Around the Premier League Tracks 2009

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 5 May



Premier League:..... Scun.thorpe 57 (3 points), Sheffield 38 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

For the second week in a row the Sky television cameras covered a Premier League match live. After the terrific match at Somerset last week the circus moved to Scun.thorpe for another match on a custom built track Fortunately the two teams were able to track their full sides for a fixture which, like last week's, was expected to be close given that the visitors had three riders in Paul Cooper, Richard Hall and Josh Auty who had already ridden for the Scorpions. Reduced entry prices led to a big attendance on a very blustery but dry night after rain earlier in the day.

Heat 1 produced a superb race. Simon Lambert made the gate and was gone but, behind him, Ricky Ashworth stormed down the back straight to pass both David Howe and his partner, Paul Cooper, to move into second. Howe then forced his way past Cooper and took up the chase on Ashworth. It was nip and tuck to the line but Ashworth just made it for second and the home team took a 4-2. Sheffield sat on a 1-5 in the reserves race until Chris Mills fell on the last bend of the second lap. He remounted but fell again on bend four next time round so the referee stopped the race and awarded it as it stood with Josh Auty winning for a shared heat. Ritchie Hawkins broke the tapes in heat 3 and was replaced by Josh Auty. The switch did the Tigers no good as Carl Wilkinson and Viktor Bergstrom stormed from the tapes for a 5-1 which increased the Scorpions' lead to six points. They added further to it in heat 4 as Sheffield were again sluggish from the gates allowing Magnus Karlsson to streak away for the win. Richard Hall rescued two points for Sheffield by rounding Byron Bekker on the second bend but the race resulted in a 4-2 which took the score to 16-8.

What a race heat 5 turned out to be! Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper made the gate and looked all set for a 1-5 but Viktor Bergstrom on the outside and Carl Wilkinson on the inside gave them a rude awakening by roaring past them both down the back straight. Ashworth tried hard to regain second position but it all ended in tears when, on the third bend of the last lap, Ashworth dived up the inside just as Bergstrom started on an early turn into the corner. Bergstrom fell off and the referee excluded Ashworth leading to a 5-1 which put the Scorpions 12 points ahead. Richard Hall was given a TR in heat 6. In the first running of the race David Howe anticipated the start and was half way to the first bend before the rest of the field had left the starting gate! The referee called the race back and second time David Hall again made the gate. Richard Hall got close off the second bend but Howe had the superior run round the outside to win with ease. Josh Auty took third so Sheffield gained a 3-5 heat advantage cutting their arrears to ten points. A fast start by Magnus Karlsson was good enough to win heat 7 but the points were shared as Hawkins and Parsons finished behind him as Hart suffered an engine failure. A fabulous ride from Josh Auty, replacing Paul Cooper, gave Sheffield renewed hope in heat 8. Simon Lambert stormed round the opening two bends to lead the field but Auty got the bit between his teeth and chased after him. Entering the third lap he passed Lambert on the inside then headed for the dirt on bend two to deny Lambert the luxury of an easy ride round the boards. Auty was supported in third by fellow reserve Chris Mills for a 2-4 which took the score to 29-21.

Heat 9 was shared. Carl Wilkinson got the better of the two Sheffield riders off the second bend but Wilkinson, Hall and Auty all came together off the fourth bend with the three riders somehow surviving without coming off. Wilkinson just held on to win the race as the Sheffield pair were all over him like a rash. The shared race left the gap at eight points. It was hard to follow the action in heat 10 as two separate races developed! David Howe and Ritchie Hawkins had a terrific battle for the lead which changed hands several times before David Howe moved Hawkins over down the home straight to make his pass stick entering the third lap. Meanwhile there was a similar tussle at the back for third place which ended with Simon Lambert passing Joel Parsons on the last two bends to give the Scorpions a 4-2 advantage. They now led by ten points again. If heat 10 was good heat 11 was even better. Magnus Karlsson got to the front off the second bend and there then developed a thrilling race between Karlsson and Ashworth for the lead. Ashworth looked to have the better of Karlsson but the home rider had the better run on the outside. Going into the last lap Karlsson surprised Ashworth by turning more tightly than before and Ashworth found Jerran hart steaming up the inside down the back straight and passing him for a 5-1 to put the Scorpions 14 points ahead. This allowed Josh Auty to take Sheffield's second TR. It was the Tigers' turn this time to give the home side a rude awakening! Josh Auty and Ritchie Hawkins came off bend two ahead of Carl Wilkinson and, try as he did, Carl Wilkinson could not gain the ground needed to challenge the visiting pair. This meant that the Tigers had taken the big 1-8 cutting the gap to seven points with the score now standing at 42-35.

Scunthorpe eased the home fans' nerves with a 5-1 in heat 13. Karlsson and Howe made the start while Ashworth settled into third place. Ashworth chased hard and had one or two nibbles at Howe's back wheel but just lost out in the run to the line. The home side now led by 11 points and Sheffield's hopes of even one league point for going down by less than seven points were looking remote. They looked gone when Joel Parsons went through the tapes in heat 14 and went from 15 metres back. Bergstrom and Hart scored a 5-1 from the race to wrap up the three league points. Then in the last race Magnus Karlsson completed a paid maximum by fending off the stubborn challenges of Hawkins and Auty to follow David Howe home for another 5-1 and 19 point win.

Looking back at the scorecard from a thoroughly entertaining match which, like last week, was a great advert for Premier League speedway, it was hard to believe that, for all their efforts, Sheffield had only one race winner all match – Josh Auty – who managed that feat in heats 2, 8 and 12. The brilliance of the racing provided Scun.thorpe in particular with the type of publicity which money couldn't buy and hopefully the curious newcomers will be back to boost attendances in the season ahead.


Scorers: Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), David Howe 12+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 10 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 7+2 (4), Simon Lambert 6 (4), Jerran Hart 5+3 (4), Byron Bekker 3 (4).

Sheffield – Josh Auty 14+2 (incl 6 point TR), Richard Hall 8 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Ritchie Hawkins 7+1 (4), Ricky Ashworth 4 (4), Joel Parsons 2+1 (4), Chris Mills 2 (4), Paul Cooper 1 (4).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 6 May



Premier Trophy:..... King's Lynn 63 (3 points), Birmingham 30 (0 points).


Team changes: King's Lynn were missing Tomas Topinka, out with a shoulder injury, Christian Henry out with a broken arm and Kozza Smith not yet fully recovered from his early season injuries. They had Tai Woffinden as guest at number 1 for Topinka, Joe Haines at number 5 for Henry and used Rider Replacement for Smith at number 2. Darren Smith was again their number 8. Birmingham were without Tomasz Piszcz so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

There words that came to mind about the Stars using Tai Woffinden as a guest for Tomas Topinka were 'sledgehammer' and 'nut'! After losing heavily at home to the Stars at Perry Barr last Sunday there weren't many who thought that the visitors would not go the way of recent visitors to the Norfolk Arena. And so it came to pass.

Birmingham provided the winner of heat 1 when Jason Lyons, having rounded Joe Haines on the second bend, went on to win the heat from Tai Woffinden and Haines for a shared heat. King's Lynn responded with three consecutive 5-1s leaving the Brummies looking at a long fruitless match ahead. Ward and Graversen won the reserves race before Chris Schramm and Darren Mallett added another maximum after Mallett and Robert Ksiezak had passed and repassed each other. Sanchez and Ward made it a hat trick of maximums in heat 4 taking the score to 18-6.

