside for another 5-1 to take the heat 10 score to 40-21.

Tomas Topinka took a TR in heat 11 and, by winning the race, produced the only heat advantage the Stars managed all night. Adam Allott had also made a fast start but he was soon passed by William Lawson and Rusty Harrison so the Monarchs restricted the damage to 3-6. Cameron Woodward beat the ever pressing Paul Lee in heat 12 but Ashley Jones picked up the third place point from David McAllan for a shared heat. Another lightning start saw Topinka off into the distance in heat 13 with Harrison chasing but Nermark who was stuck at the back got past James Grieves for another shared heat. The heat 13 score was 49-33.

King’s Lynn played their last tactical card in heat 14 giving the impressive Paul Lee a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 14 but there was no way he could give Theo Pijper and William Lawson that sort of lead and the heat finished 5-2 with Jan Jaros again well off the pace. Topinka finished off an excellent evening by again rocketing from the gate for his fourth consecutive victory but Pijper and Nermark filled the minor places to preserve Edinburgh’s 19 point lead.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Theo Pijper 13 (5), Ross Brady 10 (4), Daniel Nermark 9+4 (5), William Lawson 8+2 (4), Cameron Woodward 7+2 (4), Rusty Harrison 7+1 (4), David McAllan 3+2 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 17 (5) including a 6 point TR, Paul Lee 9 (6) including a 2 point GDTS from 15 metres back, James Grieves 6 (4), Ashley Jones 5+1 (6), Adam Allott 1+1 (4), ames Brundle 0 (2), Jan Jaros 0 (3).


Premier Trophy (south): Somerset 44, Newport 49


It was another bad night for Somerset as they went down at home again to Newport in a Premier Trophy match the outcome of which was not going to affect the qualifiers from the section. Somerset were at full strength but Newport had Chris Neath as a guest at number 5 for the injured Craig Watson.

Somerset got a shock right from the start when Newport reserve Tony Atkin won the first two races beating Magnus Zetterstrom in the process. In heat 2 he was supported by Karlis Ezergailis who took the third place point so Newport took a two point lead with the 2-4. Even worse was to come for the Rebels as Newport hammered in a 1-5 in heat 3 thanks to Mads Korneliussen and ex-Rebel Neil Collins ahead of Paul Fry. Glenn Cunningham steadied the ship by winning heat 4 for a shared heat but the score at that stage was 9-15.

Kristian Lund kept the pressure on the Rebels by winning heat 5 for a share of the points but Tony Atkin took his third win in six heats in heat 6. Backed by Chris Neath from Magnus Zetterstrom another 1-5 went the Wasps’ way to take the score to 13-23 and the siren was sounding. Glenn Cunningham took a TR in heat 7 and won the race from Neil Collins but Mads Korneliussen could make no impression on Somerset reserve Jason King in third place so the Rebels scored a 7-2 to bring them back into the match. Kristian Lund had another win in heat 8 for a shared heat bringing the score at that point to 23-28.

Somerset got right back into the match with a 5-1 in heat 9 thanks to Paul Fry and Ritchie Hawkins from Chris Neath and Tony Atkin. The Rebels were only one point in arrears now at 28-29. Zetterstrom finally got going to win heat 10 but with Korneliussen and Collins following him home the heat was shared. Heat 11 was shared too with Cunningham winning it but heat 12 always looked a dangerous one for Somerset and so it turned out as Newport hit them for another 1-5 through Korneliussen and Atkin.

Back came the Rebels with a 4-2 in heat 13 won by Zetterstrom from Neath with Cunningham third then yet another 4-2 from Fry over Collins with Jason King third to cut Newport’s lead to one point again at 43-44 with a last heat decider now due in heat 15. The odds were probably slightly on Somerset but there was no happy ending for them as Mads Korneliussen and Chris Neath took a 1-5 ahead of Magnus Zetterstrom and Glenn Cunningham to wrap up the proceedings.



Scorers: For Somerset – Glenn Cunningham 13 (5) including a 6 point TR, Magnus Zetterstrom 10 (5), Paul Fry 9 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 4+2 (4), Jason King 4 (4), Jamie Smith 3+1 (4), Lee Smart 1+1 (4).

For Newport – Tony Atkin 12+1 (6), Mads Korneliussen 11 (5), Chris Neath 8+2 (5), Kristian Lund 8 (4), Neil Collins 7+2 (4), Karlis Ezergailis 2+1 (3), Michael Coles 1+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 21 May

Two Premier League matches and one Premier Trophy match were scheduled for tonight. However the weather caused the Premier Trophy match between Stoke and Edinburgh to be postponed (for the second time!) The other two Premier League matches did take place . These were at Berwick where King’s Lynn were the visitors and at Workington where the Comets faced Hull .


Premier League: Berwick 49, King’s Lynn 41


There was much speculation about what sort of team Berwick would field over the weekend but the only change in personnel was the signing of Tom P Madsen for Piotr Dym. Madsen came into the side at number 4 with Michal Makovsky going to 5. With the new averages taking effect Chris Schramm moved into the body of the team at number 3 while Scott Smith moved to reserve at number 6. Chris Schramm was absent on under 21 duty so Berwick used R/R in his absence. King’s Lynn fielded the same team which lost at Edinburgh last night but with James Brundle unable to take his place due to a shoulder injury the Stars used R/R at number 4 instead.

