Around the Premier League Tracks 2009

[Nevs]

Well spotted Pere,

Hope you have had a great day Merlin,

Hopefully catch up with you at Cardiff again.


John and Craig.

[Merlin]

Thanks guys - yep another birthday and another year nearer the grave! Not a bad day at all though.

I hope to get to Cardiff again this year, Nevs but I haven't made any arrangements yet.

It's the socialising bit that's the best part of the day. It would have to be because some of the racing at the Millenium Stadium is not exactly rivetting.

Cheers

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 1 April



Premier Trophy: Birmingham v. Newport
Premier Trophy: King's Lynn v. Rye House



Premier Trophy: Birmingham 43 (0 points), Newport 47 (3 points).


Team changes: Birmingham were at full strength but Newport again had to use Rider Replacement for the injured Chris Kerr at number 4..

What an incredible match this was with both sides scoring no less than five 5-1s each! Birmingham had a real Achilles heel with their third pairing of Robert Ksiezak + reserve losing three 5-1s in the opening 11 heats. On the other hand they had a superb opening partnership of Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman who scored three 5-1s over the same period. Despite having to use rider replacement for Chris Kerr, the better balanced Newport side eventually ran out winners and weren't too far away from being the first side to score four league points with this away win.

What a start it was for the Brummies when they won the opening two races with 5-1s for an early eight point lead. With Lemon and Fry getting into a muddle on the second bend Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman took advantage in the first heat then Marek Mroz and Ben Taylor held off Nick Simmons for a reserves race maximum. Back came the Wasps with a 2-4 in heat 3 with Fry beating Tomasz Piszcz and Jordan Frampton finishing third after a thrilling tussle with Ludvig Lindgren. They followed that with a 1-5 from Brent Werner and James Holder who left Robert Ksiezak in their wake to take the score to 13-11.

Mark Lemon won heat 5 for a rare 3-3 before Lyons and Sweetman added their second 5-1 to increase the Brummies lead to six points. Two races later they found themselves two points down! Heats 7 and 8 resulted in 1-5s for the Wasps as Lemon and Frampton beat Robert Ksiezak comfortably for the first before Fry and Holder relegated Sweetman to third in the second. The score now stood at 23-25.

If Birmingham's third pairing was weak Newport's wasn't much better and in heat 9 Werner and Simmons conceded a second 5-1 this time to Ludvig Lindgren and Tomasz Piszcz. It was the home side's turn for back to back 5-1s when in heat 10 it was Lyons and Sweetman time again for another 5-1 with Jordan Frampton the victim this time. Now Birmingham led by six points at 33-27 but Newport were not to be outdone in the back to back 5-1 stakes. Heats 11 and 12 both went to the Wasps by 1-5 with Lemon and Fry taking the first of them in heat 11 and Jordan Frampton and James Holder the second in heat 12. Now Newport were back in front at 35-37!

Mark Lemon struck a crucial blow for the visitors in heat 13 by leaping from the gate to end Jason Lyons' winning run and earn a shared race for the Wasps. They then increased their lead to four points in heat 14 when Jordan Frampton beat Tomasz Piszcz and James Holder picked up third. In the final heat Jason Lyons raced off for the win but Lemon and Fry finished behind him to keep Richard Sweetman in last place for another shared race which clinched a fine win for the Wasps.

Scorers: Birmingham – Jason Lyons 14 (5), Richard Sweetman 7+3 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 7+2 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 5 (4), Robert Ksiezak 4+1 (4), Marek Mroz 4 (4), Ben Taylor 2+1 (4).

Newport – Mark Lemon 15 (6), Jordan Frampton 11+2 (6), Paul Fry 8+1 (5), James Holder 7+3 (6), Brent Werner 4 (4), Nick Simmons 2 (3).



Premier Trophy: King's Lynn 58 (3 points), Rye House 35 (0 points).


Team changes: King's Lynn used Rider Replacement for Kozza Smith at number 2 while Rye House used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Chris Neath.

Although Joe Haines and Robert Mear put up stern resistance for the Rockets winning five races between them and scoring 23 of Rye House's 35 points (67%!) the visitors were never in this match. With the two reserves failing to beat an opponent and using rider replacement the Rockets were effectively a four man team. King's Lynn on the other hand provided solid scoring down the line with Topinka and Schramm dropping only a point each and Darcy Ward rattling up another impressive score at reserve with paid 13 from his five races.

The match was more or less over for the Rockets when they lost three 1-5s and a 2-4 in the opening four races to trail by 14 points at 19-5. The only resistance at this point came from Tommy Allen who managed a second place behind Darcy Ward in heat 4 and ahead of Emiliano Sanchez. Things then improved for the visitors when Joe Haines recorded the fastest time of the match in heat 5 beating Chris Schramm in the process. Linus Sundstrom finished third so the Rockets took a 2-4 but then lost a 5-1 to Tomas Topinka and Darcy Ward in heat 6. The Rockets then gave a tactical ride to Robert Mear in heat 7 and he didn't let them down by beating Emiliano Sanchez for the six points. Linus Sundstrom was again able to provide support by finishing third so Rye House took a 2-7 to trail by 11 points at 28-17. Joe Haines then won again in heat 8 for a shared race taking the score to 31-20.

Chris Schramm and Christian Henry added a 5-1 for King's Lynn in heat 9 and, when Linus Sundstrom could only split the Topinka-Graversen pairing in heat 10, the 4-2 stretched the Stars' lead to 17 points. In heat 11 Rye House played their second tactical card by giving the TR to Joe Haines. The Rockets had their two most impressive riders out in this race but, unfortunately for them, Haines missed the gate and it was left to Mear to race home for the win which only shared the points. Linus Sundstrom became the third Rye House rider to win a race when he passed Christian Henry on the opening lap of heat 12 for another 3-3 the same score as in heat 13 when Joe Haines beat Sanchez and Topinka ending Topinka's unbeaten run. King's Lynn ended with a 4-2 in heat 14 won by Chris Schramm from Robert Mear then Topinka and Schramm added a 5-1 in heat 15 after Mear and Schramm had passed and repassed each other.

Scorers: King's Lynn – Tomas Topinka 13+1 (5), Chris Schramm 13+1 (5), Darcy Ward 10+3 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9 (5), Jan Graversen 8+2 (6), Christian Henry 5+3 (4).

Rye House – Robert Mear 13 (6) (with 6 point TR), Joe Haines 10 (5), Linus Sundstrom 7 (5), Tommy Allen 4 (5), Luke Bowen 1 (4), Andrew Silver 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 2 April



Premier Trophy: Redcar v. Berwick
Premier Trophy: Sheffield v. Edinburgh



Premier Trophy: Redcar 47 (2 points), Berwick 43 (1 point) .


Team changes: [Both teams were at full strength.

This was the return fixture from the one at Berwick last Saturday which the Bandits won by 53-40 but the Bears were in confident mood after home and away wins against Newcastle in their early season Challenge Match and were looking to reverse that result.

Up until heat 10 there were never more than 2 points between the teams but back to back 4-2s in heats 11 and 12 saw Redcar edge 6 points in front. Berwick pulled two back in heat 14 but had to be content with a single point from the match. However, since they provided nine of the heat winners, the Bandits will feel they missed the chance to take more.

Redcar started with a 5-1 from Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler after William Lawson had packed up on the opening bend but they weren't to realise at that stage just how vital that was to be as the match unfolded. It was the only 5-1 of the meeting. Back came Berwick with a Warwick win in the reserves race for a 2-4 but the three points were all that he was to score all match. The next three races were all shared. Josef Franc sailed off to beat Carl Stonehewer in heat 3 then Michal Makovsky held off a hard challenging Ty Proctor in heat 4. William Lawson scored his only three points by beating Stonehewer and Wilson in heat 5 before Michal Makovsky won again becoming Bandits' fifth consecutive race winner by holding off Havelock to win heat 6. With Guglielmo Franchetti in third Berwick took a 2-4 from the race to level the scores at 18-18.

