Around the Premier League Tracks 2005

[Merlin]

Saturday, 28 May

There were three Premier League matches tonight. At Berwick the Bandits faced the Isle of Wight while Rye House were at home to Workington . The third match was at Stoke where Hull provided the opposition.


Premier League: Berwick 50, Isle of Wight 40


Berwick were the hosts for the last leg of the Isle of Wight ’s third visit in three nights to the northern tracks. Berwick had Tom Brown at number 7 for the departed Joachim Kugelmann but otherwise were on the usual lines. The Isle of Wight fielded the same team which was hammered at Edinburgh with the exception of Manuel Hauzinger who had withdrawn with a back strain. The Islanders used R/R in his place at number 2.

The Islanders actually led for the first three heats. Craig Boyce won the opening heat with Jason Doyle third for a 2-4 and the next two heats were shared. Michal Makovsky and Tom Brown turned the score around with a 5-1 to make the heat 4 score 13-11. However Craig Boyce and Krister Marsh put the Islanders back in front with a 1-5 in heat 5 and it wasn’t until heat 7 that Berwick squared the match with a 4-2. Another shared race in heat 8 won by Scott Smith replacing Adam Pietraszko who, it was announced, had been withdrawn from the meeting with damaged knuckles, kept the scores level at 24-24.

Berwick then took control with a 5-1 in heat 9 and 4-2 in heat 10 for a six point lead on which the Islanders never made any impression. Three more shared heats meant that the Bandits were still those 6 points ahead with two races to go and they closed the match out with a 5-1 in heat 14 when Ostergaard finished third to Tom P Madsen and Scott Smith. Craig Boyce won the final race for a personal tally which saw him beaten only once all night.

Scorers: For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 13 (5), Adrian Rymel 10+2 (5), Tom P Madsen 8+1 (4), Scott Smith 8 (5), Chris Schramm 6+1 (4), Tom Brown 5+3 (5), Adam Pietraszko 0 (2).

For the Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 14 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 8 (5), Steen Jensen 7+2 (6), Jason Doyle 6+2 (6), Tomas Suchanek 3 (4), Krister Marsh 2+1 (4).


Premier League: Rye House 57, Workington 36


Rye House were at full strength but Workington were without Kauko Nieminen who has a broken collarbone so they used R/R for him. However Scott Robson returned to the team to face his brother on the other side.

With both teams fancied to win the Premier League this year Rye House
expected a close match, especially with Workington fielding the ex-Rye House rider Scott Robson to back up the excellent Carl Stonehewer. However, it wasn't to be. While Robson and Stonehewer managed to rack up 28 points between them, the other Workington riders totalled just 8 points and Rye House ran out comfortable winners.

The program notes suggested that the 2004 Conference League champion, James Wright, would be missing from the Comets line-up with a broken bone in his wrist but he did manage to start.

Stuart Robson was, unusually, first out of the gate in heat 1 and raced away from Stonehewer to finish less than a second outside the track record. The Rockets pair of Boxall and Allen took a comfortable 5-1 in heat 2 with Kevin Little and Jonathan Bethell never getting on terms.

The third heat saw one of the better races of the evening. Scott Robson
raced out of the gate with Brent Werner chasing. The gap narrowed with each lap but Robson held on by inches to take the win. Shaun Tacey kept Daniel King at bay to take third place and a 4-2 heat win, the first of only two heat wins for the visitors.

Stonehewer took the rider replacement ride in heat 4, winning ahead of Chris Neath and Tommy Allen, and was out again in heat 5 against Brent Werner and Daniel King. Stoney made the gate ahead of Werner but the American overhauled him on the third lap, coming round the outside of Stonehewer on the second bend. Not too many riders will pass Stoney this year but even fewer will be able to hold off the charging Werner around his home track.

Two successive 5-1s from Robson/Kennett and Neath/Boxall gave the Rockets a 28-14 lead after seven heats although the Comets lost the plot in heat 7 where Scott Robson took a tactical ride. Robson fell at the third bend of the first lap and remounted quickly, only to see his partner, Shaun Tacey, fail to slow down and allow him to overtake for third place and two points.

Rye House were sixteen points clear at the start of heat 11. Stonehewer took a tactical ride and duly won ahead of Allen and Boxall, Chris Neath having been excluded by the referee for moving at the tapes after an earlier warning for the same offence. There was no comeback however - Werner and Allen took a 5-1 in heat 12 and Chris Neath produced his best ride of the evening to beat Stonehewer in heat 13 in the most exciting heat of the night, Stuart Robson finishing a very close third.

The celestial theme (Rockets, Comets) was reinforced when the penultimate heat was delayed on account of the setting sun dazzling the riders coming out of the second bend. When the race started, Daniel King and Steve Boxall found themselves ahead of Scott Robson. It looked like another 5-1 for the Rockets until Boxall went too wide on the second bend of lap 3, allowing Robson to move into second place, but King stayed in front for his only heat win of the evening.

Carl Stonehewer rode well to win the last heat ahead of Stuart Robson and Werner but this was another impressive display by the home team with every rider doing his bit. Stonehewer and Scott Robson apart, the Comets had nothing to offer with Shaun Tacey the pick of the rest.

Scorers: For Rye House - Stuart Robson 11+1 (5), Brent Werner 10+2 (5), Tommy Allen 9+1 (5), Edward Kennett 8 (4), Chris Neath 8 (3), Steve Boxall 6+3 (4), Daniel King 5+1 (4)

For Workington - Carl Stonehewer 18 (6) including a 6-point TR, Scott Robson 10 (6), Shaun Tacey 4 (5), Kevin Little 3 (5), James Wright 1+1 (4), Jonathan Bethell 0 (3)

(Report by Candyman)


Premier League: Stoke 51, Hull 43

Stoke returned home after two impressive displays at Exeter and the Isle of Wight to take on Hull. Stoke had Magnus Karlsson as a guest replacement for Jan Staechmann and continued with Jack Hargreaves at number 7 for Rob Grant. Hull were at full strength.

Hull were first to lead with a 2-4 in the opening heat from Sanchez and Thorp but, after a shared heat 2, Robbie Kessler and Peter Carr took a 5-1 from Emil Kramer then Karlsson and Hargreaves added a 4-2 in heat 4 to take the score after 4 heats to 14-10.

Heat 5, won by Robbie Kessler, was shared but Hull hit back with 1-5 from Garry Stead and Joel Parsons from Paul Clews as Alan Mogridge suffered an engine failure in heat 6. The match was all square now but not for long as Stoke took a 4-2 in heat 7 from Karlsson and Evans. They added a 5-1 in heat 8 with a 5-1 from Clews and Hargreaves to take the score to 27-21.