Adrian Rymel beat Tomas Topinka in heat 1 – the only defeat of the night for Topinka – and Berwick were off to a 4-2 start. Scott Smith won heat 2 but Jones and Jaros filled the minor places for a shared heat. Berwick struck with a 5-1 in heat 3 from Scott Smith again (taking a R/R ride) and Tom P Madsen from Paul Lee but King’s Lynn nullified that with a 1-5 in heat 4 from their guest, Claus Kristensen, and Jan Jaros as Michal Makovsky came to grief on the last bend in an effort to get past them. The score after heat 4 was 13-11.

It was all square after heat 5 when Topinka headed Madsen home with Adam Allott taking the third place point for a 2-4. Rymel won heat 6 for a share of the points but the Bandits went four points ahead again with a 5-1 from Scott Smith and Michal Makovsky in heat 7. Heat 8 was shared as Adam Allott and Jan Jaros followed Adam Pietraszko home to take the score after eight heats to 23-19.

King’s Lynn suffered a bad blow in heat 9. First Claus Kristensen failed to beat the time allowance and had to go from 15 metres back then he crashed into the fence in an effort to avoid Ashley Jones who had fallen right in front of him. Although he took his place in the rerun Kristensen retired from the meeting thereafter on doctor’s orders as King’s Lynn conceded a 5-1 to Smith and Madsen. Scott Smith had now won four of the first nine heats! That was the end of any heat advantages to either side as the remaining six heats all finished 3-3. King’s Lynn provided five of the six race winners via Topinka (3) and Lee (2) but there was just no back-up for them so the Stars went down by the eight points by which they had trailed after heat 9.

Scorers: For Berwick – Scott Smith 17+1 (7), Adrian Rymel 12+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 7+3 (4), Michal Makovsky 6+3 (5), Adam Pietraszko 6 (5), Joachim Kugelmann 1 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14 (5), Paul Lee 8+1 (6), Jan Jaros 7+3 (7), Claus Kristensen 5+1 (3), Ashley Jones 4 (5), Adam Allott 3 (4).


Premier League: Workington 47, Hull 43


Workington were still without Scott Robson and used R/R at number 2. Tony Atkin moved to number 3 and Scott James took the number 7 spot which is causing Workington so much trouble since James Wright’s injury. Hull were at full strength for this match.

Hull gave the Comets quite a scare before the home side finally got their noses in front for the first time in heat 13. The first three heats were all shared thanks to wins from Stonehewer, Little and Kramer but it was the Vikings who finally broke the deadlock with a 2-4 in heat 4 from Garry Stead and Joel Parsons with Nieminen in second place to make the score 11-13.

The next four heats were all shared to leave the home side still two points in arrears after heat 8 at 23-25. It got worse for Workington in heat 9 when Garry Stead and Simone Terenzani scored a 1-5 from Tony Atkin and Shaun Tacey to stretch the Vikings’ lead to six points at 24-30. In heat 10 Workington shaved two points from Hull’s lead with a 4-2 from Stonehewer and Little with Emil Kramer in second place. Nieminen won heat 11 for another shared heat but Workington struck again with another 4-2 in heat 12 from Atkin and Little to cut the lead to two points at 35-37.

In heat 13 Workington completed the fightback and took the lead with a 5-1 from Kauko Nieminen and Carl Stonehewer ahead of Garry Stead to make the score 40-38. Emil Kramer won heat 14 but Tacey and Little followed him home to retain Workington’s slender two point advantage setting up a last heat decider. Carl Stonehewer ensured a home win by winning heat 15 with Kauko Nieminen taking third place behind Garry Stead to double Workington’s lead to four points.

Scorers: For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 13+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 12 (5), Kevin Little 8+1 (7), Tony Atkin 7+3 (5), Shaun Tacey 7+1 (5), Scott James 0 (3).

For Hull – Garry Stead 12 (5), Emil Kramer 10 (4), Paul Thorp 9+1 (5), Simone Terenzani 4+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 3+1 (4), Craig Branney 3+1 (4), Joel Parsons 2+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 22 May

Three Premier League matches were raced today in spite of the weather’s attempts to dictate otherwise. At Newport there was an hour’s delay to the start of the match while the track staff removed water from the track and laid sawdust so that their match against Edinburgh could begin. At Glasgow heavy rain during the match stopped in time for the Tigers’ match against Berwick to be completed. The third match to be raced was at Newcastle where Exeter had made the long trip from Devon to provide the opposition.


Premier League: Newport 47, Edinburgh 46


Newport , having lost to Stoke and King’s Lynn in their last two matches, were desperate to avoid a third consecutive home loss. Aiding their cause was Elite League rider Chris Harris who was allowed under the rules to guest for Craig Watson. Another boost for the Wasps, strangely enough, was the absence through illness of Michael Coles currently riding at number one but whose average is currently sixth highest in the Wasps’ averages. This allowed them to use any of their 1-5 to take a R/R ride including Chris Harris. Edinburgh were at full strength.

Edinburgh got off to a whirlwind start with a 2-4 from Daniel Nermark and Ross Brady, followed by two consecutive 1-5s. William Lawson and David McAllan took the reserves race from Tony Atkin then Theo Pijper and Cameron Woodward added another maximum as Mads Korneliussen fell at the back while Neil Collins pushed home for a point that was to prove highly significant by the end of the meeting. Chris Harris won heat 4 from Rusty Harrison with Tony Atkin picking up the odd point for a 4-2 which took the score after 4 heats to 8-16.