There was a good scrap in heat 5. Chris Schramm and Darren Mallett were off looking for a 5-1 but Jason Lyons passed Mallett on the second lap and almost hunted down Schramm too. The race resulted in a 4-2. King's Lynn ran up 5-1 number 4 in heat 6 once Woffinden and Haines gated to hit the front but, shockerooni!,the Stars charge came to an abrupt, if temporary, halt in heat 7 when Robert Ksiezak gave them a bit of a gliff by beating Emiliano Sanchez. Ludvig Lindgren took third in support of his partner and the visitors scored a 2-4 to trail by 16 points. Joe Haines won heat 8 for the Stars but Richard Sweetman finished ahead of Darcy Ward for second place and a 4-2 to the Stars which took the score to 33-15.

King's Lynn continued to give their number 8, Darren Mallett, the R/R rides by tracking him in heat 9. Jason Lyons also took a R/R ride for Birmingham in this race and the Brummies also put him on a TR. Lyons duly obliged with the full six points but there was no support for him as Schramm and Mallett took second and third so the visitors had to be content with a 3-6. The score now read 36-21. Woffinden and Haines added a 5-1 for the Stars in heat 10 but Jason Lyons was out again in heat 11 and, along with Richard Sweetman, looked like giving the Brummies a 1-5 until he fell on the third bend leaving his partner to race home for the three points on his own. Sanchez and Graversen followed Sweetman, Birmingham's third race winner, for a shared heat. Darcy Ward then won heat 12 but Robert Ksiezak took second for a 4-2 and the score to 48-27.

Birmingham gave Richard Sweetman their second TR in heat 13 but got no joy from it as Sanchez and Woffinden raced away for a 5-1. Schramm and Graversen did likewise in heat 14 for the Stars' seventh 5-1 of the match. The eighth arrived in heat 15 as Chris Schramm and Tai Woffinden completed the Stars' Premier Trophy group stage with a 33 point win to top the group by some distance Once again Birmingham's reserves failed go beat an opponent effectively leaving them with a four man team.


Scorers: King's Lynn – Chris Schramm 14 (5), Tai Woffinden 12+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 10 (4), Darcy Ward 9+1 (4), Joe Haines 8+3 (4), Jan Graversen 5+3 (4), Darren Mallett 5+2 (4).

Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11 (6) (incl 6 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 8 (6), Richard Sweetman 6 (5), Ludvig Lindgren 4 (5), Ben Taylor 1 (5), Daniel Halsey 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 7 May



Premier League:..... Redcar 53 (3 points), Stoke 42 (0 points) .


Team changes: Redcar were at full strength but Stoke were without injury victim Phil Morris so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

Redcar became the ninth club to begin their Premier League campaign this evening. Stoke had already taken two league points with a six point home win over Workington.

The Bears scored a 5-1 in the opening race having made fast starts from the outside gates but the Potters' reserves replied with a 2-4 in a key battle of the numbers 6 and 7 in heat 2. Klaus Jakobsen gated to win from Benji Compton and Jesper Kristiansen who had fallen in the second attempt to run the heat after the first was aborted through a tapes failure. Carl Stonehewer won a hard fought battle with Jason Bunyan to take the three points in the third race but Glen Phillips took third for a 3-3. The Potters' reserves then gated to lead heat 4 but Ty Proctor passed them both to win the race again for a shared heat which took the score to 13-11.

It was the Bears who made the gate in heat 5 but Lee Complin rounded them both on the first bend to win the race for a third consecutive drawn heat but Redcar had their fast gating opening pair out again in heat 6 and they repeated their heat 1 success with a 5-1 against the two Stoke reserves but not until Gary Havelock had passed both of them. The Bears now had a six point lead but Stoke shaved two points from it in heat 7. Ty Proctor gated to lead but he was passed by Jason Bunyan and, with Phillips taking third place, the result was a 2-4 to the Potters. Redcar then hit their visitors with a major blow when they took a 5-1 from heat 8. Kessler won again but Arlo Bugeja finally got in on the act by taking second place under pressure from Jakobsen and Madsen to launch the Bears into an eight point lead at 28-20.

For the fourth time in nine heats, Stoke tracked their two reserves but Carl Stonehewer passed Kristiansen while Ben Wilson took third for a 4-2 which put the Bears ten points ahead. The unbeaten Havelock and Kessler were out again in heat 10 looking for a third maximum as a pairing but, although they gated, Jason Bunyan passed Robbie Kessler on the third lap to ruin the maximum hopes of the Bears' number 2. Nonetheless another Redcar 4-2 put them 12 points ahead at 36-24. Stoke gave Lee Complin a TR in heat 11 and he led the race for the best part of two laps before Ty Proctor passed him. Madsen's third place gave the Potters a 3-5 heat advantage but they still trailed by ten points. The gap between the teams was back to 12 points when Carl Stonehewer won heat 12 from Glen Phillips but there was a scrap for third place which Arlo Bugeja won from Jesper Kristiansen for the 4-2 which took the score to 43-31.

Havelock and Proctor gated in heat 13 for a 5-1 which put them sixteen points ahead leaving the Potters needing a 1-8, 1-5 finish to rescue an unlikely point. As expected Jason Bunyan took a TR in heat 14. Ben Wilson led the race until the run in to the line when Bunyan passed him for the full six points. He had no support, however, as Jakobsen finished at the back behind Compton for a 3-6 but it was too little, too late as Redcar had banked all three points points. Stoke ended proceedings though with a 2-4 thanks to a heat win from Lee Complin from Carl Stonehewer while Jason Bunyan kept Gary Havelock at the back.


Scorers: Redcar – Carl Stonehewer 12+1 (5), Gary Havelock 12 (5), Ty Proctor 10+1 (4), Robbie Kessler 8+2 (4), Ben Wilson 5 (4), Benji Compton 3+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3+1 (4).

Stoke – Jason Bunyan 14 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Lee Complin 10 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Jesper Kristiansen 6 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 5+1 (6), Glen Phillips 4+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 3+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Friday, 8 May



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, first leg.:

Edinburgh v. Sheffield
Scun.thorpe v. Newcastle
Somerset v. Glasgow



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, first leg: ..... Edinburgh 59, Sheffield 31.


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Continual heavy showers throughout the day finally stopped dropping their payloads all over Armadale around 5.00pm. The sun came out but it was cold and windy and, although the track staff had worked all day to dry the surface out as best they could, it was still heavy and difficult especially in the early stages of the match.

Sheffield didn't seem to have much appetite for the match and it didn't help their cause when Ricky Ashworth had terminal machine problems which meant that he couldn't even come out for one of his races leaving the Tigers having to face heat 13 with just one rider. Sheffield weren't the only ones with horrific machine problems though. Thomas H Jonasson appeared for each of his four races but his machinery just wouldn't behave and with a funny noise in evidence and little power to be found he was easily passed and trailed home for just one gift point.

What can be said about the match? Jonasson apart, the Monarchs had a field day with Ryan Fisher scoring a five ride paid maximum while the rest all scored at least one win or paid win. Sheffield were indebted to a spirited performance from Josh Auty at reserve to save their blushes but will not fancy their chances of pulling back a 28 point deficit in the second leg.

Aaron Summers came from miles back in the opening heat to pass Ricky Ashworth, who retired at the end of the second lap, then Joel Parsons to join Ryan Fisher for a home 5-1 but Josh Auty won the reserves race for the Tigers in a fast time and shared race but from there on it was only Jonasson's machine troubles and Auty's determination that kept the Tigers in the hunt. Eventually even Auty seemed to run out of steam but the crowd did wonder why he didn't get a seventh ride.