The Bears were back in front again in heat 7 when Ty Proctor stopped the run of Berwick race winners by passing the fast starting Josef Franc on the last bend. Tero Aarnio continued his run of zeroes as Benji Compton took third for a 4-2 and two point lead. Paul Clews became the fifth Berwick rider to win a race by blasting round Robbie Kessler and Arlo Bugeja for another 3-3 in heat 8 then Carl Stonehewer finally won a race in heat 9. Franchetti sat in second place and was joined by his partner Michal Makovsky who rounded Ben Wilson for third and another 3-3. Josef Franc kept Berwick well in contention by winning heat 10 from Gary Havelock but Redcar hit the Bandits with two decisive blows in heats 11 and 12. Proctor won the first of them by beating Clews as Lawson packed up again then Stonehewer beat the lively Franchetti in heat 12 for the second heat advantage taking the score to 39-33.

Makovsky kept the visitors in the hunt with a win over Havelock and Proctor in heat 13 then Berwick edged closer in heat 14 with a 2-4 as Franchetti swept past Ben Wilson with Josef Franc in third. This cut the gap to four points and set up a last heat decider. Things looked bright for the Bandits when Franc and Makovsky stormed from the tapes in a 1-5 position but Proctor became the home hero by passing both of them to share the points and ensure that Redcar took two league points from the encounter.

Scorers: Redcar – Ty Proctor 12+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10 (5), Gary Havelock 9 (4), Robbie Kessler 5+2 (4), Arlo Bugeja 5+2 (4), Ben Wilson 4+2 (4), Benji Compton 2 (4).

Berwick – Michal Makovsky 11+2 (5), Josef Franc 11 (5), Guglielmo Franchetti 9 (5), Paul Clews 6 (4), Danny Warwick 3 (3), William Lawson 3 (4).



Premier Trophy: Sheffield 50 (3 points), Edinburgh 39 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Both sides began their Premier Trophy campaign with this fixture with the return tomorrow night at Armadale. Sheffield had lost their Challenge matches against Scun.thorpe while Edinburgh had lost the Spring Trophy to Glasgow so both teams were looking for improved results to set them up for the season ahead.

Having lost to one set of Tigers at the weekend the Monarchs did not want to lose to the Yorkshire variety this time but Edinburgh have a miserable record round Owlerton and it didn't improve in this match with the Tigers taking a comfortable win. Nonetheless it was a match of 'ifs' 'maybes' and 'might have beens' for the Edinburgh outfit.

Two 5-1s in the first three heats set the Monarchs up nicely to make their mark on the match but a series of machine troubles, falls and even a bike which caught fire took their toll leaving them to make the long journey north with no reward.

With Ryan Fisher and Matthew Wethers not taking delivery of brand new engines until after heat 1 it was a race for them to get their machinery set up for the big Sheffield track. Fisher and Aaron Summers made perfect starts to the opening race leaving Ricky Ashworth to trail behind in their wake for a 1-5. Sheffield replied with an impressive Josh Auty win in the reserves race. Michal Rajkowski took second while Chris Mills held off the battling Sean Stoddart for third and a 4-2 but the Monarchs hit home another 1-5 in heat 3. Andrew Tully stormed from the gate to win by the proverbial mile while Thomas H Jonasson slipped in behind him to head Joel Parsons home and give Edinburgh a six point lead. Then it started to go wrong for Edinburgh. Star of the night, Richard Hall, led heat 4 with Wethers in second only for the Monarchs' man to suffer bike problems on the second lap so the 4-2 became a 5-1 cutting the gap to two points with the score now at 11-13.

Ritchie Hawkins took heat 5 from Fisher and, with Aaron Summers suffering machine problems and finishing at the back, Shefield levelled the scores with the 4-2 at 15-15. Matthew Wethers made a good start to heat 6 to lead the field but his bike packed up coming off the second bend and Rajkowski's second place behind Ricky Ashworth gave the Tigers a 4-2 and a two point lead for the first time. In heat 7 the riders sitting at the tapes were alarmed to see Andrew Tully's machine catch fire but not as amazed as Tully who had to bale out big-style to avoid an instant cremation. Andrew was none the worse after being examined by the medics but his machine was. When the race was finally run Richard Hall romped off to win comfortably from Thomas H Jonasson for another 4-2 taking the Tigers into a 23-19 lead .

Michal Rajkowski won heat 8 for a shared race to steady the Monarchs' ship then Joel Parsons beat Wethers while Hawkins made a fine pass on Rajkowski on the last two bends for third place in heat 9 for another 4-2 which extended the Tigers' lead to six points. Jonasson won heat 10 by superbly rounding Ricky Ashworth on the third lap but Andrew Tully couldn't recover from an awful start so the race was shared . Sheffield then had a stroke of bad luck as Richard Hall's machine made an expensive sounding noise at the starting gate in heat 11 leaving Ryan Fisher to head off and win the race. Aaron Summers fell at the end of the second lap and couldn't get going again for the gift third place point so the race finished as a 2-3 and Edinburgh now trailed by five points . Another Jonasson win in heat 12 kept it that way with the score then 38-33.

Ricky Ashworth led a vital heat 13 from the gate while Fisher and Wethers tucked in behind in the hope of a shared race. Richard Hall was having none of it though and swept round both Monarchs in brilliant style to join his partner for a 5-1 to open up a nine point gap between the teams. Andrew Tully raised the vsitiors' hopes of a possible league point by streaking away in heat 14 but Rajkowski finished at the back for a 3-3 before Hall completed an impressive evening's work by winning the last race from Jonasson. Ashworth passed Ryan Fisher so the Tigers took a 4-2 preventing the Monarchs from reaching the 40 point mark and taking all three points.

Scorers: Sheffield – Richard Hall 11+1 (5), Ricky Ashworth 10 (5), Josh Auty 9+2 (4), Joel Parsons 7 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 5+1 (4), Chris Mills 5+1 (4), Paul Cooper 3+2 (4).

Edinburgh – Thomas H Jonasson 12+1 (5), Ryan Fisher 8 (5), Michal Rajkowski 7 (6), Andrew Tully 6 (4), Matthew Wethers 3 (4), Aaron Summers 2+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Friday, 3 April



Premier Trophy: Edinburgh v. Sheffield
Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe v. Birmingham
Premier Trophy: Somerset v. Rye House



Premier Trophy: Edinburgh 53 (3 points), Sheffield 39 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Edinburgh were looking for revenge after last night's defeat at Sheffield to put some points on the board in a fixture which usually produces a sizeable win for the Monarchs. It may not have been quite so sizeable this time but it was still comfortable enough. Strangely enough Sheffield followed Edinburgh's example of last Sunday by not bothering with a second tactical ride in heat 14 when they trailed by 14 points.

This was a better performance from Sheffield than the score suggests although their weak middle pairing of Ritchie Hawkins and Joel Parsons was an albatross round their necks. They did have the man of the match though in Josh Auty who once again showed his liking for the Armadale circuit with a huge 16 point total without any boost from a tactical ride points too.

Ricky Ashworth got out of shape on the second bend of the opening race and Summers baled out. The Edinburgh man was excluded but Ryan Fisher won the rerun for a 3-3. Sheffield looked like taking the lead in the reserves race as Josh Auty won by a mile from Michal Rajkowski but Chris Mills sitting in third place until the last bend fell under pressure from Sean Stoddart so that race was shared too. An easy 5-1 from Thomas H Jonasson and Andrew Tully in heat 3 was followed by a shared heat 4 won by Matthew Wethers taking the score to 14-10.

Andrew Tully caught and passed early race leader Ashworth in heat 6 for a 4-2 for the Monarchs but Sheffield replied with a 2-4 in heat 6. The Sheffield pair sat on a 1-5 from the gate but Ryan Fisher dived up the inside of them both going into the third bend and Richard Hall fell. Fisher was excluded and Hall won the rerun with wide sweeping turns which Aaron Summers in second place could not match. Wethers and Rajkowski stretched the Monarchs lead, this time to eight points, with a 5-1 from Ritchie Hawkins in a rerun heat 7 after Joel Parsons had fallen in the first running and been excluded. Josh Auty won heat 8 from Summers while Chris Mills took third after Sean Stoddart had fallen on the last lap trying to pass Mills on the outside. This 2-4 took the score to 27-21.