Two more 4-2s in heats 9 and 10 put the Vikings ten points in arrears so Emiliano Sanchez took a TR in heat 11. He could only finish second to Magnus Karlsson and with Paul Thorp at the back the race was shared 4-4. Peter Carr won heat 12 for another 4-2 to Stoke which put the Potters twelve points up with three heats to go and nearly safe. Garry Stead took a TR in heat 13 but, like Sanchez, he could only finish second to Magnus Karlsson. With Sanchez third ahead of Alan Mogridge, Hull took a 3-5 which reduced the gap to ten points at 46-36. A 2-4 from Kramer and Terenzani in heat 14 shaved another two points from the Potters lead but it was too little too late. The last heat was won by Alan Mogridge for a share of the points.

Scorers: For Stoke – Magnus Karlsson 12 (5), Peter Carr 8+1 (4), Alan Mogridge 8 (5), Robbie Kessler 7 (4), Barrie Evans 7 (4), Paul Clews 5 (4), Jack Hargreaves 4+1 (4)

For Hull – Garry Stead 13 (5) including a 4 point TR, Emiliano Sanchez 10+3 (5) including a 4 point TR, Emil Kramer 8 (4), Joel Parsons 5+2 (4), Simone Terenzani 4 (5), Paul Thorp 3 (4), Craig Branney 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 29 May

The usual three Sunday teams were in action today but there were only two matches since two of them met each other. That match was at Newport who raced a Premier League match against Newcastle. The other match was in the Premier League KO Cup where Glasgow raced the first leg of their tie against Hull .


Premier League: Newport 45, Newcastle 45


There was yet another last heat decider at Newport in this Premier League match against Newcastle . This time however the question was whether the Wasps could get the 5-1 they needed for a draw. Newport had Stuart Robson as a guest replacement for the injured Craig Watson and used R/R for the absent Michael Coles at number 3. Newcastle, looking to add to their away win at Reading, were at full strength.

Newport never led in this match and were behind from heat one right up until heat 15 when a 5-1 from Mads Korneliussen and Stuart Robson after a thrilling battle with James Grieves earned them a draw. It was a match of heat leader strength against all round solidity with Newport providing the winners of 10 heats but the last place in 10 heats too!

Christian Henry and Phil Morris got the Diamonds off to a 2-4 winning start and a 1-5 in heat three from Josef Franc and Richard Juul increased the lead to six points. Stuart Robson beat James Grieves in heat 4 with Karlis Ezergailis third for a 4-2 to make the score after heat 4 10-14.

The next three heats were drawn before Tony Atkin and Kristian Lund shaved two points off the Newcastle lead with a 4-2 to make the heat 8 score 23-25. Three more shared heats followed then Newport suffered a blow when Neil Collins fell on the third lap of heat 12 when lying second. Tony Atkin’s win earned them a shared heat but in heat 13 Mads Korneliussen also fell and this time Newport lost the heat 2-4 to Phil Morris and James Grieves.

After heat 13 the score was 37-41 and time was running out for the Wasps. Josef Franc won heat 14 to ensure that Newcastle would leave with at least one point then heat 15 followed with the excellent race between Robson and Grieves and Newport had taken a point.


Scorers: For Newport – Stuart Robson 13+1 (5), Tony Atkin 12+2 (7), Mads Korneliussen 11 (5), Neil Collins 7 (5), Karlis Ezergailis 1 (3), Kristian Lund 1 (5).

For Newcastle – James Grieves 9 (5), Josef Franc 8+2 (4), Richard Juul 7+2 (4), Phil Morris 7+1 (4), Christian Henry 6+1 (4), Lubos Tomicek 5+1 (5), Jaimie Robertson 3+1 (3).



Premier League KO Cup (first leg): Glasgow 56, Hull 34


For once Glasgow fired on all cylinders in this cup tie against Hull leaving the Vikings with the proverbial mountain to climb in the second leg on Wednesday. Glasgow had Claus Kristensen back in the side so were at full strength as were Hull.

Without any tactical rides to bail them out Hull were well and truly thrashed by Glasgow. The Vikings provided only four race winners all night as the Tigers top three dropped only two points between them. It could have been worse too had James Cockle not blown an engine at the start of heat 2 and Matthew Wethers not fallen when leading heat 6.

Two 5-1s in the opening three heats for Glasgow were followed by a shock for Tigers’ fans when Shane Parker was beaten in heat 4 by Garry Stead for a shared heat. The heat four score was 16-8. Hull managed to keep Glasgow at bay over the next five heats by drawing four of them and losing a 4-2 in heat 7 to Shane Parker and James Cockle to take the heat 9 score to 32-22. Then Glasgow slipped up a gear.

Heats 10 and 11 provided 4-2s to Glasgow from Stancl and Wethers then Parker and Cockle again and the lead was stretched to 14 points at 40-26. Heat 12, won by Trent Leverington, was shared but the inevitable Parker/Stancl 5-1s in heat 13 and 15 left the Vikings pillaged 22 points adrift. They did have a brief moment of respite in heat 14 when Emil Kramer who hadn’t beaten an opponent all night burst into life for a race win and a share of the points.

Scorers: for Glasgow – Shane Parker 14 (5), George Stancl 13+2 (5) paid maximum, Trent Leverington 10+1 (4), Claus Kristensen 6+1 (4), Matthew Wethers 5+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 5+1 (4), James Cockle 3+1 (4).

For Hull – Paul Thorp 7 (5), Garry Stead 6+1 (5), Joel Parsons 6+1 (5), Criag Branney 6 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 4 (4), Emil Kramer 4 (4), Simone Terenzani 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Monday, 30 May

Bank Holiday Monday always produces a glut of fixtures and today was no exception. There were three Premier League matches between Exeter and Somerset; Reading and King’s Lynn ; and Workington and Glasgow . In addition there was a Premier Trophy match between Newcastle and Berwick and, finally, a Challenge match between Rye House and a Belle Vue select.


Premier League: Exeter 54, Somerset 40


No details of this match are available yet.


Scorers: For Exeter – Mark Lemon 12+1

For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 14



Premier League: Reading 51 King’s Lynn 41


Reading desperate to get back to winning ways used R/R for Steve Masters and had Mark Thompson at number 6 filling in for Chris Johnson. King’s Lynn were at full strength.