Edinburgh ran up three 5-1s and three 4-2s to Sheffield's single 2-4 in heat 9 to lead by 44-28 after heat 12. However that 16 point lead ended up a 28 point one when the Monarchs turned the screw in the last three heats with three 5-1s to leave Sheffield's cup hopes almost in tatters.


Scorers: Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 15 (5) (full maximum), Andrew Tully 13+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 9+2 (4), Michal Rajkowski 9+2 (5), Aaron Summers 8+2 (4), Sean Stoddart 4+1 (3), Thomas H Jonasson 1 (4).

Sheffield – Josh Auty 12+1 (6), Joel Parsons 6+1 (5), Richard Hall 5+1 (5), Paul Cooper 4 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 3 (4), Chris Mills 1 (3), Ricky Ashworth 0 (3).



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, first leg: ..... Scun.thorpe 65, Newcastle 25..


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

You'd get long odds if you wanted to bet on Newcastle winning on aggregate after they were annihilated by 40 points over the 15 races. The Scorpions' only last place came in heat 4 when Byron Bekker suffered an engine failure trying to pass Kenni Larsen on the last bend of the third lap. Jason King and Kenni Larsen were the only two Diamonds to win a race and Larsen's win in heat 15 denied both David Howe and Magnus Karlsson from completing five ride paid maximums.

The home side opened with a 5-1 and two 4-2s while Bekker's engine failure produced the Diamonds' first shared race. At that stage, after heat 4, the score was 16-8 but the Scorpions dropped only two points over the next seven races to second places from Jason King in heat 7 and to Derek Sneddon in heat 10. The resultant five 5-1s and two 4-2s took the score to 49-17 after heat 11. Jason King won heat 12 from Carl Wilkinson and Byron Bekker but Scun.thorpe added two more 5-1s in the next two races before Kenni Larsen won the last race for a shared heat.

Apart from Byron Bekker every rider in the home team was paid for a double figure score with Carl Wilkinson, Simon Lambert, Viktor Bergstrom and Jerran Hart joining Howe and Karlsson in losing only once to an opposing rider.


Scorers: Scun.thorpe – David Howe 13+1 (5), Magnus Karlsson 12+2 (5), Carl Wilkinson 10+1 (4), Jerran Hart 10 (4), Simon Lambert 8+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 8+2 (4), Byron Bekker 4+2 (4).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 8 (5), Jason King 7 (5), Steve Boxall 3 (4), Derek Sneddon 3 (4), Craig Branney 2+1 (4), Casper Wortmann 2 (4), Trent Leverington 0 (4).



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, first leg: ..... Somerset 46, Glasgow 44..


Team changes: Somerset were still without Simon Walker so used Rider Replacement at number 2. Glasgow were without James Grieves on compassionate grounds and Lee Smart who was on duty with Weymouth. They had Travis McGowan as a guest at number 5 for Grieves and Darren Mallett at number 7 for Smart.

Having produced a sensational victory at Sheffield last week, Glasgow almost pulled off another at Somerset where they forced a last heat decider and they now look all but guaranteed passage to the next round unless the Rebels can produce their own sensational performance at Ashfield on Sunday. The Tigers had drafted in Travis McGowan from Elite League Swindon to bolster the team in James Grieves' absence but his seven points suggest that Glasgow might have done just as well, if not better, with Grieves in the ranks.

There were never more than four points between the two teams. After Shane Parker had taken Steve Johnston wide on the first bend in the opening heat, the Tigers found themselves sitting on a 1-5. However Tom Brown and Steve Johnston passed Mitchell Davey to share the race. Glasgow did take the lead in heat 2 though with a fast gate by Mitchell Davey who won the reserves race from Tom Brown. Glasgow's guest, Darren Mallett took third for a 2-4. Rebels levelled again in heat 3 with a win from Emil Kramer ahead of Josh Grajczonek for a 4-2 then Travis McGowan won heat 4 from Cory Gathercole and Tom Brown for a 3-3 which took the score to 12-12.

Kramer made the gate to win heat 5 but Shane Parker and Mitchell Davey both passed Justin Sedgmen for another shared race, the same result as heat 6 won by Steve Johnston from McGowan and Mallett. The scores were still tied but Glasgow went back in front in heat 7. Josh Grajczonek took advantage of a mistake by Cory Gathercole to win the race while Peter Juul took third from Brown. Grajczonek, out again in heat 8, won that too from Herne and Sedgmen and a 3-3 which took the score to 23-25.

Somerset squared the match again in heat 9 as Emil Kramer continued his unbeaten run beating McGowan in the process. Justin Sedgmen took third after a passing and repassing bout with McGowan for a 4-2 and the score remained level when Josh Grajczonek scored his third consecutive race win in heat 10 from Cory Gathercole and Steve Johnston. Glasgow then took back to back 2-4s. In the first Shane Parker won a thriller from Cory Gathercole while Mitchell Davey took a valuable third place point then, in the second, Mitchell Davey made the gate to win ahead of Justin Sedgmen. Peter Juul's third place produced another 2-4 and four point lead for the Tigers at 34-38.

It was all square again after heat 13 as Gathercole and Johnston gated to leave Parker and McGowan at the back for a 5-1 and 39-39 score. Emil Kramer won for the fourth time in heat 14 from Josh Grajczonek. This time Tom Brown beat Mitchell Davey for third so the Rebels found themselves two points up going into the last race which was won by Shane Parker. Steve Johnston and Emil Kramer finished behind him and ahead of Josh Grajczonek for a shared race which gave the home side a two point win but it is hardly likely to be enough for aggregate success.


Scorers: Somerset – Emil Kramer 13+1 (5), Cory Gathercole 11 (5), Steve Johnston 9+3 (5), Tom Brown 6+1 (6), Justin Sedgmen 5+1 (5), Jay Herne 2 (5).

Glasgow – Josh Grajczonek 13 (6), Shane Parker 12 (5), Mitchell Davey 8+1 (7), Travis McGowan 7 (4), Darren Mallett 2+1 (4), Peter Juul 2 (4).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 9 May



Premier League Knockout Cup:

Rye House v. Birmingham
Stoke v. Berwick

Premier Trophy:

Workington v. Sheffield



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, second leg: ..... Rye House 53, Birmingham 37 – Rye House win 100-80 on aggregate..


Team changes: Rye House were again without Tommy Allen so used Rider Replacement at number 3. Birmingham were at full strength.

Having won by four points at Perry Barr in the first leg of this tie, an aggregate victory seemed assured for Rye House against a Birmingham team just waiting for the new averages to be announced so that they can be strengthened in time for the league matches.

After a shared opening race won by Joe Haines, the Rye House reserves took a 5-1 in heat 2 for a four point lead. Haines won a rerun heat 3 from Ludvig Lindgren while Chris Neath recovered from a hard first bend to pass Robert Ksiezak for third place and a 4-2 and six point lead. Another home 5-1 followed in heat 4 from Linus Sundstrom and Andrew Silver for a 17-7 lead leaving the visitors struggling.