Ross Brady won heat 5 from Neil Collins with Daniel Nermark third for a 2-4 which stretched the Monarchs lead to 10 points so in heat 6 Newport gave the R/R for Coles to Chris Harris and nominated him as a TR too. Harris duly obliged beating Harrison and Kristian Lund took the odd point for a 7-2 which hauled the Wasps back into the match at 20-25. Another Harris win in heat 7 shared the heat but Edinburgh increased their lead to seven points by winning heat 8 by 2-4 thanks to Brady and McAllan. The score after 8 heats was 22-29.

Harrison could only separate Korneliussen and Collins in heat 9 so Newport took a 4-2 to cut the Monarchs’ lead to 5 points again and a win by Cameron Woodward kept it that way after heat 10 as Pijper’s bike failed just before the start requiring him to use a team mate’s. Then Newport hit their visitors with two crushing blows in heats 11 and 12 both won by 5-1. In heat 11 Tony Atkin jumped from the gate and Harris and Nermark passed and repassed each other with Newport’s guest just getting the verdict on the line. Atkin appeared again in heat 12 and followed Korneliussen home ahead of Lawson to put Newport ahead for the first time in the match at 39-36.

Edinburgh were not finished though and Rusty Harrison came out in heat 13 to inflict the first defeat of the meeting on Chris Harris. With Nermark third the 2-4 meant there was only one point between the sides at 41-40 with two heats to go. In heat 14 Atkin took his seventh ride and won the race from Pijper with Collins third to put Newport three ahead at 45-42 with heat 15 to come. This meant that Edinburgh needed a 1-5 to win the match and things looked good for them when Harrison and Pijper led Harris from the tapes. However Harris passed Pijper at the end of lap one to give Newport the two points they needed for victory.

Scorers: For Newport – Chris Harris 18+1 (6) including a 6 point TR, Tony Atkin 13+1 (7), Mads Korneliussen 7+1 (6), Neil Collins 6+1 (5), Kristian Lund 3 (4), Karlis Ezergailis 0 (3).

For Edinburgh – Rusty Harrison 12 (5), Theo Pijper 8 (5), Ross Brady 7 (4), Cameron Woodward 6+2 (4), Daniel Nermark 6 (4), William Lawson 4 (4), David McAllan 3+1 (4).


Premier League: Glasgow 46, Berwick 48


Glasgow discovered the downside of having a rider guesting for another side as Claus Kristensen was unable to take his place in the team having suffered a hip injury at Berwick last night requiring the Tigers to use R/R for him. There was some speculation as to the team Berwick would arrive with. In the end they used R/R for Chris Schramm who was taking part in the under 21 championships and had Chris Mills recently dropped by Reading at number 3. New signing Tom P Madsen was at number 4 and Scott Smith and Joachim Kugelmann formed the reserve pairing.

What a sensational start Berwick made to this match. Even their staunchest fans must have rubbed their eyes in disbelief as Glasgow threw away points like confetti. They started with three 2-4 heat wins. In heat 1 George Stancl had an engine failure at the gate as Rymel romped to a win ahead of Wethers with Scott Smith third. Then Smith won heat 2 from Cockle with Kugelmann beating Birkinshaw for third. Heat 3 was no better as Madsen won from Wethers taking a R/R ride with Mills third. It didn’t help Glasgow’s cause that Leverington had forgotten to turn his fuel on in this heat discovering his mistake at the first bend. It took a Shane Parker win in heat 4 for a share of the points to steady Glasgow’s nerves. The score after heat 4 was 9-15.

If Glasgow thought that was bad little did they think they would only be taking one point from the next two heats. Adrian Rymel and Chis Mills took a 1-5 ahead of Trent Leverington in heat 5 to open up a 10 point lead and heat 6 was a complete disaster for the Tigers. Firstly George Stancl, who had been nominated for a TR, suffered another engine failure on the first lap then Wethers, who was leading the race, crashed on the second bend of the last lap to gift all five points to Makovsky and Smith making the score 10-25. In heat 7 Parker beat Madsen with Cockle third to shave two points off Berwick’s lead but deperate measures were needed to get the Tigers back into the match. So in heat 8 Shane Parker took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back. Smith and Kugelmann got past Wethers on the second bend as Parker took off after them. He got past Wethers and Kugelmann but Scott Smith held on for the win and Glasgow had only shared the heat 4-4. The heat 8 score was 14-27 and Glasgow still had a mountain to climb.

Heats 9 and 10 were shared then Glasgow finally got into gear. In heat 11 Shane Parker beat Adrian Rymel with James Cockle third for a 4-2 to take the score to 28-39. Then Trent Leverington took a TR in heat 12 and won it. With James Birkinshaw following him home Glasgow scored the big 8-1 and there were now only four points between the teams at 36-40. Parker and Stancl finally levelled things with a heat 13 5-1 over Rymel and Makovsky to make the score 41-41.

Back came Berwick with a 2-4 in heat 14 thanks to a win from Scott Smith taking his seventh ride. Trent Leverington was second and Tom P Madsen third so the 2-4 put Berwick two points ahead at 43-45. The Bandits must have had a sinking feeling knowing that they would be facing Stancl and Parker in the last heat and would remember the Premier Trophy match earlier in the season when they led by four points only for Glasgow’s big two to thwart them. This time though there was a happy ending for the Bandits. Although Parker was away for the win a battle developed at the back between Rymel, Makovsky and Stancl with the Berwick pair winning out by taking the minor places for the shared heat which saw them home for the win.