Reading got off to another poor start losing the opening heat 1-5 to Adam Allott and Tomas Topinka. A shared reserves race was followed by a 3-2 for the Racers after Paul Lee and Richard Wolff had pulled out with engine troubles. A 4-2 for Matej Zagar and Mathieu Tressarieu got the home side back to within a point of the Stars at 11-12 after 4 heats.

Topinka and Allott took a 2-4 in heat 5 to extend the visitors’ lead to three points but in heat 6 Reading took the lead with a 5-1 from Tressarieu and Simota ahead of Oliver Allen. Two shared heats took the score after heat 8 to 24-23. Reading then took consecutive 5-1s in heats 9 and 10 to establish a 9 point lead after heat 10 at 34-25.

Nine points in arrears meant that King’s Lynn could use a TR and they did so in heat 11. Successfully too, as Tomas Topinka won the race beating Matej Zagar. With Adam Allott finishing third the Stars took a 2-7 to pull back to 36-32. Then they had the home nerves jangling with a 2-4 in heat 12 to get within two points of the home side when Paul Lee beat Andrew Appleton and Tommy Stange heading home Mathieu Tressarieu. The interval score with three heats remaining was 38-36.

Reading rallied after the break and finished with two 4-2s and a 5-1 with Matej Zagar winning two of the heats for the home side helping them to a ten point win.

Scorers: for Reading – Matej Zagar 14 (5), Andrew Appleton 12+2 (6), Mathieu Tressarieu 12+1 (7), Zdenek Simota 7+1 (4), Richard Wolff 6 (5), Mark Thompson 0 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 15+1 (5) including a 6 point TR, Adam Allott 7 (4), Paul Lee 5+1 (5), Oliver Allen 4 (4), Tommy Stange 4 (4), Jan Jaros 3+2 (5), Ashley Jones 3+1 (4).


Premier League: Workington 57, Glasgow 39


Workington without the injured Kauko Nieminen used R/R at number 5. They also had Jonathan Bethell back at reserve. Glasgow were at full strength.

It was a terrible start for Glasgow as George Stancl had an engine failure at the gate in heat 1 and James Wright and Carl Stonehewer scored a 5-1. Then James Cockle had an engine failure in heat 2 as Workington took a 4-2 in the reserves race and they followed it up with another 5-1 in heat 3 from Scott Robson and Shaun Tacey. James Wright beat Shane Parker in heat 4 for a shared heat and the heat 4 score was 17-7.

Glasgow got right back into the match in heat 5. George Stancl took a TR and Workington’s chances were dented when Scott Robson locked up with Matthew Wethers crashing into him. Robson was excluded from the rerun which was won by George Stancl. With Matthew Wethers following him home Glasgow took the big 1-8 and the score was now 18-15. It was only a temporary respite for Glasgow though as the Comets took a 4-2 and two 5-1s to extend their lead to 32-19 after heat 8.

Shane Parker took a TR in heat 9 but could only follow Shaun Tacey home for a 4-4. Another 5-1 to Workington from Wright and Stonehewer in heat 10 over Glasgow’s weak middle pairing of Kristensen and Leverington threatened a huge home win but James Cockle popped out the gate for a fine win in heat 12. James Birkinshaw took a Tactical Substitute ride in this heat starting from 15 metres back and he passed Jonathan Bethell for third place and a Glasgow 2-5.

In heat 13 Carl Stonehewer and Shane Parker were both excluded for delaying the start and both started from 15 metres back with their colleagues Stancl and Tacey starting from the gate. Stancl won the heat but the race was shared as Parker finished at the back. The Comets had a predictable 5-1 in heat 14 and the last race won by Carl Stonehewer ended up a 3-3.

Scorers: for Workington – Carl Stonehewer 15+2 (6), James Wright 13 (6), Kevin Little 10+2 (5), Shaun Tacey 9+3 (5), Scott Robson 9 (5), Jonathan Bethell 1 (3).

For Glasgow – George Stancl 13 (5) including a 6 point TR, Shane Parker 9+1 (5) including a 4 point TR, James Birkinshaw 6+1 (5) including a 2 point GDTS from 15 metres, Matthew Wethers 5+2 (4), James Cockle 3 (4), Trent Leverington 2 (3), Claus Kristensen 1 (3),


(Continued below)

[Merlin]

(Continued from above)

Monday 30 May

Premier Trophy (north): Newcastle 58, Berwick 35 Newcastle won the bonus point on aggregate by 97-90


Newcastle fresh from their draw at Newport fielded the same team which earned the point. Berwick had Luke Priest filling the problem number 7 spot following the departure of Joachim Kugelmann.

There was really nothing at stake in this match since both sides had long since lost interest in the Premier Trophy. These derby matches are often keenly contested but not this time.

Berwick shared the opening two heats but it was all downhill from then on for the Bandits. A 5-1 from Franc and Juul was followed by a 4-2 to take the score to 15-9 after heat 4. Newcastle continued to pull away with a 4-2 in heat 5 and a 5-1 from Grieves and Tomicek in heat 7 to lead 27-15. Berwick then gave an unexpected TR to Adam Pietraszko who had yet to score a point in heat 8. He finished second to Christian Henry and the heat was shared 4-4.

In heat 9 Michal Makovsky took a TR but finished third to Franc and Juul for a 5-2 and Berwick’s last chance to get back into the match was gone. Heat 10 was shared then a Grieves/Tomicek 4-2 was cancelled by a Schramm/Smith 2-4 awarded after Richard Juul had fallen. Newcastle took two 5-1s in the last three heats with Berwick sharing heat 14 won by Tom P Madsen with Chris Schramm on a Tactical Substitute ride finishing at the back.

Scorers: for Newcastle – Josef Franc 14 (5), Phil Morris 12+2 (5), James Grieves 12 (4) full maximum, Jaimie Robertson 7 (4), Richard Juul 5+2 (4), Christian Henry 4+1 (4), Lubos Tomicek 4+1 (4).

For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 8 (5), Chris Schramm 7 (5), Michal Makovsky 7 including a 2 point TR, Tom P Madsen 4+1 (4), Scott Smith 4+1 (4), Adam Pietraszko 4 (4) including a 4 point TR, Luke Priest 1+1 (3).


Challenge Match: Rye House 48, Belle Vue Select 47


Rye House faced a Belle Vue Select side in a challenge match at Hoddesdon.