Luke Bowen broke the tapes in heat 5 and was replaced by Andrew Silver who fell on the third lap. The race was rerun without him and Jason Lyons took advantage to lead Chris Neath home from the gate while Richard Sweetman took the third place point giving the Brummies a 2-4 cutting the gap to eight points. Heat 6 was rerun too after Rob Mear ran into Haines causing him to take a trip under the fence. It was all four back though and Rob Mear beat Tomasz Piszcz in the rerun with Haines third for a 4-2 and ten point lead again. Back came Birmingham with a 2-4 in heat 7 won by Robert Ksiezak from Linus Sundstrom with Ludvig Lindgren taking third. Rye House replied with a 5-1 in heat 8 through Joe Haines and Andrew Silver taking the score to 30-18.

Tomasz Piszcz won heat 9 for a shared race but Birmingham shaved another two points from the gap with another win from Robert Ksiezak in heat 10 as the Brummies took gates 1 and 2 under the tactical gate rule. Joe Haines worked his way into second but Lindgren took third from Rob Mear who lost out on the line. The gap was back to 10 points. Rye House took a 4-2 in heat 11 when Luke Bowen got the better of Jason Lyons coming off the fourth bend while Linus Sundstrom finished third. Another 4-2 went the Rockets' way in heat 12 when Chris Neath beat Robert Ksiezak with Silver third taking the score to 43-29.

Birmingham took tactical gates 2 and 3 in heat 13 but Linus Sundstrom won from Lyons and Mear in the rerun after Tomasz Piszcz had been excluded for pushing Lyons into Mear causing the Rye House rider to fall. Luke Bowen won heat 14 from Lindgren and Halsey for a 3-3 then Joe Haines wrapped up proceedings by beating Jason Lyons in heat 15. Robert Ksiezak took third for another shared heat giving the Rockets a 16 point win on the night and twenty point win on aggregate.


Scorers: Rye House – Joe Haines 15 (6), Luke Bowen 11 (6), Linus Sundstrom 9 (5), Andrew Silver 7+3 (6), Chris Neath 7+1 (4), Rob Mear 4 (4).

Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11 (5), Robert Ksiezak 9+1 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 6 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 6 (4), Richard Sweetman 2+1 (4), Daniel Halsey 2+1 (4), Ben Taylor 1 (4).



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, second leg: ..... Stoke 48, Berwick 42 - Berwick win 92-87 on aggregate.


Team changes: Stoke were without Klaus Jakobsen and had Craig Branney as a guest at number 7. Berwick were at full strength.

Berwick carried an eleven point lead into this match which was handy but not decisive particularly since tactical rides would not feature.

There was a highly controversial decision by the referee in the first race. William Lawson and Tero Aarnio collided with each other and fell on the second bend. The Potters were away for maximum points but, as the riders exited the fourth turn, the red lights came on and an all four back was the decision! In the rerun Lee Complin won the race and was joined by Tom P Madsen who passed Tero Aarnio for a 5-1 which immediately reduced their aggregate arrears to just seven points. Gino Franchetti won the reserves race from Jesper Kristiansen while Craig Branney and Danny Warwick exchanged third and fourth places at the back. Branney prevailed for a shared heat but the Bandits took a 2-4 from heat 3. Josef Franc gated from Jason Bunyan while former Potter, Paul Clews, passed Glen Phillips for third. After a 20 minute delay to let the sun set, heat 4 was won by Phil Morris from Michal Makovsky while Craig Branney claimed third for a 4-2 which took the score to 14-10 with Stoke still trailing on aggregate by 7 points.

Berwick hit back in heat 5 when William Lawson beat Jason Bunyan with Tero Aarnio passing Glen Phillips for third and a 2-4 then Makovsky gated to win and share heat 6 but the Potters got within sight of the Bandits with a 5-1 in heat 7. There was a hoo-ha at the tapes before the race started which resulted in Franc being removed from the race. Jesper Kristiansen and Phil Morris gated to lead Paul Clews home taking the score to 24-18 with Berwick's aggregate lead now reduced to five points. However Berwick hit back again in heat 8 when Tero Aarnio made the gate to win the race for the Bandits. Tom P Madsen had to work hard to take second from Franchetti to restrict the Berwick advantage to a 2-4 which took the score on the night to 26-22 but increased the visitors' aggregate lead to seven points.

Danny Warwick and Michal Makovsky gated in heat 9 to put the Bandits in a 1-5 winning position but Jason Bunyan passed Makovsky on the second lap and Warwick on the third to win the race and share the heat but Stoke got two points closer in heat 10. Again the Berwick riders made the gate to sit on a 1-5 only for Paul Clews to fall causing a rerun in which Tom P Madsen worked his way to the front off the second bend while Josef Franc took second for a 4-2 which put the Potters six up on the night and only five behind overall. Phil Morris won heat 11 but Jesper Kristiansen got caught in the traffic off the second bend and finished at the back. The race was shared but heat 12 produced a 5-1 for the home side although again the Bandits gated and sat on a 1-5 off the second bend! Kristiansen and Branney both passed Danny Warwick down the back straight and chased after Paul Clews. Clews lifted on the fourth bend and the home riders were through! The score now stood at 41-31 and the Bandits' aggregate lead was down to a single point.

The Berwick riders gated again in heat 13 but, while William Lawson headed off to win the race, Phil Morris got past Michal Makovsky to restrict the Bandits to a 2-4 which put them three ahead on aggregate. It stayed that way when Berwick used their tactical gate pick in heat 14 choosing gates 1 and 4. Josef Franc made the gate from Bunyan and Kristiansen so the heat was shared and the tie came down to the wire with Stoke needing a 5-1 to win on aggregate and Berwick needing only to avoid losing by that margin for success. Berwick used their second tactical gate pick in the last race going this time from 2 and 3. William Lawson won the heat from the gate to head home Jason Bunyan while Josef Franc took third from Phil Morris for a 2-4 to the Bandits which gave them an aggregate win of five points.


Scorers: Stoke – Jason Bunyan 11 (5), Phil Morris 10+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 9+1 (5), Lee Complin 5+1 (4), Craig Branney 4+2 (4), Glen Phillips 0 (3).

Berwick – William Lawson 11 (5), Josef Franc 9 (5), Michal Makovsky 7+1 (4), Tero Aarnio 6+1 (4), Guglielmo Franchetti 4 (4), Paul Clews 3 (4), Danny Warwick 2 (4).



Premier Trophy: ..... Workington 56 (3 points), Sheffield 37 (0 points).


Team changes: Workington had Craig Cook at number 6 in place of the injured Luke Priest while Sheffield were at full strength.

Nothing less than full points for either side would do to keep their hopes of qualification alive of making it through to the semi-finals of the Premier Trophy. Even a maximum win for Workington, riding their last match in the group stage, was unlikely to be enough while Sheffield not only needed a four league point win in this match but needed to follow that with two more home wins and an away win – a tall order.

Sheffield made an excellent start to this match. Ricky Ashworth won the opening race in a fast time for a 3-3 then the Tigers' reserves scored a 1-5 in the reserves race for a four point lead. They looked like doubling that lead in heat 3 when Ritchie Hawkins led the race and was joined by Joel Parsons who had passed Charles Wright into second but Parsons fell on the third lap with the Tigers on a 1-5 causing the race to be rerun without him. It was a different story in the rerun when Adrian Rymel made the gate from Hawkins for a 4-2 cutting the gap to two points. It was all square again after a win from Andre Compton. Richard Hall prevented a 5-1 by passing Richard Lawson on the third lap for a 4-2 with the score now 12-12.