Scorers: for Glasgow – Shane Parker 19 (6) including a 4 point GDTS from 15 metres back, Trent Leverington 11 (5) including a 6 point TR, George Stancl 5+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 4 (5), James Cockle 4 (5), James Birkinshaw 3+2 (4).

For Berwick – Scott Smith 12+1 (7), Adrian Rymel 10+1 (5), Michal Makovsky 10 (5), Tom P Madsen 8 (4), Chris Mills 5+2 (5), Joachim Kugelmann 3+1 (4).


(continued below)

[Merlin]

(continued from above)

Sunday, 22 May



Premier League: Newcastle 54, Exeter 40


Newcastle , having chalked up an away win in the Premier League at Reading on Monday, were full of confidence taking on Exeter tonight. The Diamonds were at full strength but Exeter were without Lee Smethills and Ray Morton. They had Craig Branney as a guest at number 2 for Smethills and used R/R at number 3 for Ray Morton.

Mark Lemon won heat 1 to share the heat but Tomicek and Robertson took a 5-1 from the reserves race to open up a four point lead for Newcastle. In heat 3 Josef Franc took the win for a shared heat then Newcastle doubled their lead through James Grieves and Jaimie Robertson with a 5-1 ahead of Seemond Stephens to take the heat 4 score to 16-8.

Mark Lemon won again in heat 5 and this time he got support from Craig Branney who was third as Exeter pulled two points back to trail 18-12. Seemond Stephens finished second to Phil Morris in heat 6 with Christian Henry third for a Newcastle 4-2 then Grieves and Lubos Tomicek scored another Newcastle 5-1 in heat 7 to stretch their lead to 12 points followed by another of the same from Christian Henry and Jamie Robertson to put them 16 ahead after heat 8 making the score 32-16.

Seemond Stephens took a TR in heat 9 but finished behind Josef Franc and Richard Juul for a 5-2 and the match was beginning to look like a rout with the score moving to 37-18. A shared heat 10 won by Phil Morris was followed by a TR for Mark Lemon in heat 11. The Exeter number 1 beat James Grieves for all 6 points but Lubos Tomicek was third to restrict the damage to a 3-6 for the Falcons. Exeter took a 2-4 in heat 12 won by Toni Svab to make further inroads to Newcastle’s lead as the score went to 45-31.

Heat 13 saw James Grieves lower Mark Lemon’s colours for the only time of the match and with Phil Morris third Newcastle took a 4-2. Heat 14 resulted in a win for Josef Franc but Exeter had the last laugh with a 1-5 from Toni Svab and Mark Lemon who headed home James Grieves and Josef Franc.

Scorers: For Newcastle – James Grieves 11+1 (5), Josef Frank 11 (5), Phil Morris 9 (4), Lubos Tomicek 8+1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 6+3 (4), Christian Henry 5+1 (4), Richard Juul 4+1 (4).

For Exeter – Mark Lemon 16+1 (5) including a 6 point TR, Toni Svab 12+1 (6), Seemond Stephens 7 (5) including a 2 point TR, Craig Branney 2+1 (5), Pavel Ondrasik 2 (5), Nick Simmons 1 (4).

[Merlin]

Monday, 23 May

Both of tonight’s matches were for Premier League points. Down at Exeter the visitors were Stoke while at Reading it was another visit from Newport .


Premier League: Exeter 46, Stoke 44


After last week’s shock defeat at home to Newport Exeter looked to get back to winning ways in this match against Stoke . The Falcons were still without two of their riders – Lee Smethills and Ray Morton. They used R/R for Morton at number 3 and had Berwick’s Scott Smith as a guest at number 2. Stoke used Stuart Robson as their guest for Jan Staechmann and had Jack Hargreaves at number 7 for Rob Grant who is currently serving out his ban.

The County Ground seems to have lost its fear for visiting teams as the Falcons struggled to contain and finally beat the Potters. An opening heat 2-4 won by Alan Mogridge for the Potters was neutralised by a Falcon’s 4-2 in the reserves race. Stoke were back in front in heat 3 with another 2-4 this time from Kessler and Carr. Things stayed that way over the next two heats both shared before Exeter levelled the scores with a 4-2 from Mark Lemon and Scott Smith. The score after heat 6 was 18-18.

Back in front went Stoke with a 2-4 in heat 7 from Kessler and Carr again but Exeter hit the front in the next heat with a 5-1 from Scott Smith and Pavel Ondrasik to make the score 25-23. By the end of heat 9 Stoke were back in front with a 1-5 from Scott Robson and Barrie Evans at 26-28 and they stretched that lead to four points with another 2-4 in heat 10 from Peter Carr and Robbie Kessler. A shared heat 11 was followed by two killer blows from Exeter.

Heat 12 saw Pavel Ondrasik and Toni Svab take a 5-1 from Barrie Evans and Peter Carr to level the scores at 36-36 then another 5-1 in heat 13 from Seemond Stephens and Mark Lemon to put Exeter in front at 41-37. Heat 14 was shared as Toni Svab beat Robbie Kessler leaving Stoke requiring a 1-5 from the last heat for a draw. Alan Mogridge won heat 15 for the Potters but Mark Lemon took the second place Exeter needed with Stuart Robson finishing third. Phew!

Scorers: For Exeter – Pavel Ondrasik 11+2 (6), Seemond Stephens 10+1 (6), Mark Lemon 9+1 (5), Scott Smith 8 (5), Toni Svab 7+1 (5), Nick Simmons 1 (3).