This entertaining challenge match only came alive when the rain arrived at the end of heat 6. The Rockets had won every heat up to then to lead 24-11and looked set for another easy home win. When racing resumed fifteen minutes later, Belle Vue looked a different team for they won the next five heats by 25-11 to lead by one point ! However, the Rockets steadied the ship and a Daniel King / Steve Boxall 5-1 in heat 14 was enough for victory. Rye House were at full strength. Belle Vue turned up with five riders (unfortunately without Jason Crump) and used two Rye House juniors, Ben Powell and Luke Bowen, at six and seven.

Jason Lyons and Joe Screen were both well beaten in their first races but
Simon Stead looked sharp in heat 4 and almost caught Tommy Allen on the line. The Rockets pairing of Brent Werner and Daniel King looked to be heading for a certain 5-1 in heat 5 but King lost it on the second bend and clipped Werner, allowing Jason Lyons and Rusty Harrison to slip past him for a shared heat. A routine 5-1 from Robson and Kennett then put the home side 24-11 ahead and seemingly coasting to an easy win.

Joe Screen finished last in his first race but took a tactical ride in heat
7 against Chris Neath and Steve Boxall. He gated quickly and stayed in front for six points although Boxall, having borrowed Stuart Robson's bike for the race, was never far behind.

Heat 8, on a slippery track, was farcical. Luke Bowen was fastest out the gate (as he was in a few of his races) but tipped over on the second bend, taking Kennett with him. Tommy Allen couldn't miss the pile of bikes on the ground and he too fell off. Only Rusty Harrison, who came out of the gate like a snail, managed to avoid the debris on the track. Kennett blazed off in front in the re-run but couldn't hold his line around the second bend in lap 2 and did well to avoid falling. Rusty Harrison took advantage and won easily.

The gap narrowed to three points after a six-point Simon Stead tactical ride in heat 9 but credit to young Ben Powell for holding off King and Werner to make it an 8-1 to Belle Vue. Rye House have recently bought Powell's contract and this could be a shrewd move by the team management.

Heat 10 saw a belter of a race between Robson and Screen. Robson trailed for almost three laps before taking a wide line around the fourth bend and launching himself past Screen - one of the best moves the home fans have seen this season and they haven't been in short supply. Kennett was not comfortable on the wetter surface and could only follow Krister Marsh home for a shared heat.

Belle Vue moved into the lead after heat 11 thanks to a Lyons / Harrison 5-1, only for the Rockets to regain it in heat 12. Once again, Joe Screen led and looked good for the win but Werner ate up the ground before passing him on the home straight of the third lap.

Heat 13 was tough to call : Robson and Neath against Lyons and Stead. Lyons had looked better with each ride and he won it ahead of the Rye House pair. The Rockets were one point ahead with two heats remaining but a King /Boxall 5-1 did the job for the Rockets. The meeting finished with an exhibition of team riding from Lyons and Screen but the home side had sneaked home by a single point.


Scorers: for Rye House – Brent Werner 10 (5), Stuart Robson 9+2 (5), Tommy Allen 8+1 (4), Edward Kennett 7+1 (4), Chris Neath 5+1 (4), Daniel King 5 (4), Steve Boxall 4+1 (4).


For Belle Vue Select – Joe Screen 13 (5) including a 6-point tactical ride, Jason Lyons 11+1 (5), Simon Stead 9 (4) including a 6-point tactical ride, Rusty Harrison 6+2 (4), Krister Marsh 4+1 (4), Ben Powell 2+1 (3), Luke Bowen 2 (5).

(Match Report by Candyman)

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 31 May

There was only one match tonight – the usual Tuesday night match on the Isle of Wight where Newport were the visitors in a Premier Trophy match.

Premier Trophy (south): Isle of Wight 52, Newport 42 .


For the Isle of WightGlenn Phillips returned to the side in place of Manual Hauzinger at number 2. For Newport Chris Neath was the guest for Craig Watson and they used R/R for Michael Coles at number 3.

Craig Boyce set a new track record of 67.8 in the opening heat which was shared as was heat 2 won by Tony Atkin who was in for another busy night at reserve. The Islanders took the lead with a 5-1 from Marsh and Ostergaard in heat 3 and a 4-2 in heat 4 won by Tomas Suchanek from Chris Neath and the heat 4 score was 15-9.

Three more 4-2s followed from the Islanders as the home side built up a 12 point lead at 27-15 after heat 7. The next three heats were shared before Newport finally used a TR in heat 11. No doubt they were biding their time and they got it right as Mads Korneliussen won the race for a 3-6 to pull the deficit back to 9 points. Tony Atkin was next to try his luck as a TR in heat 12 but this time Newport got it wrong as it was Neil Collins who won the heat. With Tony Atkin third, Newport at least took a 2-5 to cut the Islanders’ lead to six points at 41-35.

That was as close as Newport got though. They might have got even closer if Mads Korneliussen had not had an engine failure in heat 13 while leading Craig Boyce but it was the home side who took two 4-2s in heats 13 and 14 to wrap things up. The last heat was drawn leaving Newport facing ten points to pull back in the return fixture for the bonus point.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 15 (5) full maximum, Tomas Suchanek 9 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 8+1 (4), Krister Marsh 7 (4), Jason Doyle 5+1 (4), Steen Jensen 4+1 (4), Glenn Phillips 4 (4).

For Newport – Tony Atkin 13+1 (7), Mads Korneliussen 12 (5) including a 6 point TR, Chris Neath 7+1 (5), Neil Collins 7 (5), Kristian Lund 2+2 (5), Karlis Ezergailis 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 1 June

The weather took care of the matches tonight at Hull where Glasgow were due to contest the second leg of their KO Cup tie and at King’s Lynn where Newcastle were due to race their first leg KO Cup match. However there was a rare meeting for a Wednesday night at Newport where the Wasps met the Isle of Wight in a Premier Trophy match – the return of the match ridden last night on the island.


Premier League Trophy (south): Newport 50, Isle of Wight 40 The teams tied on aggregate 92-92. Newport won the race off for the bonus point.


Last night Newport lost by 10 points to the Isle of Wight on the island. Tonight’s match was the return clash of the two sides at Newport in this Premier Trophy match. Newport had Chris Neath at number 5 for Craig Watson and used R/R for Michael Coles at number 3. The Isle of Wight again had Glenn Phillips at number 2 for Manuel Hauzinger and used Conference League rider Tom Brown at number 5 instead of Tomas Suchanek.