Undaunted Sheffield were back in front again after heat 5 with another fine win from Ricky Ashworth from Adrian Rymel. Paul Cooper's third place gave the Tigers a 2-4 and two point lead but it was a different story in heat 6 when John Branney gated from Richard Hall. Kevin Doolan passed Hall on the second lap to join his partner and the Comets were now in front by two points at 19-17. With the Comets' heat leaders asserting themselves and John Branney joining in the winners list, Sheffield began to fall away. Andre Compton won heat 7 but Hawkins and Parsons finished behind him for a 3-3 then John Branney won again in heat 8 from Richard Lawson with Paul Cooper falling giving the home side another 5-1 and 27-21 lead.

Adrian Rymel won an exciting heat 9 from Josh Auty who came from the back to claim second while Richard Lawson held off Richard Hall giving the Comets a 4-2 and eight point lead. It stretched to twelve after Kevin Doolan won a rerun heat 10 with his partner, John Branney, second for a 5-1 ahead of Parsons and Hawkins. In heat 11 Ricky Ashworth took a tactical ride for the Tigers and made it three straight wins on the trot by taking all six points. Andre Compton finished second but Paul Cooper took third from Craig Cook so the visitors took a 2-7 cutting the gap to seven points. That was as good as it got for the Tigers who then lost all the remaining four heats. In heat 12 Richard Lawson won an excellent race in which Josh Auty passed Adrian Rymel on the third lap for second. The 4-2 took the score to 42-33.

Andre Compton won heat 13 from Richard Hall and Kevin Doolan while the previously unbeaten Ashworth finished at the back. This gave the Comets a 4-2 then they finished with two 5-1s, the first from Lawson and Wright and the second from Rymel and Compton to run out comfortable winners by 19 points.


Scorers: Workington – Andre Compton 13+1 (5), Adrian Rymel 12 (5), Richard Lawson 11+1 (6), John Branney 9+2 (4), Kevin Doolan 8+1 (4), Charles Wright 3+1 (3), Craig Cool 0 (3).

Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 13 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Josh Auty 7+1 (5), Richard Hall 5 (5), Chris Mills 4 (3), Ritchie Hawkins 4 (4), Joel Parsons 2+1 (4), Paul Cooper 2 (4).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 10 May



Premier League Knockout Cup:

Glasgow v. Somerset
Newcastle v. Scun.thorpe

Four Team Tournament:

Newport: - Stars and Stripes v Bulldogs v Rest of the World v Kangaroos



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, second leg: ..... Glasgow 28, Somerset 14 - match abandoned after heavy rain.

Team changes: Glasgow still without Ross Brady used Rider Replacement at number 2 while Somerset were without Simon Walker and also used Rider Replacement at number 2. Adam McKinna was nominated as Glasgow's number 8.

Having done all of the hard work at Somerset on Friday night where they lost by only two points, Glasgow were red hot favourites to progress to the second round for a tie against Rye House. As it happened they were frustrated from doing so by torrential rain which arrived during heat 7.

It took Glasgow until heat 2 to move into an aggregate lead by which time the Somerset reserves were clearly in for a busy afternoon. Jay Herne rode in heats 1 and 2 while Tom Brown needed treatment for a heat 2 spill which caused him to be excluded. A shared heat 3 won by Emil Kramer was followed by the appearance of both the Rebels' reserves in heat 4 after Cory Gathercole had been excluded for tape touching. During this spell Glasgow had scored a 5-1 and 4-2 to lead 15-9.

Tom Brown made his third appearance in heat 5 which saw Steve Johnston win to force another shared race then Jay Herne made his third appearance in heat 6 in which Cory Gathercole continued his miserable afternoon by falling after clipping the fourth bend fence. Shane Parker and Adam McKinna (R/R) added a 5-1 to the Tigers' total which put them 10 ahead then Grieves and Davey did likewise in heat 7 for a 14 point lead after which heavy rain brought proceedings to a halt. The damage to the track, particularly the first bend, was such that no-one wanted to continue and the meeting was abandoned.


Scorers: Glasgow – Shane Parker 6 (2), James Grieves 6 (2), Mitchell Davey 4+2 (3), Josh Grajczonek 4 (2), Smart 4 (2), Adam McKinna 2+1 (1), Peter Juul 2 (2), Lee

Somerset – Jay Herne 5+1 (4), Steve Johnston 5 (2), Emil Kramer 4 (2), Justin Sedgmen 0 (2), Cory Gathercole 0 (2), Tom Brown 0 (3).



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, second leg: ..... Newcastle 48, Scun.thorpe 42 - Scun.thorpe win 107-73 on aggregate.


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

The trouble with home and away aggregate ties is that if the away team in the first leg gets well and truly thumped there's not much interest in the second leg. Newcastle lost by no fewer than 40 points in a drubbing at Scun.thorpe on Friday so, although they were back to full strength, they had next to no hope of pulling that sort of deficit back.

The Diamonds at least had the consolation of winning the return match though. They started with three consecutive 4-2s with wins from Steve Boxall, Craig Branney and Jason King before Scun.thorpe shared heat 4 with a Magnus Karlsson win for a 15-9 score.

David Howe won heat 5 for another shared race then the teams traded 4-2s to keep the difference at six points but Trent Leverington took heat 8 to provide another 4-2 for the home side taking the score to 28-20.

The first 5-1 of the match arrived in heat 9 from Jason King and Derek Sneddon with Magnus Karlsson back in third and the home side added a 4-2 in heat 10 with another Steve Boxall win, this time over Carl Wilkinson, taking the Diamonds' lead to 14 points. That's as good as it got for them because they did not produce another race winner. David Howe's win over Kenni Larsen in heat 11 produced a 2-4 for the Scorpions then Carl Wilkinson won heat 12 for a shared race taking the score to 42-30.

Magnus Karlsson and David Howe combined in heat 13 to register the only other maximum heat win bringing the Scorpions within eight points of the home side then, after a win for Viktor Bergstrom in heat 14 for a 3-3, the visitors made further inroads into the home side's lead by finishing with a 2-4 from David Howe, who beat Steve Boxall, and Carl Wilkinson.


Scorers: Newcastle – Steve Boxall 11 (5), Jason King 9+1 (4), Craig Branney 7+3 (5), Derek Sneddon 7+1 (4), Kenni Larsen 7 (5), Trent Leverington 6 (4), Casper Wortmann 1 (3).

Scun.thorpe – David Howe 13+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 11 (5), Magnus Karlsson 9 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 4 (4), Simon Lambert 3 (4), Byron Bekker 2 (5), Jerran Hart 0 (3).



Four Team Tournament at: ..... Newport.


This event held at Newport seemed to be a bit of a fixture filler. It took the form of a four team challenge between teams consisting of a mixture of Premier and National League riders.

Scorers: Rest of the World (33) – Ty Proctor 11, Jesper Kristiansen 11, Ludvig Lindgren 7, Grant Tregoning 4: Bulldogs (25) – Jordan Frampton 8, Paul Fry 7, Kyle Newman 7, Tony Atkin 3; Kangaroos (25) – Mark Lemon 13 (incl 4 point TR), James Holder 7, Ryan Sedgmen 3, Shelby Rutherford 2; Stars and Stripes (24) – Brent Werner 11 (incl 6 point TR), Chris Kerr 8, Ricky Wells 5, Tim Gomez 0.

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 13 May



Premier Trophy:

Birmingham v. Stoke

Individual Meeting:

Ashley Jones Memorial Trophy : at King's Lynn – Meeting rained off.



Premier Trophy:.... Birmingham 45 (1 point), Stoke 45 (2 points).