For Stoke – Alan Mogridge 11 (5), Stuart Robson 10 (5), Robbie Kessler 9 (4), Barrie Evans 6+2 (5), Peter Carr 5 (4), Paul Clews 3+1 (4), Jack Hargreaves 0 (3).


Premier League: Reading 49, Newport 41


Reading have had a miserable time of it recently and must have approached this match with some trepidation since Newport seem to be as much, if not more, of a force away from home as they are at home. Reading had Chris Johnson back at number 6 and so were at full strength. Newport had Chris Neath as a guest replacement for Craig Watson and used R/R at number for 1 for Michael Coles who, it is rumoured, has retired with a back injury.

If Reading thought they were in for an easier time of it tonight Newport made them think again in the opening heats. Racers must have had a feeling of déjà vu as the Wasps rattled in two 1-5s in the opening three heats to lead 5-13. Chris Neath and Kristian Lund did the damage in heat 1 and Mads Korneliussen and Neil Collins in heat 3. In between, Newport even had the winner of heat 2 in Tony Atkin. Matej Zagar and Mathieu Tressarieu scored a 4-2 in heat 4, however, to pull the score back to 9-15 after four heats.

A shared heat 5 was followed by a 4-2 to the Racers from Appleton and Masters then a shared heat 6 was followed by yet another from Tressarieu and Masters in heat 8 so the score after eight heats was 23-25. Reading finally took the lead in heat 9 when their problem pairing of Simota and Wolff came to life with a 5-1 ahead of Chris Neath for a two point lead at 28-26 but Newport quickly levelled again with a 2-4 in heat 10 from Korneliussen and Collins at 30-30.

Reading were back in front again though in heat 11 with a 4-2 from Zagar and Tressarieu but Newport wiped the lead out and were back in front themselves again with a 1-5 in heat 12 at 35-37. Reading duly wiped out that lead in heat 13 and went back in front with a 5-1 from Zagar and Appleton at 40-38. This time there was no Newport fight back as the Racers increased their lead to four points with a 4-2 from Wolff and Tressarieu at 44-40 leaving the Wasps requiring a 1-5 for a draw. With Zagar and Appleton in heat 15 for the Racers this was always going to be a long shot and the Reading pair wrapped things up with a last heat 5-1.

Scorers: For Reading – Matej Zagar 15 (5) full maximum, Andrew Appleton 10+2 (5), Mathieu Tressarieu 9 (6), Richard Wolff 6+1 (4), Zdenek Simota 6 (4), Steve Masters 2 (4), Chris Johnson 1+1 (2)

For Newport – Mads Korneliussen 13+1 (6), Chris Neath 9 (6), Neil Collins 8+2 (5), Tony Atkin 7+1 (5), Kristian Lund 4+1 (4), Karlis Ezergailis 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 24 May

There were two matches tonight – the usual Tuesday night match on the Isle of Wight where Stoke were the visitors in a Premier League match and a rare off-race night for Glasgow who took on fellow Sunday nighters Newcastle in a Premier League match rearranged after the first attempt to run it was scuppered by the weather.


Premier League: Isle of Wight 50, Stoke 46 .


It was the turn of the Isle of Wight to face a Stoke side who have already been tough opposition on their travels. After winning at Newport they ran Exeter close last night going down 46-44 and they didn’t disappoint tonight either. The Isle of Wight were at full strength while Stoke had Stuart Robson as a guest for Jan Staechmann at number 5. Jack Hargreaves continued at number 7 in place of Rob Grant who is currently serving a suspension.

Stoke are proving to be quite the surprise packet away from home since they started their Premier League campaign. After last night’s unlucky two point defeat at Exeter they had the Isle of Wight in some bother, too, tonight. They won the opening heat 2-4 with Alan Mogridge beating Craig Boyce then put aside a 5-1 loss to the Islanders reserves in heat 2 to crack in a 1-5 of their own from Robbie Kessler and Peter Carr. Then for good measure Stuart Robson won heat 4, equalling the track record in the process, with Jack Hargreaves picking up a useful point for another 2-4 to take the heat four score to 10-14.

It’s a novel experience for the Islanders to trail by four points from the opening four heats but they took a 5-1 in heat 5 when Alan Mogridge was excluded for bringing down Krister Marsh to tie the scores. Two heats later the home side were in front thanks to another 5-1 from Jason Doyle and Tomas Suchanek after Robbie Kessler had fallen. They followed this with a hat trick of 4-2s and looked to be in easy street at 35-25. But Stoke soon shook them out of any complacency.

Alan Mogridge took a TR in heat 11 which he won with Paul Clews third for a 2-7 cutting the Isle of Wight’s lead to five points at 37-32. The Islanders hit back with a 5-1 from Krister Marsh and Steen Jensen with Peter Carr third to open the gap to nine points at 42-33 often a dangerous thing to do. And so it proved as Stuart Robson took a TR and duly won heat 13. With Alan Mogridge passing both the home men to join him for a 1-8 there were now only two points in it at 43-41 with two heats to go.

In heat 14 Ostergaard headed home Robbie Kessler and Jason Doyle for a 4-2 and Stoke needed a 1-5 in the last heat for a draw. With Mogridge and Robson in the heat they had a reasonable chance. Alan Mogridge did win the heat but Stuart Robson shed a chain causing the first running of the race to be stopped and was excluded from the rerun so that was that.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 11 (5), Steen Jensen 9+2 (5), Krister Marsh 8+1 (4), Ulrich Ostergaard 8 (4), Jason Doyle 6+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 4+1 (4), Manuel Hauzinger 4 (4),

For Exeter – Alan Mogridge 14+1 (5) including a 6 point TR, Stuart Robson 11 (5) including a 6 point TR, Barrie Evans 6+1 (6), Robbie Kessler 5 (3), Paul Clews 5 (4), Peter Carr 4+1 (4), Jack Hargreaves 1 (3).