Josh Auty, out again in heat 9, had an impressive win after rounding Jonasson but Andrew Tully kept Richard Hall at the back so the race was shared. Edinburgh then went 10 points ahead with another 5-1 against the Hawkins-Parsons pairing this time by Fisher and Summers. Sheffield then gave Ricky Ashworth a tactical ride in heat 11 but, although he made the gate, Matthew Wethers cleverly engineered an inside pass to win the race for a 4-4 share of the points. Michal Rajkowski made an impressive start to heat 12 and seemed to have a big enough lead to win the race. However Josh Auty chased him down to pass him and win impressively. There was no support from Hawkins though so this race was shared too. Heat 13 was pulled back twice as Ashworth jumped from the gate and was eventually warned by the referee. At the third attempt Wethers and Fisher were fast away, Ashworth fell on the second bend then Richard Hall fell on the fourth bend on the second lap but remounted. With fence panels dislodged the referee stopped the race and awarded a 5-1 to the home pair which extended their lead to 14 points. Sheffield declined to use their second tactical option and in an thrilling race Chris Mills held just off Andrew Tully while Tully in turn just held off Josh Auty for a 2-4. Ryan Fisher made the gate in the final race but had a job on his hands holding off Josh Auty but managed while Matthew Wethers cruised for the third place point as Richard Hall suffered an engine failure at the starting line.

Scorers: Edinburgh – Matthew Wethers 12+1 (5), Ryan Fisher 11+1 (5), Andrew Tully 8+2 (4), Michal Rajkowski 8 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 7+1 (4), Aaron Summers 6+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (3).

Sheffield – Josh Auty 16 (7), Ricky Ashworth 8 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Richard Hall 6 (5), Chris Mills 5+1 (3), Ritchie Hawkins 3 (4), Paul Cooper 1 (3), Joel Parsons 0 (3).



Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe 53 (3 points), Birmingham 41 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Scun.thorpe have had an excellent start to the season and faced a Birmingham side anxious to recover from Wednesday's home defeat at the hands of Newport. The match was evenly contested over the first four heats with only a 4-2 in the opener separating the two teams. David Howe and Byron Bekker won heats 1 and 2 for the Scorpions and Ludvig Lindgren and Robert Ksiezak replied with wins in heats 3 and 4 for the Brummies. The score then stood at 13-11.

Consecutive 5-1s in heats 5 and 6 from Bergstrom and Wilkinson, as Lyons got out of shape and finished at the rear. then Howe and Lambert added another four points to the Scorpions lead taking it to ten points. This gave the Brummies the opportunity to nominate an on-fire Ludvig Lindgren for a tactical ride. However Magnus Karlsson won heat 7 for the home side, although with Lindgren and Piszcz finishing in the minor places, the visitors took a 3-5 heat advantage cutting the gap to six points. That was as close as they got though as the Scorpions pulled away again. A 4-2 from Lambert and Bekker in heat 8 followed by a 5-1 from Wilkinson and Bergstrom stretched the lead to 35-21.

Birmingham got two points back in heat 10 with a 2-4 in a race won by Tomasz Piszcz then, because they were still more than 12 points in arrears, the Brummies were able to use the second tactical ride in heat 11. This time Jason Lyons took it but he too could do no better than finish second as Magnus Karlsson again thwarted the visitors' tactical manoeuvres by winning the race. The result was a 4-4 shared heat leaving the Scorpions still 12 points to the good. Ludvig Lindgren won heat 12 from Carl Wilkinson and Byron Bekker for a share of the points but the visitors' chances finally died in heat 13 with a Karlsson-Howe 5-1.

The Brummies put some gloss on the scoreline when Tomasz Piszcz won heat 14 for a 3-3 then Lindgren and Piszcz finished with a 1-5 against Bergstrom and Karlsson in the last race.

Scorers: Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 11 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 9+2 (5), Carl Wilkinson 9+1 (4), David Howe 8+1 (4), Simon Lambert 8+1 (4), Byron Bekker 6+1 (4), Jerran Hart 2+1 (4).

Birmingham – Ludvig Lindgren 14 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Tomasz Piszcz 9+2 (5), Jason Lyons 7 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 4 (4), Richard Sweetman 3 (4), Ben Taylor 3 (5), Marek Mroz 1+1 (3).



Premier Trophy: Somerset 49 (3 points), Rye House 41 (0 points).


Team changes: With Chris Neath returning to the Rye House side both teams were at full strength.

After winning both legs of their opening season Challenge matches for the Severn Bridge Trophy against Newport, the Rebels faced Rye House who, although showing fine form round Hoddesden, were far less convincing on their travels. The Rockets looked as though they might take a league point from this match but a last heat 5-1 for the Rebels scuppered their hopes.

The Rebels were fast away with wins in the opening two heats – a 4-2 in the opener with Simon Walker the winner from Chris Neath and Steve Johnston relegated to third, then a reserves race 5-1 'rocketed' the Rebels into a six point lead but they got a jolt when Rye House replied with a 1-5 in heat 3. Robert Mear and Linus Sundstrom left the Rebels pair for dead at the gate and the gap was cut to two points. Tommy Allen passed Emil Kramer and Jay Herne in heat 4 to share the spoils and take the score to 13-11.

Rye House levelled the scores in heat 5 when Chris Neath beat Cory Gathercole with Joe Haines third but Somerset regained their two point lead with a 4-2 of their own from Johnston and Walker in the next race. A shared heat 7 was followed by back to back 4-2s from the home side won by Walker and Gathercole so the home side's lead stretched to six points at 30-24.

The visitors hit back with a 2-4 in heat 10 as Robert Mear beat Steve Johnston with Linus Sundstrom in third so the gap was down to four points and the Rockets had at least a league point in sight. Wins for Kramer and Gathercole resulted in 3-3s then the two sides exchanged 4-2s. Somerset's came in heat 13 when Chris Neath split Kramer and Johnston and Rye House responded in kind through Robert Mear and Andrew Silver with Justin Sedgmen the meat in the sandwich this time. The score now stood at 44-40 so Somerset needed a 5-1 for all three points and Rye House needed anything but a 5-1 for a single point. It was Johnston and Kramer who worked their way to the front to leave Mear and Sundstrom to bring up the rear as Somerset prevailed to take the maximum three points.

Scorers: Somerset – Emil Kramer 13+1 (5), Steve Johnston 10 (5), Cory Gathercole 9 (4), Simon Walker 7 (4), Jay Herne 5+1 (5), Justin Sedgmen 3 (4), Tom Brown 2+1 (4).

Rye House – Robert Mear 12 (5), Chris Neath 9 (4), Tommy Allen 7 (4), Linus Sundstrom 6+2 (5), Joe Haines 4+1 (4), Andrew Silver 2+1 (5), Luke Bowen 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 4 April



Premier Trophy: Berwick v. Edinburgh
Premier Trophy: Rye House v. King's Lynn
Premier Trophy: Stoke v. Somerset
Premier Trophy: Workington v. Glasgow



Premier Trophy: Berwick 46 (1 point), Edinburgh 46 (2 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

What a cracking match this turned out to be with both sides fighting to the final lap of the last heat for the league points. Berwick established a 10 point lead after just 5 heats and looked likely to take all three league points but Edinburgh, inspired by Michal Rajkowski and Thomas H Jonasson, turned things round to such an extent that they led by two points after heat 12. Eventually Michal Makovsky's maximum earned the Bandits a point from the draw.