Team changes: Birmingham were at full strength while Stoke were missing Phil Morris so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

There was little interest in this 'dead rubber' match between the two sides with neither able to qualify for the semi-finals of the Premier Trophy but it was the home side's 12th match of the season which counted towards revised averages and the pressure was on some of them to impress if they hoped to continue with the club. Nothing at stake or not, it turned out to be an absorbing contest.

Tom P Madsen fell in the opening race after clashing with his partner, Lee Complin. He was excluded from the rerun which was won by Complin from Richard Sweetman and Jason Lyons resulting in an opening 3-3. However Birmingham's Achilles' Heel was exposed once again in heat 2 when they lost another 1-5. Jesper Kristiansen took the chequered flag from Klaus Jakobsen and Daniel Halsey after Ben Taylor's bike packed up to put the Potters four up. It stayed that way when Jason Bunyan won the third race from Ludvig Lindgren and Robert Ksiezak but the Brummies pulled two back in heat 4 in which Stoke tracked both reserves again. Tomasz Piszcz won the race from Jakobsen while Daniel Halsey took third from Kristiansen for a 4-2 taking the score to 11-13.

The lead changed hands in heat 5 with a Birmingham 5-1 from Lindgren and Ksiezak from Stoke's top pairing of Complin and Madsen which put the Brummies two ahead. Alas for the home fans the lead didn't last long! For the third time in six heats the visitors tracked their two reserves and they responded with a 2-4 as Jakobsen beat Sweetman as Lyons fell leaving Kristiansen to take third place. This tied the scores at 18-18 but Stoke were back in front for the second time in the match with another 2-4 in heat 7. Jason Bunyan won again in this heat from Tomasz Piszcz while Glen Phillips opened his account for the evening with a third place point from Taylor and a two point lead. Birmingham squared the match in heat 8 though when Richard Sweetman beat Madsen while Taylor took third as the previously unbeaten Jakobsen retired from the race for a 24-24 score.

The scores remained tied after a shared heat 9 won by Klaus Jakobsen, out again, from Ksiezak and Lindgren but Stoke took the lead for the third time in heat 10 as Jason Bunyan remained unbeaten by winning from Jason Lyons with Glen Phillips taking the vital third place point from Sweetman. The 2-4 took the score to 29-31. There was no change in heat 11. Tomasz Piszcz won the race from Lee Complin while Madsen kept Taylor at the back. Robert Ksiezak won heat 12 from Phillips and Jakobsen to maintain the status quo but Birmingham had done well to hold on over these two heats as their struggling reserves were in both races. The score was now 35-37.

The home side badly needed an advantage from heat 13 as the unbeaten Bunyan and prolific Jakobsen were due out in heat 14. They got it too as Piszcz and Lyons ran out winners from Complin and Madsen for a 5-1 which put Birmingham back in front by 40-38 with just two heats to go. The clever money was on a Stoke maximum in heat 14 but they preferred Kristiansen to Jakobsen to partner Bunyan. Bunyan won as expected but Ludvig Lindgren took a valuable second place to restrict the Potters to a 2-4 which tied the scores yet again at 42-42.

The reason for Klaus Jakobsen's non-appearance in heat 14 became clear when he was nominated for heat 15 for his seventh ride to partner Jason Bunyan. Birmingham tracked Tomasz Piszcz and Jason Lyons for this last heat decider. The race was won by Tomasz Piszcz whose win ruined Jason Bunyan's maximum. Bunyan finished second though while Jakobsen relegated Lyons to the back so the race was shared 3-3 and the match drawn which seemed a fair result.


Scorers: Birmingham – Tomasz Piszcz 14 (5), Robert Ksiezak 8+2 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 8+1 (4), Richard Sweetman 7 (4), Jason Lyons 5+2 (5), Daniel Halsey 2 (4), Ben Taylor 1 (4).

Stoke – Jason Bunyan 14 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 12+3 (7), Lee Complin 7 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 5 (5), Glen Phillips 4 (4), Tom P Madsen 3+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 14 May



Premier League Knockout Cup:

Redcar v. Newport

Premier Trophy

Sheffield v. Berwick – match postponed due to a waterlogged track.



Premier League Knockout Cup – first round, first leg:.... Redcar 52, Newport 38.


Team changes: Redcar were at full strength. Newport welcomed Chris Kerr back to the team at number 2 and tracked Kyle Newman once more at number 6.

Mark Lemon got the Wasps off to a winning start by beating Gary Havelock while Chris Kerr won a good battle for third place against Robbie Kessler. The Wasps two point lead was short-lived as the Bears took a 5-1 from the reserves race. Benji Compton won the heat while Arlo Bugeja passed James Holder to join him. Redcar now led by two points and they doubled that lead with a 4-2 in heat 3. It looked like it might be a 5-1 but Jordan Frampton passed Ben Wilson to finish behind Carl Stonehewer. Newport's hopes weren't improved when Brent Werner was excluded from heat 4 for tape touching. He was replaced by Kyle Newman who pressed Arlo Bugeja unsuccessfully for third place behind Ty Proctor and James Holder. The second 4-2 on the bounce gave Redcar a six point lead at 15-9.

Heat 5 had to be rerun after Newport had used a tactical gate switch. It's hard to see how that could have caused the tapes to malfunction but they did! At the second attempt it was Mark Lemon who made the start and, despite Stonehewer's best efforts, he held on to win. Ben Wilson finished third so the race was shared. Heat 6 needed a rerun too after Kyle Newman had fallen and been excluded.
In the rerun, Robbie Kessler and Gary Havelock left Brent Werner behind for a 5-1 which put the home side 10 points ahead. There were no tactical rides to help Newport in this match but, in a rather surprising turn of events, they shared heat 7 won in fine style by Benji Compton who moved to the front off the second bend to lead home Jordan Frampton and Paul Fry. Ty Proctor?...well he fell and remounted to trail in last! Newport's resistance continued with another share of the points from heat 8. Robbie Kessler won the race but Chris Kerr and James Holder followed him home taking the score to 29-19.

Redcar added four points to their lead with a 5-1 from Stonehewer and Wilson as the weakness of the Wasps' third pairing was exposed again in heat 9 but the visitors hit back in heat 10 with a 1-5 from Jordan Frampton and Paul Fry who gated to leave Havelock and Kessler to bring up the rear. They were well placed in heat 11 too as Mark Lemon and Chris Kerr hit the front however Ty Proctor had other ideas. He battled past Kerr into second then took Lemon for the win and a shared race. The Wasps changed gates again in heat 12 with Frampton moving from gate 4 to gate 3. James Holder also came into the race to replace Kyle Newman as the Wasps strove to gain another heat advantage but, although Frampton won the race from Stonehewer, Bugeja passed Holder at the end of the second lap for a shared race which took the score to 41-31.

Redcar had not improved on the ten point lead they had built up over the first six races and now needed to up a gear to give them a more comfortable cushion for the second leg on Sunday. They got just what they needed in heat 13 with a 5-1 from Havelock and Proctor but not until Ty Proctor had brought the house down again with a brilliant last to second by rounding Werner then Lemon. The lead now stood at 14 points and it remained at that as Paul Fry won heat 14 from Wilson and Compton. The Bears went with Havelock and Stonehewer in heat 15 when some might have expected Ty Proctor to have been selected. Newport tracked Lemon and Frampton as expected. It was Mark Lemon who made the gate and despite the efforts of both Havelock and Stonehewer who pursued him for all four laps he held on to win and share the points. This gives Redcar a 14 point lead for the second leg. Will it be enough? Well I know who my money would be on!