Premier Trophy (north): Glasgow 54, Newcastle 40 Glasgow won the bonus point on aggregate by 96-88.


There was nothing at stake other than pride in this Premier Trophy match because neither side could qualify for the semi-finals. Glasgow were still without Claus Kristensen with an injured hip and used R/R for him at number 4. Newcastle were at full strength.

Glasgow got off to another poor start losing a 1-5 in a farcical heat 2. Lubos Tomicek was fined £50 for delaying the start then James Birkinshaw charged through the tapes. Finally James Cockle was excluded for failing to beat the time allowance so the race was run with three riders, the Glasgow man from 15 metres back. The other four of the first five heats were all shared so Glasgow trailed 13-17 after heat 5.

The turning point came in heat 6 when James Grieves, who had taken Shane Parker from the back to win heat 4, was excluded for bringing down Matthew Wethers on the first bend and Glasgow tied the scores with a 5-1 in the rerun. They followed this with another 5-1 in heat 7 as Shane Parker protected James Cockle from the efforts of Richard Juul and virtually ended the Diamonds’ hopes with a third successive 5-1 in heat 8 from Matthew Wethers and James Birkinshaw. The Tigers had turned a deficit of four points after heat 5 into a lead of eight points after heat 8 at 31-23.

Wins from Grieves and Franc in heats 9 and 10, the latter supported in third place by Richard Juul, shaved two points off the Glasgow lead and their resistance continued with a shared heat 11. However two killer blows by Glasgow in heats 12 and 13 all but secured the bonus point as well as the win. Firstly Leverington and Cockle beat Richard Juul in heat 12 then James Grieves took a TR in heat 13 but finished third to Parker and Stancl for a 5-2 taking Glasgow to a 46-33 lead in the match and putting them five ahead on aggregate.

Newcastle’s last throw of the tactical dice came in heat 14 as Josef Franc took a TR. Although he won the race the Tigers’ pairing of Leverington and Cockle filled the minor places to limit the damage to 3-6 taking the score to 49-39 with one heat to go.

This meant that Newcastle needed at least a 2-4 to contest the bonus point in heat 15 but it was all academic as Parker and Stancl disappeared into the distance ahead of James Grieves again to wrap up all three points.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Shane Parker 14 (5), George Stancl 12+2 (5), Trent Leverington 10+2 (5), Matthew Wethers 7+1 (5), James Birkinshaw 6+2 (4), James Cockle 5+3 (6).

For Newcastle – Josef Franc 12 (5) including a 6 point TR, James Grieves 9 (5) including a 2 point TR, Christian Henry 5+2 (4), Phil Morris 4+2 (4), Jaimie Robertson 4 (4), Lubos Tomicek 3+1 (4), Richard Juul 3 (4).

[Merlin]

Wednesday 18 May

Two Premier League matches provided the action tonight. One was at King’s Lynn where Workington were the visitors and the other at Hull where the Vikings took on Reading .


Premier League: King’s Lynn 53, Workington 43


This match proved to be more of a challenge for King’s Lynn than they have had round their own circuit for some time as Workington put up some strong resistance tonight. It was a welcome return to the team for Oliver Allen at number 5 for the Stars who also had Tommy Stange making his debut at number 6 in place of the injured James Brundle. Workington, too, welcomed back a rider to the fold as James Wright reappeared having been absent for some weeks with a broken scaphoid. They, too, had a newcomer at reserve as Simon Lambert took over the number 7 spot. With Scott Robson still missing through injury the Comets used R/R instead at number 2.

It wasn’t quite the blistering start that King’s Lynn are used to. Heats 1 and 3 were shared but a reserves’ heat 4-2 gave the home side a two point advantage which they stretched to six points at 15-9 when Oliver Allen won his first match back with partner Jan Jaros in tow for a 5-1.

Heat 5 was shared thanks to an Adam Allott win as Ashley Jones fell. Heat 6 won by Kauko Nieminen from Tomas Topinka was also shared. In heat 7 Workington cut the Stars lead to four points with a 2-4 with former Star Shaun Tacey beating Oliver Allen and James Wright third but the Stars hit back with a 5-1 in heat 8 from Lee and Jaros which took the score to 28-20.

Allott and Jones took a 4-2 in heat 9 to put the Stars 10 points ahead and they followed that with another 4-2 from Topinka from Tacey with Paul Lee third to increase their lead to 12 points at 36-24. Workington then gave Shaun Tacey the R/R ride for Scott Robson and also nominated him for a TR. Tacey won the heat from Oliver Allen and Carl Stonehewer picked up the third place point for a 2-7 which cut King’s Lynn’s lead to 7 points at 38-31. A heat 12 5-1 from Allott and Jaros put the Stars 11 points ahead again so this time Kauko Nieminen took the TR in heat 13. With Tomas Topinka suffering an engine failure Nieminen took full advantage by winning the heat. Stonehewer on an ailing engine took third behind Oliver Allen and Workington bagged their second 2-7 this time to cut the lead to 6 points at 45-39.

