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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 21:55:23 GMT
I ventured south for this one in anticipation of carnage as Sheffield from a large track tried to come to terms with a small track like Plymouth.
My wife commented that the red and yellow buildings make the place look like a circus and I agree that a coat of paint would make a whole difference to the venue.
Earlier in the day I had been chatting about riders that excite us and we came up with a few including Shaun Tacey, Jason Doyle, Jason Bunyan and more recently Ben Barker. Two of these were on show.
So, headmistress, for a blow by blow as it happened read on.
I think it may be worth the read.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 21:58:03 GMT
At 7:24 we were informed that there was a huge queue at the gate so the meeting would be delayed by 5 minutes.
At 7:25 we were informed that the huge queue was all now inside the venue so the match could go ahead.
If that is a huge queue in Plymouth then I am not surprised that the Argyle are in financial straits.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:01:30 GMT
The teams were as per program:
PLYMOUTH
1. Ben Barker
2. Mark Simmonds
3. Seemond Stephens
4. Jason Bunyan
5. Lee Smart
6. Jesper Kristiansen
7. James Cockle
SHEFFIELD
1. Shane Parker
2. Emiliano Sanchez
3. Josh Auty
4. Hugh Skidmore
5. Ricky Ashworth
6. Simon Lambert
7. Ashley Birks
With the Exeter connections and Bunyan I had to support Plymouth.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:05:52 GMT
Heat 1
Simmonds - Sanchez - Barker - Parker
Mark Simmonds shot away from the tapes and stayed there setting the fastest time of the night with 50.75 seconds.
Emiliano Sanchez got and held second while Ben Barker struggled slightly as he put a few of those locker turns in that we remember from Seemond Stephens on turn two at the county ground.
Shane Parker followed the procession proving that the toss was important as the race went with the gates.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:08:30 GMT
Heat 2.
Simon Lambert took the lead hotly pursued by Kristiansen and Cockle as Ashley Birks shot into the fence on turn two. This is what I was expecting a lot of.
Birks hauled his bike to the centre green allowing the race to finish 3-3.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:11:05 GMT
Heat 3.
Jason Bunyan took the lead followed by Josh Auty with Seemond Stephens in third as Hugh Skidmore hit the second bend fence. More of the same I thought.
The race continued for a 4-2 to the devils. Match score 11-7.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:17:16 GMT
Heat 4.
On this occasion James Cockle and Ashley Birks came together resulting in Birks hitting the second bend fence for the second time. It was all starting to pan out as I had anticipated.
The referee disqualified Cockle so the race was restarted with 3 riders.
In the restart Ricky Ashworth fell under pressure from Lee Smart, rather similar to the previous incident but this time it was all 3 back in the rerun.
It has to be said that Lee Smart was LEADING in the first two starts but in the third he came out last behind Ashworth and Birks and the race stayed that way for a 5-1 to Sheffield to leave the score 12-12.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:20:10 GMT
Heat 5.
Plymouth had to respond to that and they did as Jason Bunyan shot into the lead closely followed by Seemond Stephens.
Shane Parker and Emiliano Sanchez were hot on the tail of Stephens and pulled alongside him on the back straight of lap 4.
Seemond held that lead coming into turn 4 but between there and the line he allowed both the Sheffield riders past him for a 3-3.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:23:06 GMT
Heat 6.
Ben Barker looked like it had only taken him one race to master the track as he led and extended his lead setting the second fastest time of the night at 50.84 seconds.
Ricky Ashworth held second place but he was never secure as Mark Simmonds tried everything he knew to get past. Sadly he never got past.
That was an acceptable 4-2 taking the score to 19-17.
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Post by Peregrinner on Apr 29, 2011 22:27:38 GMT
Heat 7.
Kristiansen and Skidmore came together with Skidmore hitting the second bend fence only for Kristiansen to be excluded. The commentator said this was an exclusion. In heat 4 it was a disqualification. I must look up the difference some time.
In the second attempt Lee Smart was leading as Josh Auty was felled by his teammate Hugh Skidmore on the fourth bend. Auty was deemed to be at fault and also excluded.
In the two man race Lee Smart easily beat Hugh Skidmore.
Score 3-2. Match score 22-19.
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