Newport took the lead in heat two with a 3-2 after falls by Doyle and Ezergailis resulted in only two finishers then stretched it to 5 points with a 5-1 in heat 4 from Neath and Ezergailis. The heat 4 score was 14-9. Another 5-1 in heat 6 from Korneliussen and Lund increased the gap to nine points at 22-13 so the Islanders gave a TR to Krister Marsh in heat 7 but it was Ulrich Ostergaard who won the heat from Tony Atkin with Marsh third so the visitors took a 2-5 to cut the deficit to 6 points at 24-18.

They followed that up with a 1-5 from Doyle and Phillips in heat 8 and suddenly there were only two points between the teams. A shared heat 9 was followed by a 4-2 to either side to keep the Newport lead at two points. However a 5-1 in heat 12 from Neil Collins and Tony Atkin gave the home side some breathing space as they now led 39-33. The next two heats were shared and Newport were still six points ahead going into heat 15 and needing a 5-1 to tie on aggregate for the bonus point. They got it too as Korneliussen and Neath headed home Boyce and Ostergaard.

This meant a run off for the bonus point and, rather surprisingly, the Isle of Wight nominated Ulrich Ostergaard rather than Craig Boyce. Mads Korneliussen won the race to ensure that Newport took all three points from the meeting. Over the two meetings Tony Atkin, riding at reserve for Newport, scored 26+4 from 14 rides!

Scorers: For Newport – Mads Korneliussen 14 (5), Tony Atkin 13+3 (7), Neil Collins 10 (5), Chris Neath 8+2 (5), Karlis Ezergailis 3+1 (4), Kristian Lund 2+1 (4).

For the Isle of Wight – Craig Boyce 12 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 9+1 (5), Jason Doyle 7 (6), Glenn Phillips 4+2 (4), Krister Marsh 4 (4) including a 2 point TR, Steen Jensen 3 (3), Tom Brown 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 2 June

It was Premier League action at Sheffield tonight where Newport were the visitors.


Premier League: Sheffield 53, Newport 43


Sheffield had to face this match without Sean Wilson who was still not fit enough to take his place in the side. They used R/R for him at number one but they were down to five men after Richard Hall retired from the meeting with a suspected broken wrist following a crash in heat 3. Newport had Chris Harris at number 5 as a guest replacement for Craig Watson and used R/R for Michael Coles at number 3.

Sheffield opened with two 4-2s in heats 1 and 2 but heat 3 was disastrous for them when Richard Hall trying to pass Neil Collins went straight into the fence. Although Hall was excluded from the rerun, Ricky Ashworth won it for a shared heat. Heat 4 was also shared and the score was 14-10.

Although down to five men Sheffield started to pull away. A 5-1 from Ashworth and Ben Wilson was followed by a Newport 2-4 when Chris Harris beat Andre Compton with Tony Atkin third but the Tigers hit the Wasps hard with 5-1s in both heats 7 and 8 to lead 31-17.

In heat 9 Chris Harris took a TR but made a poor start and, although he passed Ricky Ashworth, he couldn’t catch Ben Wilson and the heat was shared 4-4. At that stage Ben Wilson was unbeaten with 10+2 from his four races and Newport were 14 points adrift at 35-21 as the interval approached.

After the break, Paul Cooper and Ben Wilson carded another 5-1 and Sheffield were out of sight at 40-22. In heat 11 Mads Korneliussen took a TR but Sheffield reserve, Ben Wilson, remained unbeaten by winning again. Korneliussen finished ahead of Andre Compton so the race finished 4-4. Then a shock for Sheffield when Neil Collins and Tony Atkin scored a Newport 1-5 in heat 12 with Ricky Ashworth third.

Heat 13 saw a crash involving Mads Korneliussen and Paul Cooper with the Sheffield rider excluded from the rerun. Andre Compton won the race from Chris Harris and the 3-3 saw Sheffield over the winning line at 48-36. In heat 14 Ben Wilson was finally beaten at the seventh attempt. Neil Collins won the heat and with Karlis Ezergailis in third place the Sheffield’s lead was cut to 14 points at 50-40. It stayed that way as Andre Compton won the heat with Collins and Harris filling the minor places.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Ben Wilson 17+3 (7), Andre Compton 15 (6), Ricky Ashworth 11 (6), Paul Cooper 6+1 (5), Trevor Harding 4 (5), Richard Hall 0 (1),

For Newport – Chris Harris 12+1 (5) including a 4 point TR, Mads Korneliussen 10 (4) including a 4 point TR, Neil Collins 11+1 (6), Tony Atkin 8+1 (6), Karlis Ezergailis 2+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Friday, 3 June

Both Friday night tracks featured first round KO Cup matches tonight. At Edinburgh the Monarchs rode against Rye House while Somerset were at home once again to Workington .


Premier League KO Cup (first leg): Edinburgh 47, Rye House 43


The draw for the KO Cup paired Edinburgh with Rye House. With the Rockets favourites to lift the Premier League title this year this looked to be a tough draw for the home side. Edinburgh were at full strength but the introduction of the new averages meant a reshuffling of the side. Rye House tracked a full strength side.

This was a match of two halves. Over the first seven heats Edinburgh were outgated and outclassed by a very determined looking Rye House side on a track which was very wet after heavy showers prior to the start. However as the track improved and dried out over the remaining eight heats the Rockets were made to look a very ordinary side indeed as the Monarchs took command.

Theo Pijper won the opening heat despite being hard pressed by Stuart Robson for a share of the points but it was Rye House who took the lead in heat 2 as Tommy Allen led from the tapes. In heat 3 Daniel King beat the home pair of Nermark and Brady as Brent Werner fell on the first bend for another shared heat then Rusty Harrison rounded the fast gating Neath and Allen for another 3-3 in heat 4 which saw the score standing at 11-13.

Stuart Robson passed Ross Brady to win heat 5 and Edward Kennett rode hard under Daniel Nermark causing the Monarchs rider to fall so Rye House doubled their lead to four points with the 2-4 but Theo Pijper won heat 5 with Lawson third for a 4-2 in heat 6. Edinburgh were in real trouble in heat 7 as Werner and King raced to an easy 5-1 with Harrison unable to mount a challenge and it was hard to see how the home side were going to get back into this match with the score now at 18-24.

But never underestimate this Edinburgh side. Heat 8 was the turning point. Cameron Woodward replaced David McAllan and together with William Lawson the Monarchs pair left Kennett and Allen floundering at the back. Another Edinburgh 5-1 was the result of heat 9 as Chris Neath could only watch Ross Brady and Daniel Nermark take the maximum to put Edinburgh in front for the first time at 28-26. In heat 10 Brent Werner fell at the back while Edinburgh were on a 4-2 but it was the same result in the rerun as Theo Pijper stopped Daniel King’s winning run and Edinburgh were four points ahead at 32-28.