That’s as close as they got though. Although Shaun Tacey won heat 14 it was only for a shared heat then in heat 15 Adam Allott and Tomas Topinka rounded the proceedings off with a 5-1 to finish 10 points in front.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Adam Allott 13+1 (5), Jan Jaros 11+3 (5), Tomas Topinka 10+1 (5), Oliver Allen 9 (4), Paul Lee 5+1 (4), Ashley Jones 4+1 (4), Tommy Stange 1 (3).

For Workington – Shaun Tacey 18 (6) including a 6 point TR, Kauko Nieminen 12 (5) including a 6 point TR, Carl Stonehewer 6 (4), Kevin Little 5+1 (7), James Wright 2+1 (5), Simon Lambert 0 (3).



Premier League: Hull 47, Reading 43



Considering some of their visitors’ recent performances Hull must have been expecting an easy time of it against Reading but it certainly didn’t work out that way. Hull were at full strength for this match but Reading had Danny Norton at number 6 for the injured (again) Chris Johnson.

Perhaps the two 5-1s in the opening two heats for the Vikings lulled them into a false sense of security but they never extended that lead all match long. After a shared heat 3, Matej Zagar beat Garry Stead and the Racers took a 2-4 to cut the gap to six points at 15-9 after heat 4.

Zdenek Simota beat Emil Kramer to win heat 5 which was shared then a 4-2 from Paul Thorp, who beat Matej Zagar, and Emiliano Sanchez had the Vikings 8 points ahead again after heat 6. The Racers then shocked the home side by scoring a 1-5 from Wolff and Appleton ahead of Garry Stead to halve the gap to four points then a 2-4 from Mathieu Tressarieu, who beat Paul Thorp, and Danny Norton shaved another two points off to make the score 25-23 after 8 heats and Hull realised they had a real match on their hands.

A Zagar win shared heat 9 but Hull moved six points ahead with a 5-1 from Thorp and Sanchez in heat 10 then eight points ahead with a 4-2 in heat 11 from Terenzani and Stead. Heat 12 won by Andrew Appleton was shared as was heat 13 won by Matej Zagar so Reading were still eight points in arrears with two heats to go. Strangely Reading opted not to give a Tactical Substitute ride to Matej Zagar in heat 14 but they took a 1-5 from Wolff and Tressarieu to cut the gap to four points at 44-40 needing another 1-5 for a draw. Had they used Zagar as a tactical substitute and taken a 1-8 they could still have won because they would have trailed by only 44-43 going into the last heat. As it was Matej Zagar won heat 15 but Emiliano Sanchez and Paul Thorp kept Andrew Appleton stuck at the back for a shared heat and Hull were home and dry.

Scorers: For Hull – Paul Thorp 12+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9+2 (5), Simone Terenzani 8 (5), Emil Kramer 7+1 (4), Garry Stead 5+1 (4), Craig Branney 4+2 (4), Joel Parsons 2+1 (3).

For Reading – Matej Zagar 14 (5), Richard Wolff 8+1 (4), Andrew Appleton 7+1 (5), Mathieu Tressarieu 6+1 (5), Zdenek Simota 6 (4), Danny Norton 2 (4), Steve Masters 0 (2).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 26 May

The first match in this year’s Premier League Knock-out Cup competition took place at Sheffield tonight. The Tigers had been drawn against the Isle of Wight in this first round tie.


Premier League KO Cup (first leg): Sheffield 51, Isle of Wight 39


Sheffield take a 12 point lead into the second leg of this tie on the Isle of Wight and although 12 points has often proved to be a defendable lead it should be remembered that Tactical Rides are not permitted in the KO Cup which could make a huge difference. Tonight the Sheffield averages dictated that Richard Hall moved to reserve with Paul Cooper moving into the body of the team. Both teams were at full strength.

This turned out to be a much closer match than many had predicted with the Islanders putting up a spirited showing. Sheffield’s cause was not helped by a fall by Sean Wilson in his third ride in heat 10 which resulted in him having to withdraw from the meeting with a dislocated shoulder.

There was no early onslaught from the Tigers in this match as the Islanders shared the first three heats. In fact it wasn’t until heats 6 and 7 that the home side started to show their teeth taking both heats 5-1, firstly, from Sean and Ben Wilson, then from Andre Compton and Richard Hall. In heat 8, however they suffered a setback when, in a 4-2 winning position, Ben Wilson suffered an engine failure to transform the heat into a 2-4 to the Islanders.

In heat 9 Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper scored another 5-1 for the home side but then came Sean Wilson’s fall and the Sheffield attack was somewhat blunted. They took a 4-2 in heat 11 however to go 12 points ahead thanks to Andre Compton and Richard Hall at 39-27 but failed to build on that lead over the last four heats. In heat 13 Andre Compton was finally beaten for the one and only time by Craig Boyce but he got his revenge in heat 15 by beating Boyce although Ulrich Ostergaard took third place for a shared heat.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 14 (5), Ricky Ashworth 11 (5), Richard Hall 9+3 (6), Ben Wilson 5+2 (4), Paul Cooper 5+2 (4), Sean Wilson 5 (3), Trevor Harding 2 (3).

For the Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 12+1 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 9+1 (5), Steen Jensen 6+1, Krister Marsh 5+1, Jason Doyle 5, Manuel Hauzinger, 1, Tomas Suchanek 1.

[Merlin]

Friday, 27 May

The two Premier League matches raced tonight had widely different results. Edinburgh took on the Isle of Wight while Somerset were at home to Sheffield .