Berwick were off to a flier when William Lawson and Paul Clews gated to a first heat 5-1 as Ryan Fisher pulled up on the last lap with an engine failure. Gino Franchetti then rode an excellent race in heat 2 to beat Rajkowski for a 4-2 with Sean Stoddart falling at the back. In the third race Andrew Tully fell on the third bend and Tero Aarnio ran into him. The Berwick man came off worst and had to withdraw from the meeting while Tully was excluded. Thomas H Jonasson with a smooth gate won the rerun for a shared race but Berwick extended their lead with a 4-2 in heat 4 as Michal Makovsky won comfortably on his way to a five ride maximum. The score was now 16-8.

Edinburgh fell further behind in heat 5 when Ryan Fisher could only separate the Berwick pair of Josef Franc and Franchetti. The 4-2 increased the Bandit's lead to 10 points and it stayed that way as Michal Rajkowski gated in heat 6 to head Lawson and Clews home for a 3-3. Edinburgh gave a tactical ride to Thomas H Jonasson in heat 7, a brave decision since Makovsky was also in the race. Makovsky proved too fast for Jonasson and won the race but the points were shared 4-4 to keep the Bandits ten points in front at 27-17.

At this point Edinburgh started their revival. Rajkowski gated with Aaron Summers in heat 8 for a 1-5 then, after Matthew Wethers had won heat 9 from Franc and Franchetti, the Monarchs scored another 1-5 as Thomas H Jonasson stormed to the front followed by Michal Rajkowski to head William Lawson home. The Berwick lead had been cut to just two points as a result but Michal Makovsky won again in heat 11 from Fisher and Summers for a 3-3. Edinburgh then wiped out the arrears and took a two point lead with their third 1-5 in five heats as Jonasson and Rajkowski again led the Bandits home to take the score to 36-38.

Heat 13 was pivotal. It took five attempts to finally get it under way as the riders pushed and barged their way to the first bend. Eventually Makovsky and Lawson got the drop on Fisher and Wethers to score a 5-1 which wiped out their two point deficit and put the Bandits two points ahead again. Michal Rajkowski gated again to win heat 14 and Edinburgh briefly sat on a 1-5 when Andrew Tully joined him up front but Josef Franc passed Tully for a 2-4 which levelled the match with one heat to go.

In the final race Michal Makovsky shot to the front from the tapes but Jonasson and Rajkowski tucked in behind him to deprive William Lawson of a point so the race and match were drawn with Berwick earning one league point to Edinburgh's two.

Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 15 (5) (full maximum), Guglielmo Franchetti 9+1 (7), William Lawson 8+1 (5), Josef Franc 8 (4), Paul Clews 3+2 (4), Danny Warwick 3 (5), Tero Aarnio 0 (1).

Edinburgh – Michal Rajkowski 16+3 (7), Thomas H Jonasson 15 (5) (with 4 point TR), Ryan Fisher 5 (4), Matthew Wethers 5 (4), Aaron Summers 4+2 (4), Andy Tully 1 (3), Sean Stoddart 0 (3).


Premier Trophy: Rye House 49 (2 points), King's Lynn 44 (1 point) .


Team changes: Rye House were at full strength. King's Lynn used Rider Replacement for the injured Kozza Smith at number 2.

Rye House managed a five point win in their match against the Stars after Tommy Allen, having won his first race, crashed out of the meeting in heat 7. A Robert Mear maximum and impressive nine points tally from Andrew Silver kept the visitors at bay.

It was all Rye House in the early stages as they took a 5-1 and four 4-2s over the opening six races. Joe Haines and Chris Neath got the Rockets off to the perfect start with a 5-1 over Tomas Topinka from the first heat then, after a shared reserves race won by Darcy Ward, the Rockets began their run of 4-2s. In the first Mear won from Chris Schramm then, in the second, Tommy Allen beat Sanchez who passed Luke Bowen for second with Ward stuck at the back. with The third produced another win for Robert Mear with Topinka second while Linus Sundstrom passed Darcy Ward on the last lap. Joe Haines and Chris Neath looked set for another 5-1 in heat 6 but Neath's bike packed up on the run in to the line allowing Emiliano Sanchez to nip by for second. This took the score to 24-12 so King's Lynn gave Chris Schramm a tactical ride in heat 7. The race had to be rerun after Tommy Allen had fallen and been excluded. Although Schramm was passed by Andrew Silver in the rerun, he repassed the Rye House man for the full six points while Christian Henry picked up the gift third place point for a 2-7 cutting the gap to seven points at 26-19.

Joe Haines beat Darcy Ward to win heat 8 for a shared race then Mear won a rerun heat 9 after Linus Sundstrom had fallen while sitting on a 5-1 with Mear causing the race to be rerun without him. Chris Neath won heat 10 from Henry and Schramm for another shared race but King's Lynn hit back in heat 11 with a 1-5 from Ward and Topinka which reduced the gap to just three points at 36-33. Andrew Silver won heat 12 from Henry and Ward to share the points while Sanchez did likewise from Bowen and Neath in heat 13. The score was now 42-39.

Robert Mear and Andrew Silver threatened to score a 5-1 in heat 14 until Darcy Ward rounded Silver on the last lap to restrict the Rockets to a 4-2. Now five points to the good, the Rockets needed a 4-2 or better to take all three points but, although Robert Mear completed his full maximum, Chris Neath retired at the back so Sanchez and Topinka shared the race points to salvage a league point from the match.

Scorers: Rye House – Robert Mear 15 (5) (full maximum), Joe Haines 9 (4), Andrew Silver 9 (5), Chris Neath 7+2 (5), Luke Bowen 4+1 (5), Tommy Allen 3 (2), Linus Sundstrom 2 (4).

King's Lynn – Emiliano Sanchez 12+1 (6), Darcy Ward 11+1 (7), Chris Schramm 9 (4), Tomas Topinka 6+2 (5), Christian Henry 5 (4), Jan Graversen 1+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: Stoke 55 (3 points), Somerset 40 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Stoke took heat advantages from all of the first four heats with two 4-2s followed by two 5-1s to lead by 18-6 after heat 4 leaving the Rebels with a lot to do to get back into the match. The Rebels gave Steve Johnston a tactical ride in heat 5 but Jason Bunyan prevented the visitors from maximising their opportunity and, with Cory Gathercole suffering an engine failure, Somerset could only share the race 4-4. A 5-1 in heat 6 from Glen Phillips and Lee Complin all but sealed things for the Potters as they now stood 16 points up at 27-11.

Somerset gave their second tactical ride to Emil Kramer in heat 7 and he scored his only race win to take six points for the Rebels. He received no support though from Simon Walker so the 3-6 cut the gap to thirteen points. Another 5-1, this time from Jakobsen and Phillips, stretched the lead to 17 points but Somerset hit back strongly in the next two heats. Simon Walker produced his only points of the meeting winning from Lee Complin who passed Emil Kramer for second so the Rebels took a 2-4. They added a 1-5 in heat 11 when Cory Gathercole gated and Steve Johnston joined him by passing Jesper Kristiansen cutting the home side's lead to nine points at 41-30 and putting them in with a chance of a league point.

Stoke ended that hope with another 5-1 in heat 12 awarded to Jakobsen and Madsen after Simon Walker had hit the fence and fallen. The gap was now back up to 15 points and it stayed at that after Steve Johnston won a rerun heat 13 from Complin and Morris after Justin Sedgmen had fallen and been excluded. Bunyan beat Kramer in heat 14 and Kristiansen's third place point gave the Potters a 4-2 before the Rebels gained some consolation by taking a 2-4 from the last race thanks to a win from Cory Gathercole ahead of Bunyan with Johnston third.

Scorers: Stoke – Klaus Jakobsen 12 (5), Jason Bunyan 10+1 (5), Lee Complin 9+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Glen Phillips 6+1 (4), Phil Morris 5+3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 4 (4).

Somerset – Steve Johnston 12+1 (5), Emil Kramer 10 (4) (incl 6 point TR), Cory Gathercole 7 (5), Justin Sedgmen 4 (4), Simon Walker 3 (4), Tom Brown 2+1 (4), Jay Herne 2 (4).