Edinburgh’s revival was cruelly ended in heat 11. It looked as though another Edinburgh 5-1 was on the cards as Woodward and Harrison hit the front and were off but Harrison nearly came off on the fourth bend and again on the first bend as he got badly out of shape to slip to the back. Worse still for Edinburgh, Cameron Woodward suffered an engine failure when well in front on the last lap and the Rye House pairing of Robson and Kennett were gifted a 1-5 instead of losing the 5-1 which looked likely. This squared the match again at 33-33.

Undaunted by that Edinburgh hit the Rockets with another if unexpected 5-1 in heat 12. Ross Brady hit the front and was joined by David McAllan who was pointless prior to this race for an excellent 5-1 ahead of Tommy Allen and Brent Werner. So Edinburgh were four points ahead again. In heat 13 Edinburgh were subjected to a poor refereeing decision. Robson and Neath got the drop on Pijper from the gate but, as the Edinburgh captain made to cut back on the second bend, his manoeuvre confused Rusty Harrison who laid his bike down. The red lights came on immediately for some obscure reason and Pijper was excluded presumably for causing Harrison to fall. In the rerun the poor gating Harrison was left forlornly to chase the Rockets pair and the 1-5 levelled the scores again at 39-39.

Still Edinburgh would not lie down and they took another 5-1 in heat 14. In the first running of the heat King and Allen got tangled on the first bend and both fell. Daniel King was excluded and Edinburgh took the easiest of 5-1s as Allen at the back gave up the chase. This left the Monarchs four points ahead going into heat 15 which was won from the gate by Ross Brady with Robson and Neath following him home for a shared heat. A four point lead doesn’t look enough for Edinburgh in the second leg tomorrow night but with this Edinburgh side you never know.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Ross Brady 12+1 (5), Theo Pijper 9 (5), Cameron Woodward 7+1 (5), Daniel Nermark 6+2 (4), Rusty Harrison 6 (4), William Lawson 5 (4), David McAllan 2+1 (3).

For Rye House – Stuart Robson 12+1 (5), Chris Neath 8+2 (5), Daniel King 7+1 (4), Edward Kennett 6+1 (4), Tommy Allen 6+1 (5), Brent Werner 3 (4), Steve Boxall 1+1 (5).



Premier League KO Cup (first leg): Somerset 44, Workington 46



It was yet a third consecutive home defeat for Somerset as they went down again to Workington this time in the KO Cup. The Rebels were at full strength but Workington were again without Kauko Nieminen and used R/R at number 5. Their revolving reserve position at number 7 was tonight filled by Jaimie Courtney. With the new averages coming into effect James Wright moved back to reserve with Kevin Little moving the other way back to number 2.

Somerset trailed from heat one onwards in this match with Carl Stonehewer beating Magnus Zetterstrom and Kevin Little third for a 2-4. They increased their lead to 6 points with a reserves heat 1-5 but then Somerset hit back with 1 5-1 in heat 3 from Hawkins and Fry. Back came Workington to take heat 4 by 2-4 with Carl Stonehewer taking the R/R ride for a 2-4 with James Wright. The heat 4 score was 10-14.

The next four heats were shared and Workington’s four point lead was still intact at heat eight with the score now standing at 22-26. In heat 9 however, the home side were in big trouble when Workington scored a 1-5 from Shaun Tacey and James Wright ahead of Paul Fry as Ritchie Hawkins fell and the Rebels trailed 23-31. They shaved two points from the lead with a 4-2 in heat 10 from Zetterstrom and King but, after a shared heat 11, they were eight points in arrears again when Tacey and Wright scored a 2-4.

Somerset’s hopes were revived by their winning heat 13 by 4-2 when Glenn Cunningham beat Carl Stonehewer with Zetterstrom third followed by a 5-1 from Jason King and Paul Fry which saw them trail by only two points at 41-43. Carl Stonehewer killed their hopes of taking anything from this match by winning heat 15 from Cunningham and Fry and it would be a brave person who put their money on Somerset winning the tie on aggregate after their visit to Workington.

Scorers: For Somerset – Glenn Cunningham 13 (5), Paul Fry 8+3 (5), Magnus Zetterstrom 7+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 6+1 (4), Jason King 6+1 (6), Jaimie Smith 4 (3), Lee Smart 0 (4).

For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 16 (6), Shaun Tacey 11 (6), James Wright 10+1 (7), Kevin Little 5+1 (5), Scott Robson 2+1 (3), Jaimie Courtney 2+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 4 June

Three Premier League KO Cup matches were scheduled tonight but the first leg match at Berwick where the Bandits were due to face Stoke was rained off. This left the two second leg ties at Rye House where the Rockets raced against Edinburgh and at Workington where the Comets faced Somerset .


Premier League KO Cup (second leg): Rye House 57, Edinburgh 33 Rye House won through to the next round on aggregate by 100-80.


Rye House had only a four point deficit to pull back from the first leg at Edinburgh last night. They were without Brent Werner who was riding in Latvia for the USA team in a World Team Cup qualifier and used R/R for him at number 3. Edinburgh were at full strength.

The match score was immediately level after heat 1 when Stuart Robson and Edward Kennett took a 5-1 against Theo Pijper and William Lawson. Steve Boxall was smartly away in heat 2, leading home the Edinburgh pair of Cameron Woodward and David McAllan. Rye's Tommy Allen never recovered after making a hash of the first turn but Boxall's time was his quickest since returning from injury.

The third heat provided one of the closest finishes of the night. The fast gating Ross Brady led from the tapes with Edward Kennett in pursuit. It looked as if Brady would hang on for the win but Kennett had other ideas, coming round Brady off the final turn to win by inches. Daniel Nermark beat Daniel King home to take third place and a shared heat - King's only bad ride of the night. Chris Neath looked back on top form as he easily won heat 4 ahead of Rusty Harrison who rode well to pass Tommy Allen on the second lap. The fifth heat was shared when Theo Pijper gated well to lead all the way ahead of King and Boxall.

Rye House really turned the screw over the next five heats, winning four of them 5-1. Kennett won three of these in emphatic style, backed up by Robson (twice) and Allen. King and Allen took the other ahead of Harrison and Woodward. Chris Neath was also too quick for the visitors, winning heats 7 and 11 to stretch the lead to 45-21. Heat 11 also saw Theo Pijper in trouble at the first bend, his only clumsy race of the evening.