Premier League: Edinburgh 63, Isle of Wight 30


Edinburgh were looking for a big win from this match tonight to give them a decent chance to challenge for at least the bonus point in their return match against the Isle of Wight. Both teams were at full strength.

This was a dismal performance from the Islanders as they were ripped apart by a rampant home side. Apart from a second place by Krister Marsh in heat 7 ahead of William Lawson, the Islanders’ riders at 2-5 i.e. Hauzinger, Marsh, Ostergaard and Suchanek failed to beat a home rider all match. It was left to Craig Boyce and the two reserves to score all bar 5 of the Islanders points.

The visitors didn’t start too badly. Craig Boyce won the opening heat for a 3-3 and the second heat was shared, too, as William Lawson suffered an engine failure with David McAllan winning it. Theo Pijper and Cameron Woodward took the first of their three 5-1s as a partnership in heat 3 but in heat 4 Steen Jensen raised a few eyebrows by rocketing from the gate to lead Rusty Harrison and David McAllan home in fine style. The score after heat 4 was 14-10. Then the roof caved in for the Islanders.

Edinburgh helped themselves to 7 maximum heat wins over the remaining 11 heats, even from heat 8 when Steen Jensen took a TR to finish third behind Ross Brady and David McAllan for a 5-2. The exceptions came firstly in heat 7 when Krister Marsh took the second place behind Rusty Harrison for a 4-2. Then in heat 11 Craig Boyce on a TR finished second to Rusty Harrison who made a superb inside line pass on the second bend to pass Boyce with Steen Jensen third for a 3-5, the Isle of Wight’s only heat advantage of the night. Heat 13 was won by Craig Boyce who cut back beautifully on the second bend to pass Daniel Nermark for a 3-3. Finally in the best heat of the night, heat 15, Theo Pijper and Craig Boyce passed and repassed each other with Pijper, the star of the show, coming out on top to complete his first ever 15 point full maximum.

One other heat of note was heat 12 when Cameron Woodward and David McAllan hit the front only for McAllan to make a mess of the third bend allowing Jason Doyle to get through to challenge for the lead. Woodward, who had held back to wait for his partner, then had a fight on his hands to hold off Doyle but he did so to complete his first ever maximum. Meanwhile David McAllan got back into contention by reeling in Doyle and in a last bend drive passed him in the run in to the line for the 5-1. This was David McAllan’s best performance for the team. He dropped only one point in his four rides – to Steen Jensen in heat 4.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Theo Pijper 15 (5) full maximum, Ross Brady 11+1 (5), Cameron Woodward 9+3 (4) paid maximum, Rusty Harrison 9+1 (4), David McAllan 8+3 (4), Daniel Nermark 8+2 (4), William Lawson 3+1 (4).

For Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 13 (5) including a 4 point TR, Steen Jensen 7+2 (6), Jason Doyle 5 (5), Krister Marsh 3 (4), Ulrich Ostergaard 2 (4), Manuel Hauzinger 0 (3), Tomas Suchanek (0).



Premier League: Somerset 44, Sheffield 46



It was yet another bad night for Somerset as they went down at home again this time to Sheffield in this Premier League match. The Rebels were at full strength but Sheffield had two guests. With Sean Wilson having dislocated his collarbone the previous evening, Brent Werner stepped in for him at number 1. Richard Hall was also absent having better things to do and Chris Mills filled in for him at number 6.

Ben Wilson got the Tigers off to a great start by beating Magnus Zetterstrom in the opening heat. With Brent Werner picking up the third place point after Jaimie Smith had fallen Sheffield opened with a 2-4. Jason King fell in heat 2 and the Sheffield reserves picked up a 1-5 to increase their lead to six points but Paul Fry and Ritchie Hawkins regained that lost ground by winning heat 3 by 5-1. Compton and Harding then took a 2-4 to increase Sheffield’s lead to 4 points so the heat 4 score was 10-14.

Somerset squared the match with a second Fry/Hawkins 5-1 ahead of Brent Werner in heat 5 and after a shared heat 6 the Rebels went ahead for the only time in the match with a 4-2 in heat 7 from Cunningham and King to make the score 22-20. Their joy was short lived. Ben Wilson took his second race win in heat 8 and was backed by Trevor Harding for a 1-5 which put the Tigers back in front at 23-25.

Heat 9 was shared but the Rebels were in deep trouble when Sheffield went six points ahead with another 1-5 in heat 10 as Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper relegated Magnus Zetterstrom, who was struggling with engine problems, to third place for a 27-33 score. Heats 11 and 12 were shared but Zetterstrom and Cunningham brought the Rebels back into contention with a 5-1 in heat 13 from Brent Werner and Andre Compton to pull back to 38-40. Paul Fry won the crucial heat 14 but Jason King finished at the back so Somerset went into the last heat two points in arrears. In heat 15 Paul Fry got to the front with his partner, Magnus Zetterstrom, but he picked up too much grip on the second bend and hit the fence just when it seemed that the Rebels might pull the match out of the fire. Although Magnus Zetterstrom won the heat Compton and Ashworth followed him home unchallenged to ensure that Sheffield left with both points.

Scorers: For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 12 (5), Paul Fry 11 (5), Glenn Cunningham 10+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 6+4 (4), Jason King 3 (5), Lee Smart 2 (3).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 10 (5), Ricky Ashworth 9+1 (5), Trevor Harding 7+2 (5), Ben Wilson 7+1 (4), Paul Cooper 5+1 (4), Brent Werner 5 (4), Chris Mills 3+2 (3).