Premier Trophy: Workington 54 (3 points), Glasgow 41 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

On a slick track which produced little passing Glasgow never threatened to take a point from this match. Wins from Shane Parker and Richard Lawson in the opening two heats resulted in a tied score at 6-6 but the Comets won four of the next five heats to open up a twelve point lead at 26-16.
Adrian Rymel and Charles Wright began with a 5-1 in heat 3 then James Grieves suffered an engine failure in heat 4 while lying second leaving Anders Andersen to rescue two points from the race for Glasgow by following Andre Compton home. Adrian Rymel beat Parker in heat 5 with Charles Wright taking third from Ross Brady for another 4-2. John Branney won heat 6 but, with Kevin Doolan suffering an engine failure, James Grieves and Mitchell Davey shared the race points. Heat 7 saw Andre Compton win again this time from Grajczonek and Priest but the Tigers gained their fist heat advantage in heat 8 when Anders Andersen won from John Branney with Ross Brady in third for a 2-4 which took the score to 28-20.

Rymel beat Grieves in heat 9 and, with Wright taking third, the 4-2 increased the Comets' lead to ten points but it increased further to 14 when Doolan and Branney added another 5-1 from Peter Juul. Glasgow then gave a tactical ride to Shane Parker and he delivered the six points by beating Andre Compton. However there was no support from Anders Andersen who had replaced Ross Brady so Glasgow took a 3-6 from the race taking the score to 40-29. Another 5-1 this time from Richard Lawson and Adrian Rymel put Workington 15 points ahead but the Tigers pulled two back with a Grieves win from Doolan and third place from Parker to give Glasgow a 4-2 which left the score standing at 47-34.

Glasgow gave their second tactical ride to Josh Grajczonek in heat 14 but Charles Wright won the race. With Lawson third the race was shared 4-4. Grieves won heat 15 but Rymel and Compton kept Shane Paarker at the back so this heat was also drawn.

Scorers: Workington – Adrian Rymel 13+1 (5), Andre Compton 9+1 (5), John Branney 8+2 (4), Richard Lawson 8 (5), Charles Wright 7+1 (4), Kevin Doolan 7 (4), Luke Priest 2+1 (3).

Glasgow – Shane Parker 12 (5) (incl 6 point TR), James Grieves 10 (5), Josh Grajczonek 7 (4) (incl a 4 point TR), Anders Andersen 6+1 (5), Mitchell Davey 4+1 (5), Ross Brady 1 (3), Peter Juul 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Premier Trophy: Newport v. Scun.thorpe
Premier Trophy: Glasgow v. Redcar
Premier Trophy: Newcastle v. Sheffield



Premier Trophy: Newport 49 (2 points), Scun.thorpe 46 (1 point) .


Team changes: Newport were still without Chris Kerr so they used Rider Replacement at number 4 and nominated Kyle Newman as their number 8. Scun.thorpe were again at full strength.

What better way to start a meeting than by winning the opening heat 5-1 against a track expert such as David Howe and setting a new track record in the process. That's what happened this afternoon at Newport when Mark Lemon and Paul Fry were fast away leaving Howe in their wake with Lemon setting a new best time of 58.13 seconds. The Wasps added another 5-1 in the reserves race but not until the race had been rerun without Jerran Hart who was excluded after bringing down James Holder on the first bend in the first running of the race. Prospects were looking decidedly poor for the Scorpions when they lost a third maximum on the trot after Brent Werner and Mark Lemon (as rider replacement) left Wilkinson and Bergstrom behind at the tapes. Magnus Karlsson stopped the rot by making a good start to heat 4 which resulted in him beating Jordan Frampton and Nick Simmons for a shared race which took the score to 18-6.

As early as heat 5 the Scorpions gave David Howe a tactical ride but it was only partially successful as Paul Fry (taking the R/R ride) won the race from Howe and Brent Werner. The points were shared 4-4 so Scun.thorpe remained 12 down. This allowed them to use their second tactical option and Magnus Karlsson's second ride appeared at just the right time to do so in heat 6. Paul Fry led the race until the end of the third lap but an engine failure allowed Karlsson through for the full six points. Jerran Hart picked up the gift third place point behind Mark Lemon so the Scorpions took a 2-7 from the race to cut their arrears to just seven points at 24-17. They then shocked the home side by adding a 1-5 in heat 7! Viktor Bergstrom made the start and Carl Wilkinson got past Jordan Frampton for second and within two races the Wasps saw their lead slashed to just three points at 25-22.

The lead was down to a single point after heat 8 when Simon Lambert won from Nick Simmons and Byron Bekker took third from Paul Fry for a 2-4 which made the score 27-26. However Jordan Frampton steadied home nerves by lowering the track record even further to 58.04 in heat 9 while Brent Werner provided support in second place beating Magnus Karlsson in the process. The home side's lead was back up to five points again. They looked like increasing it to seven when Mark Lemon made a fast start to heat 10 with Paul Fry in third behind Bergstrom. However Fry fell attempting to pass Wilkinson so the race was shared. David Howe finally won a race in heat 11 but Frampton and Holder followed him home for another shared race which kept the Wasps' lead at five points with the score at 38-33.

Jerran Hart then came to the party. He led the first running of heat 12 but Carl Wilkinson fell towards the end of the second lap and was excluded from the rerun. Undaunted Hart went on to win the rerun from Werner and Simmons to keep the gap at five points. It was back to one though after heat 13! Magnus Karlsson and David Howe made the gate to head home Mark Lemon as Jordan Frampton fell at the back. The 1-5 took the score to 42-41 with just two races to go.

The vital heat 14 went to the Wasps by 4-2. Brent Werner got to the front off the second bend ahead of Viktor Bergstrom while James Holder kept Jerran Hart at the back so Newport went into the last race three points ahead needing a 2-4 or better for two league points or a 5-1 for all three league points. David Howe won the last heat decider but Mark Lemon and Jordan Frampton took second and third for a shared race which gave Newport a three point win earning them 2 league points to Scun.thorpe's one.

Scorers: Newport – Mark Lemon 13+1 (6), Brent Werner 11+1 (5), Jordan Frampton 9+1 (6), Nick Simmons 6+3 (4), James Holder 5+1 (4). Paul Fry 5+1 (5).

Scunthorpe – David Howe 13+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Magnus Karlsson 13 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Viktor Bergstrom 7 (4), Carl Wilkinson 4+2 (4), Jerran Hart 4 (4), Simon Lambert 3 (4), Byron Bekker 2 (3).



Premier Trophy: Glasgow 52 (3 points), Redcar 38 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Redcar needed at least a point from this match to repair the damage they suffered by failing to take all three points from Berwick last Thursday. It looked like they might do better than that when they led by six points after heat 10 but they collapsed losing three 5-1s over the last three heats to leave with nothing for their efforts. With ten non-scoring rides – seven of them from the two reserves – the Bears had little leeway to cope with any slip-ups from their top five.

The first two races were shared with wins for Parker and Bugeja then it was the visitors who struck first blood with a 1-5 in heat 3 when Ben Wilson and Carl Stonehewer headed home Grajczonek for a four point lead. James Grieves won heat 4 under pressure from Ty Proctor. Anders Andersen's third place point gave the Tigers a 4-2 which took the score to 11-13.

Redcar then took a second heat advantage against the Glasgow middle pairing as Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler gated for a 1-5 which increased the Bears' lead to six points. Shane Parker won heat 6 while Brady held off the challenging Benji Compton for third to pull two points back for Glasgow before James Grieves beat Carl Stonehewer with Davey third for a second 4-2 cutting the gap to just two points. Glasgow then stormed into a six point lead with back to back 5-1s in heats 8 and 9 with Andersen and Brady taking the first and Andersen and Grajczonek the second. The score now stood at 30-24.

Parker won again in heat 10 but with Brady at the back Stonehewer and Wilson shared the race before Redcar came storming back into the match with a 1-5 from Kessler and Stonehewer who brought James Grieves' winning run to an end by relegating him to third. This cut the Glasgow lead to two points but, after Stonehewer had won heat 12 for a shared heat, Redcar simply collapsed with no Bears' rider heading home a Glasgow rider thereafter.