The Monarchs finally won a heat -their only one on the night - when Brady and Woodward took a 4-2 against King and Allen in heat 12, although Woodward was almost caught on the line by the fast finishing Allen. Pijper was again fast away in heat 13, winning impressively against Neath and Robson with Rusty Harrison close behind. Heat 14 looked like another 5-1 for the home side until Boxall suffered a mechanical problem midway which allowed Nermark and Woodward to take the minor places behind Daniel King. Theo Pijper managed to split Neath and Robson in the last heat.

The strength in depth of the Rye House side was once again evident with Edward Kennett and Chris Neath the top men. The Edinburgh riders never gave up but, apart from Theo Pijper and Ross Brady, simply found themselves with too much to do when they couldn't match the home riders from the tapes.

Scorers: For Rye House – Edward Kennett 14+1 (5) paid maximum, Chris Neath 14 (5), Daniel King 10 (5), Stuart Robson 9+3 (5), Tommy Allen 5+2 (5), Steve Boxall 5+1 (5).

For Edinburgh – Theo Pijper 9 (5), Daniel Nermark 6+1 (4), Ross Brady 6+1 (5), Cameron Woodward 4+1 (5), Rusty Harrison 4 (4), William Lawson 3 (4), David McAllan 1+1 (3).

(Report by Candyman to be posted tomorrow (Sunday))


Premier League KO Cup (second leg): Workington 47, Somerset 43 Workington won through to the next round on aggregate by 93-87.


With a two point lead from the first leg last night Workington were expected to qualify with some ease against Somerset . It didn’t quite work out that way though! The Comets again used R/R at number 5 for injury victim Kauko Nieminen and their ‘revolving’ reserve position tonight was filled by Adam Roynon. The Rebels were at full strength.

Magnus Zetterstrom won the opening heat against Carl Stonehewer for a share of the points and Somerset then took the lead and levelled on aggregate with a 2-4 in the reserves race after James Wright had suffered an engine failure. However a Tacey/Robson 4-2 in heat 3 restored the status quo and Workington finally went ahead in the match with a 5-1 from Carl Stonehewer and James Wright to lead 14-10 after four races.

Somerset pulled two points back in heat 5 thanks to a win from Jaimie Smith ahead of Scott Robson with Magnus Zetterstrom third but this was nullified by a Workington 4-2 in the next heat when Glenn Cunningham was beaten by Carl Stonehewer with Kevin Little third. Then the Comets got a rude awakening in heat 8 when Somerset pulled off a 1-5 from Paul Fry and Ritchie Hawkins ahead of James Wright to level the scores on the night at 21-21. They returned the compliment in heat 8 however with a 5-1 from James Wright and Kevin Little to lead 26-22.

Shaun Tacey and Scott Robson added a 4-2 in heat 9 and Workington threatened to race out of sight but Somerset hung on with a share of the points in heat 10 won by Carl Stonehewer from Fry and Hawkins and a race win from Magnus Zetterstrom again for a shared heat in heat 11. This took the interval score to 36-30 with Workington eight points up on aggregate with four heats remaining.

After the break, in heat 12 Somerset pulled two points back again with Ritchie Hawkins winning the heat from Scott Robson and Jason King taking the third place point and it looked as though Magnus Zetterstrom’s races against Carl Stonehewer in heats 13 and 15 would decide Somerset’s fate. Stonehewer won heat 13 with Glenn Cunningham and Zetterstrom filling the minor places to take the score to 41-37 and Somerset now needed a 1-5 and 2-4 to force an aggregate draw. A 3-3 in heat 14 finally saw Workington home and dry but Paul Fry pushed James Wright hard for the win and Jason King did well to beat Shaun Tacey. The last heat, also won by Stonehewer, was shared too but it was a much better performance by Somerset than could be expected following on from last night’s home defeat.

Scorers: For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 17 (6), James Wright 10+2 (7), Shaun Tacey 8 (5), Scott Robson 6 (4), Kevin Little 4+2 (5), Adam Roynon 2 (3).

For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 10+1 (5), Ritchie Hawkins 9+3 (5), Paul Fry 7 (4), Glenn Cunningham 7 (4), Jason King 5+1 (5), Jaimie Smith 4 (4), Lee Smart 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 5 June

There was another casualty to the weather today as the match at Newport against Reading was called off. This would have been the first leg of a Premier League KO Cup match so the match tomorrow night at Reading now takes on that status. Of the other three matches, the one at Glasgow was for Premier League and bonus points. The Tigers faced one of their bogey sides - Workington for whom Ashfield holds no terrors. The match at Newcastle was the first leg of the Diamonds’ Premier League KO Cup tie against King’s Lynn while Stoke faced Edinburgh [/b] in a Premier Trophy qualifier.


Premier League: Glasgow 42, Workington 51 Workington on the bonus point on aggregate by 108-79.


Glasgow never led in this Premier League match against Workington and went down to one of their worst home defeats for some time. The Tigers suffered a blow by the withdrawal of Claus Kristensen with the flu and they had to use R/R at number 4. Workington were without Kauko Nieminen and used R/R at number 5. They also had Adam Roynon at reserve.

Workington took the lead in heat one when Carl Stonehewer beat George Stancl with Kevin Little third for a 2-4. James Wright won the reserves’ race for a shared heat then the Comets increased their lead to four points with another 2-4 in heat 3 courtesy of Shaun Tacey and Scott Robson. A Shane Parker win resulted in another shared heat for a heat 4 score of 10-14.

In heats 5 and 6 the teams exchanged 4-2s with Carl Stonehewer in both of them, winning heat 5 and losing to George Stancl in heat 6. Another Parker win in heat 7 brought another 3-3 but Glasgow were in big trouble when Kevin Little and James Wright scored a 1-5 in heat 8 to double the Comets’ lead at 20-28. James Wright won heat 9 as the Tigers could make no inroads to the Comets’ lead at 23-31.

Desperate times need desperate measures so Matthew Wethers was replaced by Shane Parker in heat 10 as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back to join George Stancl. Stancl was quickly into the lead and slowed down the Comets’ pair of Scott Robson and Shaun Tacey to help Shane Parker make up the ground. On the second lap, however, Stancl picked a bad time for another in a long line of engine failures and Parker was left to chase Robson and Tacey on his own. He got past Tacey and in the run in to the line also pipped Scott Robson to win the heat for a 6-3 to Glasgow. This reduced the deficit to five points at 29-34. Shane Parker then won heat 11 as well but again got no support so the heat was shared.