Scorers: Redcar – Carl Stonehewer 12 (5), Gary Havelock 9+2 (5), Ty Proctor 8+1 (4), Benji Compton 7+1 (4), Ben Wilson 6+2 (4), Robbie Kessler 6 (4), Arlo Bugeja 4+2 (4).

Newport – Mark Lemon 11 (5), Jordan Frampton 10 (5), Paul Fry 6+2 (4), Chris Kerr 4+1 (4), James Holder 4+1 (5), Brent Werner 3 (4), Kyle Newman 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Friday, 15 May



Premier Trophy:

Edinburgh v. Glasgow – match postponed due to waterlogged track
Somerset v. King's Lynn

Premier League:

Scun.thorpe v. Berwick – match postponed due to waterlogged track



Premier Trophy: ..... Somerset 46 (2 points), King's Lynn 44 (1 point).


Team changes: Somerset welcomed Simon Walker back to the side after injury but were now without Justin Sedgmen so used Rider Replacement at number 2. King's Lynn welcomed Kozza Smith back from injury. He went into the side at number 6 while, with the new averages kicking in, Darcy Ward moved into the team at number 4 to partner Emiliano Sanchez. New signing Linus Eklof lined up at number 2.

King's Lynn had already won their group stage of the Premier Trophy and were due to play whoever finished second in the northern section of the competition. Somerset still had a chance of qualification if they could win their two remaining home matches but they were likely to need to win both of them by more than six points to collect all six league points to reach the 21 point mark thus exceeding Rye House's total. If they manage that and Scunthorpe take all three points from their remaining home match against Newport to equal the Rebels' total then qualification would be decided on race points with Somerset currently having the advantage.

King's Lynn had already lost at the Oak Tree Arena in a Premier League match in front of the television cameras but the Rebels, even without Justin Sedgmen, were perhaps better placed than they were then now that Darcy Ward can no longer take seven rides and with Kozza Smith almost certain to be rusty after his long absence with a broken wrist. The great unknown was how Linus Eklof would take to the Somerset track in his first experience of British league speedway.

We didn't have to wait long to find out though! In heat 1 he rocketed from the gate to win the race and was followed home by his partner, Tomas Topinka, for a 1-5 ahead of Tom Brown (R/R) and Steve Johnston. This was not the start the Rebels were looking for but Jay Herne gated to win the reserves race from Jan Graversen and Kozza Smith for a 3-3. Emil Kramer was next up for a race win but again it was only good enough for a shared heat as Emiliano Sanchez and Darcy Ward followed him home after Simon Walker was taken out wide on the first bend. However the Rebels levelled the match again with a 5-1 from Cory Gathercole and Tom Brown in heat 4 so the score read 12-12.

The Eklof – Topinka pairing did it again in heat 5! Eklof made another fast start while Tomas Topinka got the better of Emil Kramer on the opening bend to follow the young Swede home for another 1-5 which put the Stars four up again. Steve Johnston won heat 6 but Jay Herne was left at the back by Chris Schramm and Kozza Smith so the result was another 3-3 but back came the Rebels in heat 7. Cory Gathercole gated and Jay Herne took Darcy Ward way wide on the first turn before heading off to finish behind his partner for a 5-1 with Sanchez stuck at the back. This 5-1 squared the match again. It didn't stay that way for long though as the Stars went in front again in heat 8 with yet another win from Linus Eklof from the gate. Simon Walker (R/R) and Jan Graversen fought a close battle for second place but it was Walker who won that battle leading to a 2-4 which made the score 23-25.

Emil Kramer won heat 9 for the Stars with a fast start but Smith and Schramm shared the race behind him before the Stars' pairing of Sanchez and Ward came out for heat 10. This time Darcy Ward made the gate but Jay Herne and Steve Johnston kept Sanchez at the back for another 3-3. Heat 11 programmed the Stars top pairing of Topinka and Eklof again and they produced their third 1-5 from their three outings. This time it was Topinka who won the race while Eklof was busy fighting Gathercole for second. The young Swede gave Gathercole a shove which pushed him to the back much to the Aussie's displeasure but the maximum heat win for the Stars put them six points ahead with a dangerous heat 12 to come. In the end it was shared. Emiliano Sanchez finally won the race after Kozza Smith fell on the first bend. He eventually remounted when he saw that the race was not going to be stopped and trundled round at the back. Simon Walker, the race leader, developed engine problems which let Sanchez through but he had enough power to struggle home in front of Smith. The score was now 33-39 with just three heats to go and time was running out for the Rebels.

The home side weren't finished though and Steve Johnston took the Stars pair of Topinka and Schramm wide on the first bend before heading off to win the race. Unfortunately his partner, Cory Gathercole, had also been baulked by Johnston's move but he passed both King's Lynn riders off the fourth bend to join Johnston for a 5-1 cutting the gap to just two points. It stayed that way after heat 14 which was won by Darcy Ward who got the better of Emil Kramer round the opening bend. Jay Herne's third place meant that the race was shared leaving a last heat decider with the Stars still two points in front. King's Lynn tracked their two young sensations – Linus Eklof and Darcy Ward – in the last race against Steve Johnston and Cory Gathercole. The big question was could Eklof start his British career with a paid maximum at the Oak Tree Arena? The answer was 'no' as the Rebels' pair gated for a 5-1 which gave them an identical 46-44 win to their Premier League success. However it may be too little, too late as Scunthorpe can now finish second in the Premier Trophy group if they can beat Newport by more than six points in their home match against the Wasps in two weeks' time.


Scorers: Somerset – Cory Gathercole 11+1 (5), Steve Johnston 9+2 (5), Jay Herne 9+2 (6), Emil Kramer 9 (4), Tom Brown 5+1 (5), Simon Walker 3 (5).

King's Lynn – Linus Eklof 11+1 (5), Darcy Ward 9+1 (5), Tomas Topinka 8+2 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Kozza Smith 4+2 (4), Chris Schramm 4+1 (4), Jan Graversen 3 (4).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 16 May



Premier Trophy:

Berwick v. Sheffield
Stoke v. Newport

Premier League:

Workington v. Scun.thorpe



Premier Trophy: ..... Berwick 32, Sheffield 34 - match abandoned after heat 11; the result does not stand.


Team changes: Berwick were without Josef Franc and Gino Franchetti both riding abroad. They used Rider Replacement for Franc at number 2 and had Michal Rajkowski as a guest at number 7. Greg Blair made his debut for the Bandits at number 6. Sheffield were at full strength.

The Bandits got off to a bad start when Michal Makovsky fell on the first bend with his bike collecting William Lawson too. The race was rerun after an all four back verdict but it was the Sheffield riders who made the gate. Makovsky eventually passed Paul Cooper at the end of the third lap but Ricky Ashworth was well gone to win the race. Sheffield went two up from the 2-4 and kept the lead in heat 2 won by Michal Rajkowski. Greg Blair made an unfortunate start to his Berwick career by touching the tapes and having to go from 15 metres back. To crown it all he then suffered an engine failure. The two point lead changed hands in heat 3 as Tero Aarnio and Paul Clews scored a 5-1 after Ritchie Hawkins had fallen and been excluded. Makovsky won heat 4 from Richard Hall while Rajkowski might have taken second if his bike had performed better. Berwick were now four to the good after the 4-2 with the score at 14-10.

Ricky Ashworth won heat 5 from the gate but Aarnio and Clews shared the race behind him then the Tigers hit back with a 1-5 in heat 6 from Auty and Hall with Rajkowski and Lawson at the back to level the scores again at 18-18. Makovsky won heat 7 to keep the scores tied and Tero Aarnio did likewise in a controversial heat 8 which saw Michal Rajkowski excluded after he fell when Paul Cooper cut across his line. The score was now 24-24.