Glasgow finished with three 5-1s, two of them from Parker and Grieves in heats 13 and 15 while Grajczonek and Andersen took the other in heat 14 leaving the visitors a well beaten side after such a promising start.

Scorers: Glasgow – Shane Parker 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), James Grieves 12+1 (5), Anders Andersen 12+2 (6), Josh Grajczonek 7+1 (4), Ross Brady 3+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 3 (3), Peter Juul 1+1 (3).

Redcar – Robbie Kessler 9+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 7+1 (4), Ben Wilson 7+1 (4), Gary Havelock 6+2 (5), Ty Proctor 6 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3 (5), Benji Compton 0 (3).



Premier Trophy: Newcastle 39 (0 Points), Sheffield 50 (4 points).


Team changes: With Trent Leverington returning to the Newcastle side both teams were at full strength.

After last week's home defeat at the hands of Redcar, the Diamonds desperately needed to get back on the rails against Sheffield. That simply didn't happen as they were well beaten by Sheffield.

Ricky Ashworth stormed off in the opening heat to win in the fastest time of the season so far round Brought Park (64.0). Boxall and Sneddon followed him home for a 3-3 but Sheffield slipped into gear with a 1-5 in the reserves race from Chris Mills and Josh Auty. The Diamonds then lost a 2-4 in heat 3 to Ritchie Hawkins and Joel Parsons after the race was rerun without Trent Leverington who fell on the first bend in the first running and was excluded. They got a break in heat 4 though when Richard Hall suffered an engine failure while leading. Craig Branney took advantage to slip through into the lead from Chris Mills while Jason King picked up the gift third place point. The score was now 10-14.

Heat 5 had only one finisher! Paul Cooper's bike packed up, Kenni Larsen fell, remounted and he too suffered an engine failure while Trent Leverington's bike too couldn't finish four laps. This left Ricky Ashworth to win the heat unopposed for a 0-3 which put the Tigers seven points ahead at 10-17. It got worse for Newcastle when they fell another two points behind after Chris Mills replaced tape-toucher Josh Auty then proceeded to win the race from Steve Boxall with Derek Sneddon last behind Richard Hall. The Tigers had now established a nine point lead and Newcastle didn't pull any of it back in heat 7 when Jason King won for a shared heat. Finally Newcastle managed a heat advantage in heat 8 when Derek Sneddon beat Chris Mills while Craig Branney finished third after Paul Cooper retired at the back. The 4-2 took the score to 19-26. Sheffield opened the gap to nine points again when Richard Hall beat Kenni Larsen with Auty in third for a 2-4 for the visitors. But back came the Diamonds with a win from Steve Boxall over Joel Parsons and Sneddon in third. The score now stood at 25-32 but Newcastle faced a dangerous race in heat 11 when Josh Auty replaced Paul Cooper.

So it proved when Auty and Ashworth headed Jason King home for a 1-5 which had the Diamonds in disarray at 26-37. Craig Branney took a tactical ride in heat 12 and Sheffield did their best to present the Diamonds with a big heat advantage! First Richie Hawkins was excluded for delaying the start so was replaced by Chris Mills then Josh Auty knocked Craig Branney off and was excluded. However Chris Mills won the three man race so the Diamonds were eventually restricted to a 5-3 success. Ricky Ashworth then beat Jason King in heat 13 but the action was at the back where Richard Hall and Steve Boxall passed and repassed each other. Hall prevailed however so the Tigers took a 2-4 and 33-44 lead. Kenni Larsen won heat 14 for the home side but King and Hall kept Boxall at the back for a 3-3 which meant that not only had Sheffield won the match but had taken all four points available for an away win by more than six points with the score at 36-47. The Tigers rounded off proceedings with a shared heat with Ricky Ashworth winning it for a paid maximum. Sheffield move into pole position in their Premier Trophy group with this win.

Scorers: Newcastle – Steve Boxall 9 (5), Craig Branney 9 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Jason King 8+1 (5), Kenni Larsen 7 (4), Derek Sneddon 5+1 (4), Trent Leverington 1+1 (4), Casper Wortmann 0 (4).

Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Chris Mills 14+1 (7), Joel Parsons 6+1 (4), Josh Auty 6+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 5 (4), Richard Hall 5 (4), Paul Cooper 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, April 8



Premier Trophy: King's Lynn 62 (3 Points), Scun.thorpe 31 (0 Points) .


Team changes: King's Lynn once again had to use Rider Replacement for the injured Kozza Smith at number 2 but Scun.thorpe were again at full strength.

With a glut of fixtures over the Easter weekend, there are only two fixtures this week prior to Friday – this one and one tomorrow night between Sheffield and Redcar. King's Lynn and Scun.thorpe look like being two of the strongest challengers for the top two places in the southern section of the Premier Trophy so any points gained at each other's tracks will be crucial but King's Lynn never looked like dropping any tonight.

The Stars were quickly out of the blocks over the opening heats and built up an eight point lead as early as heat 4. Tomas Topinka rounded David Howe on the second lap of heat 1 to take a 4-2 with support from (R/R) Jan Graversen and the Stars repeated that in the reserves race thanks to a comfortable win from Darcy Ward. However Simon Lambert came back to haunt his old club with a fine win in heat 3 after Christian Henry and Chris Schramm had led from the tapes and threatened a 5-1. Lambert took advantage of an error by Schramm to move into second then passed Henry on the inside off the last bend to share the race points. Ward and Sanchez then gated in heat 4 to leave Magnus Karlsson to trail them home for a 5-1 which took the score to 16-8.

The Stars' pairing of Schramm and Henry were fast off the mark again in heat 5 and, although David Howe passed Henry for second, Carl Wilkinson's engine failure at the tapes consigned the Scorpions to having another two points added to their arrears. The Stars threatened to run riot after adding another 5-1 in heat 6 from (R/R) Ward and Topinka who raced away from Magnus Karlsson from the tapes to lead by 14 points so the Scorpions gave Simon Lambert a tactical ride in heat 7. The Stars countered this by switching their reserves bringing out Darcy Ward instead of Jan Graversen. It all went pear-shaped for the visitors as Lambert's bike packed up as the tapes rose leaving Darcy Ward to head off for his fourth consecutive race win in only seven races with Emiliano Sanchez passing Viktor Bergstrom to join his young partner for another home 5-1. It got even worse for the visitors when Carl Wilkinson's bike packed up again in heat 8 this time making it to the first bend leaving Sanchez to race clear. Behind him Byron Bekker passed Jan Graversen for second place which he held until the last bend when Graversen swept round the outside to pass Bekker on the line for yet another home 5-1, the fourth in eight heats so far. The score now stood at 35-13.

Schramm and Henry were fast away again in heat 9 but Magnus Karlsson soon passed Henry to rescue two points for the visitors who now trailed by 24 points but the Topinka-Ward pairing added another 5-1 to the total in heat 10 for a 28 point lead. Scun.thorpe gave David Howe their second tactical ride in heat 11 and finally the Scorpions had something to celebrate. Not only did Howe end Sanchez's winning run by pulling away down the back straight but he got support from Byron Bekker who kept Jan Graversen at the back. This gave the visitors a 2-7 to take the score to 46-23. Heat 12 provided Darcy Ward with his sixth unbeaten race of the night but Simon Lambert passed Christian Henry for second for a 4-2 and 50-25 score.

Tomas Topinka went from third to first off the second bend in heat 13 with Karlsson and Howe following him but Emiliano Sanchez passed David Howe on the second lap for another home 4-2 while heat 14 provided only the second shared race of the match. Chris Schramm won it for the Stars while Bergstrom and Bekker filled the minor places. The home side finished the match off with the home side's sixth maximum of the match in the last race with Topinka winning from Schramm and Howe.

Scorers: King's Lynn – Darcy Ward 17+1 (6) (paid maximum), Tomas Topinka 14+1 (5), Chris Schramm 12+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 10+2 (5),
Christian Henry 5 (4), Jan Graversen 4+1 (5).