When Scott Robson beat Trent Leverington with James Wright third in heat 12 the lead went to seven points and Glasgow’s chances looked bleak. They suffered another blow when Carl Stonehewer romped from the gate to win heat 13 leaving the home side needing two 5-1s for a win. However it was Workington who scored the 1-5 in heat 14 through Wright and Tacey although Glasgow took a 4-2 advantage in the final heat as Shane Parker’s personal total for the match went to 20 points.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Shane Parker 20 (6) including a 6 point GDTS from 15 metres, George Stancl 7+1 (5), Trent Leverington 6 (5), Matthew Wethers 4 (4), James Birkinshaw 3+1 (5), James Cockle 2+1 (5).

For Workington – Carl Stonehewer 15 (6), James Wright 13+2 (7), Shaun Tacey 10+2 (5), Scott Robson 7+1 (4), Kevin Little 6+1, Adam Roynon 0 (4).



Premier League KO Cup (first leg): Newcastle 53, King’s Lynn 36



Newcastle take a healthy 17 point lead into the second leg of this KO Cup tie against King’s Lynn . The Diamonds were at full strength for this match although the team had been reshuffled with the new averages coming into effect. King’s Lynn had Blair Scott as a guest at number 6.


Newcastle made an excellent start to this match with two 4-2s and a 5-1 propelling them to a 16-8 lead by heat 4. Phil Morris beat Tomas Topinka in the opening heat for a 4-2 then Christian Henry and Jaimie Robertson added a 5-1 in the reserves’ race. Adam Allott won heat three for the Stars to share the heat then, in a rerun heat 4, James Grieves and Jaimie Robertson added another two points to the home side’s lead with a 4-2.

Josef Franc won heat 5 for a 3-3 and in heat 6 Oliver Allen was excluded after falling on the first bend. However that was balanced by Phil Morris suffering a snapped chain at the start of the rerun. Eventually Jan Jaros beat Richard Juul for a 2-3 to the Stars. Christian Henry won again in heat 7 and was followed home by James Grieves for a 5-1 ahead of Paul Lee then a Richard Juul win in heat 8 for a 3-3 took the score to 29-18 with King’s Lynn struggling to restrict Newcastle’s lead.

However the Stars rallied. Oliver Allen won heat 9 from Josef Franc for a 3-3 then Paul Lee won heat 10 with Adam Allott third for a 2-4. James Grieves beat Topinka with Henry third for a Newcastle 4-2 in heat 11 and Paul Lee won again in heat 12 for another shared heat to take the score to 41-30. Newcastle stretched their lead to 17 points with a 4-2 in heat 13 as Grieves beat Topinka again and a 5-1 in heat 14 in which Adam Allott was excluded for touching the tapes. Finally Tomas Topinka won a race and ended James Grieves maximum in the process in heat 15 which was shared with Phil Morris taking the third place point from Paul Lee.

Scorers: for Newcastle – James Grieves 13+1 (5), Josef Franc 9+1 (4), Christian Henry 8+1 (4), Phil Morris 7+1 (5), Jaimie Robertson 6+1 (4), Richard Juul 6 (4), Lubos Tomicek 4+2 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 11 (5), Paul Lee 7 (5), Jan Jaros 6 (4), Oliver Allen 5 (4), Adam Allott 4 (4), Ashley Jones 2 (4), Blair Scott 1 (5).



Premier Trophy (north): Stoke 44, Edinburgh 46 Edinburgh won the bonus point on aggregate by 99-87.


There was nothing at stake for Stoke in this match but Edinburgh needed to win to tie for runners up spot in the group. This they did but it seems that the tie is split by race points rather than on head to head results. Edinburgh lose out on the former but would have gone through on the latter. Stoke were without Peter Carr who has an injured knee and they used R/R for him at number 1 which made all their riders eligible for a R/R ride. They had Stuart Robson at number 5 as a guest for Jan Staechmann and Rob Grant returned to the side at number seven having served his three match suspension. Edinburgh were at full strength.

This was an excellent victory for the Monarchs considering that Stoke’s guest went through the card for a six ride maximum and that they had to recover from a six point deficit after heat 7. The teams exchanged 4-2s in the opening two heats 2 with Robbie Kessler winning heat 1 for the Potters and David McAllan heat 2 for the Monarchs. In heat 3 Stoke took the lead with a 5-1 from Robbie Kessler and Alan Mogridge ahead of Ross Brady and Daniel Nermark then heat 4, won by Stuart Robson, was shared for a heat 4 score of 14-10.

Theo Pijper won heat 5 for a 3-3 but Stoke increased their lead to six points with a 4-2 from Robson and Clews in heat 6 split by Rusty Harrison as Cameron Woodward suffered an engine failure. Stuart Robson won again in heat 7 but the Monarchs started their fight back by shaving two points from the lead with a 2-4 from McAllan and Woodward in heat 8 to take the score to 26-22.

Rusty Harrison won heat nine for a shared heat then Edinburgh got two points closer with a 2-4 in the rerun of heat 10 from which Paul Clews was excluded after a fall. Ross Brady beat Alan Mogridge with Daniel Nermark picking up the point. Stuart Robson won again in heat 11 for another shared heat but the Monarchs not only completed the fight back but took the lead in heat 12 when Ross Brady and Cameron Woodward took a 1-5 from Kessler and Grant. The score was now 35-37.

Robson won again in heat 13 for another shared heat then Monarchs moved four points ahead in heat 14 after Alan Mogridge had fallen and been excluded from the rerun trying to go round the outside of Cameron Woodward on the first bend. In the rerun Cameron Woodward beat Barrie Evans and David McAllan got up from a fall to take the crucial third place. This left Stoke needing a 5-1 for a draw. Although Stuart Robson won again and was being followed home by Robbie Kessler for the 5-1 they needed, Rusty Harrison had other ideas and passed both his partner and Kessler for the two points the Monarchs needed for the win.

Scorers: for Stoke – Stuart Robson 18 (6) full maximum, Robbie Kessler 12 (6), Alan Mogridge 6+3 (5), Paul Clews 4 (5), Barrie Evans 4 (5), Rob Grant 0 (3).

For Edinburgh – Rusty Harrison 10+1 (5), David McAllan 9+2 (5), Ross Brady 9 (4), Theo Pijper 9 (5), Cameron Woodward 6+1 (5), Daniel Nermark 2+1 (3), William Lawson 1 (3).