Sheffield took the lead again in heat 9 when Josh Auty and Richard Hall scored another 1-5! This time Tero Aarnio made the gate but was passed by first Auty on the second bend then Hall on the last bend of the last lap. The Tigers now had a four point lead but it didn't last long as Ritchie Hawkins fell again on the fourth bend of heat 10. In the rerun William Lawson had a tapes to flag win while Paul Clews finally passed Joel Parsons at the end of the second lap. This tied the scores again at 30-30. Sheffield were back in front again after heat 11 though. Ricky Ashworth kept his winning run going by beating Michal Makovsky after a rerun with all four back after Cooper was the victim of a domino shunt when Makovsky moved Ashworth out on the first bend. Paul Cooper finished third after Greg Blair had fallen so the Tigers took a 2-4 and two point lead. Heat 12 was stopped after Ritchie Hawkins fell again! Michal Rajkowski had rounded him as he led the race at the time. Josh Auty then passed his partner too and Hawkins came down. He was excluded from the rerun but it never took place.His injuries were serious enough for the county ambulance to be called causing a delay long enough to cause the meeting to be abandoned. Since heat 12 had not been competed the result does not stand.


Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 10 (4), Tero Aarnio 9 (4), Paul Clews 5+3 (4), Michal Rajkowski 5 (4), William Lawson 3 (3), Greg Blair 0 (3).

Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 9 (3), Josh Auty 8 (3), Richard Hall 6+2 (3), Joel Parsons 4 (3), Paul Cooper 4 (4), Chris Mills 2+2 (3), Ritchie Hawkins 1+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: ..... Stoke 51 (3 points), Newport 42 (0 points).


Team changes: Stoke welcomed back Mark Burrow to the team at number 7 after Glen Phillips had been dropped. Newport again had Kyle Newman at number 6.

The match opened with two shared races. Jason Bunyan, now at number 1, opened with a win from Mark Lemon and Chris Kerr then James Holder beat the home reserves of Jesper Kristiansen and Buzz Burrows after Kyle Newman had fallen. Stoke took the lead in heat 3 with a 5-1 from Klaus Jakobsen who made a stunning gate and Lee Complin who passed Jordan Frampton down the back straight. Phil Morris won heat 4 but the race was shared after Burrows had fallen at the back. The score was now 14-10.

Mark Lemon won heat 5 for a 3-3 before the Potters banged in another 5-1 in heat 6 with Jason Bunyan winning again and Tom P Madsen passing Brent Werner at the end of the third lap. Newport hit back with a 1-5 in heat 7! Jordan Frampton led the race after a hard first bend while Paul Fry took third after Phil Morris had fallen and retired. The Stoke lead had been cut to 23-19 and it was down to just two points with a 2-4 for the Wasps in heat 8. Buzz Burrows fell in the first running of the heat and was excluded then Chris Kerr beat Madsen in the second running with Holder picking up the gift third place taking the score to 25-23.

As at Redcar on Thursday night, Newport's third pair was their nemesis. Brent Werner briefly led heat 9 after a good gate but was passed by both Klaus Jakobsen and Lee Complin before the riders had reached the second bend. The result was a 5-1 for the Potters which extended their lead to six points again then to eight with a 4-2 in heat 10 as Bunyan remained supreme with Frampton taking second. Tom P Madsen passed Paul Fry off the last bend for third. A 5-1 from Kristiansen and Morris from the Wasps pairing of Lemon and Kerr propelled the home side into a 12 point lead but the Wasps responded by giving Jordan Frampton a tactical ride in heat 12. He won it too but only after Klaus Jakobsen who was well in front suffered an engine failure. This left Burrows to take second with Holder picking up the gift third for a 2-7 which cut the gap to 7 points with the score now 41-34.

Mark Lemon ended Jason Bunyan's winning run in heat 13 while Brent Werner took third place ahead of Phil Morris giving the Wasps a 2-4 which put them within five points of Stoke's total with hopes of a league point still intact. However Stoke stretched their advantage to seven points with a win by Lee Complin from Paul Fry while Jesper Kristiansen recovered from a bad start to take third. This left Newport needing a 2-4 from the last heat to take a single league point while Stoke needed a shared race or better to take all three points. It was Stoke who succeeded. Lee Complin went wide on the opening bends to take the lead down the back straight leaving Mark Lemon to chase him all the way. With Jason Bunyan taking third from Jordan Frampton the home side finished with a 4-2 and nine point win.


Scorers: Stoke – Lee Complin 12+2 (5), Jason Bunyan 12 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 7+1 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 7 (4), Phil Morris 5+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 5+1 (4), Mark Burrows 3+1 (4).

Newport – Jordan Frampton 12 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Mark Lemon 11 (5), James Holder 6+1 (5), Brent Werner 5 (4), Chris Kerr 4+1 (4), Paul Fry 4 (4), Kyle Newman 0 (3).



Premier League: ..... Workington 50 (3 points), Scun.thorpe 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Workington were at full strength but Scun.thorpe were without Simon Lambert and had Josh Grajczonek as a guest at number 2.

With gating at a premium on a slick looking track it was the Comets who got off to a winning start from Adrian Rymel, now at number 1, from David Howe. Richard Lawson beat Josh Grajczonek for third so the 4-2 put the Comets two ahead. A 1-5 from the Scorpions in the reserve race from Jerran Hart and Byron Bekker after John Branney had an engine failure reversed the lead but the home side then struck two 5-1s in heats 3 and 4 from first Kevin Doolan and Charles Wright then Andre Compton and John Branney which put them six points up at 15-9.

The visitors rallied after that and shared the next three heats with wins for Doolan and Compton for the Comets in heats 5 and 7 and for Magnus Karlsson in heat 6. However the Comets pulled two more points clear in heat 8 with a 4-2 after Richard Lawson had beaten Grajczonek who passed John Branney with Byron Bekker at the back. The score now read 28-20.

Shared heats seemed to be the order of the night and the next four all ended up that way. Magnus Karlsson took heat 9 from Charles Wright after Doolan had missed the gate and Jerran Hart had fallen. Carl Wilkinson became the Scorpions third race winner in heat 10. Richard Lawson took second but all eyes were on the scrap for third between John Branney and Viktor Bergstrom which Branney won on the line. Andre Compton kept his unbeaten run going with a win in heat 11 from David Howe then Kevin Doolan won heat 12 from Wilkinson to take the score to 40-32.

Magnus Karlsson had a good win in heat 13 from Rymel and Compton but David Howe finished at the back so the gap remained at eight points. John Branney won heat 14 from Byron Bekker and Wright for a 4-2 in heat 14 which put the Comets ten up with one heat to go and left the Scorpions needing a 1-5 to take one league point. Karlsson won for the fourth time in a row in heat 15 but again he had no support as this time Compton and Doolan were happy enough to share the points for a ten point win.


Scorers: Workington – Andre Compton 12+1 (5), Kevin Doolan 11+2 (5), Richard Lawson 8 (4), John Branney 7+2 (6), Adrian Rymel 6+1 (4), Charles Wright 5+1 (4), Luke Priest 1 (3).

Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 13 (5), Carl Wilkinson 8 (5), David Howe 6 (4), Byron Bekker 5 (4), Josh Grajczonek 4+2 (4), Jerran Hart 3+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 1+1 (4).