Scun.thorpe – David Howe 11 (5) (incl 6 point T/R), Magnus Karlsson 6 (4), Simon Lambert 6 (5), Byron Bekker 3+1 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 3 (4), Jerran Hart 2 (4), Carl Wilkinson 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 9 April



Premier Trophy: .... Sheffield 40 (0 Points), Redcar 55 (4 Points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

The home and away matches between these two sides tonight and tomorrow were likely to be crucial towards Premier Trophy group qualification. Redcar surrendered a point at home last week to Berwick with a narrow win over the Bandits and returned from Ashfield on Sunday empty handed. Sheffield on the other hand were on top of the world after winning at Newcastle by 11 points to become the first Premier League team to take four league points from a match on the road. What a difference four days can make!

The Yorkshire Tigers might have been on the crest of a wave at the start but the tide turned as Redcar swept them aside leaving them drowning in a speedway style tsunami of heat advantages. The home side floundered badly over the opening heats to trail by ten points after heat 5 and required the kiss of life from a tactical ride from Ricky Ashworth which, although successful, only stemmed the flow momentarily.

Sheffield fell behind in the opening heat when Robbie Kessler stormed off to lead Ricky Ashworth home. At the back Paul Cooper and Gary Havelock had a ding dong battle which Havelock won for the third place point and 2-4. Benji Compton showed he hadn't forgotten the way round his former track to win the reserves race from Chris Mills and Josh Auty so the points were shared but Redcar hit the Tigers again in heat 3 with a 1-5 from the fast gating Ben Wilson, also returning to his last year's track, and Carl Stonehewer with Ritchie Hawkins falling while chasing Stonehewer. Ty Proctor became the fourth Redcar rider to win a heat and the match had only reached heat 4! The score was now 9-15.

It didn't get any better for Sheffield as Ritchie Hawkins' bike packed up on the first bend of heat 5 leaving Havelock and Kessler to race off for an easy 1-5 ahead of Joel Parsons to lead by ten points so the Tigers gave Ricky Ashworth a tactical ride in heat 6. He won the heat for the full six points but there was no support from the hard chasing Cooper as Proctor and Compton filled the minor places for a 6-3 cutting the gap to 7 points. Carl Stonehewer won heat 7 for the Bears while Richard Hall passed Ben Wilson for second but it was another 2-4 to the Bears opening their lead to nine points again. Josh Auty produced Sheffield's second race winner of the match after a hard battle with Arlo Bugeja in heat 8 but with Paul Cooper retiring while in third place Bugeja and Kessler shared the points and the score was now 21-30.

Ty Proctor passed Joel Parsons in heat 9 for another Bears victory. Meanwhile Ritchie Hawkins, who was having a miserable match, fell while third so Benji Compton's third place resulted in another Redcar 2-4 and 11 point lead. Heat 10 brought back memories for the home fans as it finished with Wilson and Ashworth in first and second. That happened a lot last year but this year the two riders are riding for different sides. Josh Auty kept Stonehewer at the back for a 3-3 then another 2-4 to the visitors all but ended Sheffield's diminishing hopes. Gary Havelock won the race from Richard Hall with Kessler picking up third and Mills retiring from the race. The score now stood at 28-41.

Now more than 12 points down Sheffield were able to play their second tactical card and gave the ride to Josh Auty. Carl Stonehewer scuttled his hopes of the six points by winning the race but, with Auty second and Ritchie Hawkins finally completing four laps for a point, the home side managed a 5-3 advantage – too little, too late. Gary Havelock kept the Bears firmly in charge by winning heat 13 from Hall and Ashworth as Proctor fell at the back for a 3-3 but another 2-4 went the Bears' way in heat 14 as Ben Wilson won from Mills with Benji Compton relegating Joel Parsons to the back. In the last heat Gary Havelock and Ben Wilson provided the Bears with their sixth 2-4 of the match to add to their two 5-1s. Ashworth finished second as the Tigers were sunk without trace. This win gave the Bears four league points and a massive boost towards finishing in the top two of the group. All of their riders except Arlo Bugeja won at least one race. This setback for Sheffield undoes a lot of the good work they put in on Sunday night when they hammered Newcastle away from home.

So who's next to step up to the mark in this highly unpredictable northern group?

Scorers: Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 13+1 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Josh Auty 10+3 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Richard Hall 8 (5), Joel Parsons 4 (4), Chris Mills 4 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 1+1 (4), Paul Cooper 0 (3).

Redcar – Gary Havelock 13 (5), Ben Wilson 11 (5), Carl Stonehewer 8+1 (4), Ty Proctor 8 (4), Robbie Kessler 7+2 (4), Benji Compton 6+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2 (4).

[Merlin]

Friday, 10 April



Premier Trophy:
Birmingham v. Stoke
Edinburgh v. Newcastle
Redcar v. Sheffield
Somerset v. Scun.thorpe



Premier Trophy: .... Birmingham v Stoke. Match postponed due to the weather and re-arranged for Wednesday, 13th May.



Premier Trophy: .... Edinburgh 64 (3 points), Newcastle 26 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Results between these two teams are hard to predict since they have frequently tasted success at each other's tracks but, in all honesty, Newcastle were well and truly thrashed tonight as the Monarchs brought back memories of last year with a scintillating display. Every single Monarch won at least one race. Newcastle by contrast did not provide a single heat advantage all night although they did provide some exciting races over the last five heats. During this spell they provided their only two race winners with Steve Boxall and Kenni Larsen taking the honours.

The Monarchs simply tore into the Diamonds from the start with some fast, determined gating to which the visitors had no answer. Heat 1 was eagerly awaited as it saw the return of Derek Sneddon to the Dale but, although he made a decent enough start, he was left way behind by Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers with Fisher clocking up the fastest time of the season at Armadale of 55.3. Edinburgh followed this up with another maximum in the reserves race. Sean Stoddart made a super start along with Michal Rajkowski to win comfortably from Casper Wortmann and the Diamonds already trailed by 10-2. Kenni Larsen raised the visitors' hopes with a fast start in heat 3 but Andrew Tully chased and passed him in brilliant style with Jonasson third for a 4-2 before Newcastle managed a shared race, one of only four they recorded, in heat 4 won by Matthew Wethers with Jason King and Craig Branney following him home. The score now stood at 17-7.

Andrew Tully won heat 5 but a disappointing ride by Jonasson saw him relegated to the back after being passed by Boxall so the race points were shared. Edinburgh then slipped into top gear with five consecutive 5-1s the way they did so regularly last season. Fisher and Summers provided the first in heat 6 leaving the Diamonds 14 points behind so they gave Kenni Larsen a tactical ride in heat 7. However Michal Rajkowski and Matthew Wethers showed him a clean pair of heels from the gate and the TR resulted in no gain with Larsen third. The Diamonds then gave Derek Sneddon their second TR in heat 8 so Edinburgh responded by bringing in Rajkowski for Stoddart. They needn't have bothered as Sneddon failed to meet the two minute time allowance and had to be replaced by Casper Wortmann. Summers and Rajkowski gratefully raced off for another maximum taking the score to 35-13.

Jason King was next to suffer as he watched Thomas H Jonasson and Andrew Tully sailing off into the distance in heat 9 then the Diamonds had to endure a tapes exclusion for Kenni Larsen in heat 10 which resulted in him having to go from 15 metres back. Fisher and Summers continued their unbeaten runs but the sequence of 5-1s came to an end with a shared heat 11. It looked like another maximum score as Michal Rajkowski and Matthew Wethers were quickly away and led down the back straight. However a brilliant ride from Steve Boxall ended both of their unbeaten runs. Firstly he picked off Matthew Wethers then,when Rajkowski went too wide on the fourth turn, he slipped inside him too . Wethers passed his partner to take up the chase but Boxall was gone and the heat was shared. Heat 12 provided another 3-3 too. Thomas H Jonasson made the gate but Trent Leverington roared round the outside on bends one and two to pass him down the back straight. This pair had a ding-dong battle for the lead but, on the last lap, Jonasson with a determined ride worked his way past Leverington again for an excellent win. With Stoddart at the back the 3-3 took the score to 51-21.

Fisher and Wethers added a 5-1 in heat 13 against Boxall and King but a superb battle in heat 14 gave the Diamonds something to cheer about. Kenni Larsen hit the front early on after a poor gate by Andrew Tully and, although Tully passed Rajkowski to pressure Larsen for all four laps, the Newcastle rider held on well for the three points and shared race. The Diamonds were given the opportunity to end the maximums of both Fisher and Summers in heat 15 and it looked as if Kenni Larsen might indeed do just that but Fisher got the drive round the outside to pass him down the back straight while Summers sneaked past on the inside at the same time in a pincer movement to leave the stunned Larsen in their wake and provide Edinburgh with their ninth 5-1 of the match. Aaron Summers was deservedly named the man of the match with a five ride paid maximum in which he never put a wheel wrong.

Scorers: Edinburgh – Aaron Summers 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Ryan Fisher 12+3 (5) (paid maximum), Matthew Wethers 10+1 (4), Andrew Tully 10+1 (4), Michal Rajkowski 9+4 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 7 (4), Sean Stoddart 3 (3).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 7 (5), Jason King 5 (4), Steve Boxall 4+1 (5), Craig Branney 3+2 (5), Trent Leverington 3 (4), Derek Sneddon 3 (4), Casper Wortmann 1 (4).



Premier Trophy: .... Redcar 53 (3 points), Sheffield 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

After their 40-55 hammering at home on the previous night by the marauding Bears, Sheffield must have faced this match with some trepidation. Although they lost again, they at least improved to run the Bears two points closer than they did at home but once more only just managed to hit the 40 point mark.

The first four races were shared although not in the usual way – there were two 5-1s for each side! Heat 1 saw the Bears off to a maximum from Robbie Kessler and Gary Havelock although Havelock had to contend with a hard pressing Ricky Ashworth for the first two laps. Sheffield squared the scores again with a 1-5 in the reserves race won by Chris Mills while Josh Auty returning to his old track had to come from the back to pass both Benji Compton and Arlo Bugeja to join his partner up front. Back came the Bears with another 5-1 this time from Carl Stonehewer and Ben Wilson after Joel Parsons had fallen and been excluded from the rerun. Sheffield replied in kind with a 1-5 from Richard Hall and Josh Auty, the latter having a job on his hands keeping Ty Proctor behind him. The score was now 12-12 and the run of 5-1s continued but not equally any more!

The Wilson-Stonehewer pairing kept Ashworth at the back in heat 5 to give Redcar a four point lead for the third time and they consolidated that with another in heat 6. Kessler and Havelock produced the goods again, leaving Richard Hall to pick up the odd point. The Bears' lead now stood at eight points and it stayed that way after Ty Proctor won heat 7 from Hawkins and Parsons. A 4-2 in heat 8 then stretched the gap to ten points when Robbie Kessler continued his unbeaten run while Josh Auty took most of the race to pass Arlo Bugeja for second. The score now read 29-19.

It was time for a tactical and Richard Hall was nominated in heat 9 but was then excluded for failing to beat the two minute time allowance! He went from 15 metres back but there was no way he was going to make up the lost ground on Wilson and Stonehewer who rattled off their third 5-1 as a partnership increasing the home side's lead to 14 points. Gary Havelock won heat 10 but Joel Parsons produced an excellent ride to pass Robbie Kessler ending his maximum hopes before chasing after Havelock. The end result was a 4-2 and 16 point lead for the Bears. Sheffield then played their second tactical card nominating Ricky Ashworth in heat 11 and this time were successful as the Sheffield man romped home for all six points. There was no support for him though so the race score was 3-6 to the visitors who now trailed by 13 points at 41-28.

Carl Stonehewer made a spectacular pass on Ritchie Hawkins on the last lap of heat 12 to keep his unbeaten run going and share the points while Proctor did likewise by passing Ashworth on the second lap of heat 13 for another 3-3. Ben Wilson then continued his unbeaten run by winning heat 14 from Auty and Parsons for a third consecutive shared race and the last heat produced a fourth. Ben Wilson completed his paid maximum but Stonehewer's hopes of doing likewise ended when Auty and Ashworth filled the second and third places.


Scorers: Redcar – Ben Wilson 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Carl Stonehewer 10+2 (5), Robbie Kessler 10 (4), Ty Proctor 9 (4), Gary Havelock 7+2 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2 (4), Benji Compton 1+1 (4).

Sheffield – Josh Auty 11+3 (6), Ricky Ashworth 11+1 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Richard Hall 6+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 5 (4), Joel Parsons 4+2 (4) Chris Mills 3 (4), Paul Cooper 0 (3).



Premier Trophy: .... Somerset 56 (3 Points), Scun.thorpe 38 (0 Points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

On results to date Scun.thorpe looked like providing the Rebels with a fair test of their home record but, when a team can provide only one race winner all match, the end result is inevitable and Somerset ran out comfortable winners with only Jay Herne failing to win a race for the home side.

Steve Johnston passed early race leader, Simon Lambert, in the opening race for a 3-3 with David Howe finishing third before the Rebels took the lead in the reserves race with a win by Tom Brown from Jerran Hart for a 4-2. Emil Kramer made a fast start in heat 3 and was joined up front by Simon Walker who rounded Wilkinson and Bergstrom on the first and second bends for a 5-1 and six point lead. Cory Gathercole passed Magnus Karlsson to win heat 4 but the race was shared after Jay Herne fell on the last bend and the score stood at 15-9.

David Howe rode a great first and second bend to win heat 5 but little were Scun.thorpe to know at that stage that he would be their one and only race winner. The Scorpions didn't even get a heat advantage since Simon Walker and Emil Kramer followed him home for a 3-3. Johnston resumed the run of Somerset race winners in heat 6 while Justin Sedgmen passed Magnus Karlsson for third behind Jerran Hart for a 4-2 increasing the home side's lead to eight points. Cory Gathercole protected the home side's lead by winning heat 7 for another shared race in heat 7 and Sedgmen did likewise in heat 8 taking the score to 28-20.

The Kramer -Walker pairing added a big 5-1 for the home side in heat 9 in a great race. Jerran Hart passed both Rebels off the second bend to take the lead but he was chased down and passed by both Rebels to increase the gap between the sides to 12 points. It was now or never for Scun.thorpe if they hoped to get back into the match and in heat 10 they gave Carl Wilkinson a tactical ride. They made no inroads though. Johnston and Sedgmen hit the front from the gate although Wilkinson did pass Sedgmen for four points in a 4-4 shared heat. Still twelve points down the Scorpions then gave David Howe their second tactical ride in heat 11 and this time they did gain a heat advantage although Howe could only finish second to Gathercole. Simon Lambert took third for a 3-5 but it only put a minor dent in the home side's lead cutting it to ten points. Simon Walker kept the run of Rebels race winners going by winning heat 12 for another shared race which took the score to 43-33.

The Scorpions resistance ended over the last three heats. Johnston beat Howe in heat 13 with Gathercole third for a 4-2 then Kramer beat Bergstrom who just managed to pass Tom Brown on the run in to the line for second place and another 4-2 before Johnston and Gathercole finished with a 5-1 to stretch the lead to 18 points and give the Rebels all three points.


Scorers: Somerset – Steve Johnston 15 (5) (full maximum), Cory Gathercole 12+1 (5), Emil Kramer 10+1 (4), Simon Walker 8+2 (4), Justin Sedgmen 5 (4), Tom Brown 4 (4), Jay Herne 1 (4).

Scun.thorpe – David Howe 11+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Carl Wilkinson 8+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Jerran Hart 6+1 (4), Simon Lambert 4+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 4 (4), Byron Bekker 3+1 (4), Magnus Karlsson 2 (4).