(SPEEDWAY 1 - MONDAY REVIEW)COVENTRY are back on top of the Elite League table after a 45-45 draw in a dramatic Elite League match at Belle Vue on Monday.Both sides had four-point leads during the meeting but they went in to the last race level, with Bees skipper Chris Harris overtaking home No.1 Matej Zagar to prevent the Aces from snatching a narrow victory.The two points gained puts Coventry back ahead of Poole, albeit the Pirates have three matches in hand, whilst the Aces took one point and are now two ahead of fifth-placed Swindon, having raced just five times at home.Harris said: “Obviously we came here for the win so we’re a bit disappointed not to get it, but at least we came away with a draw and got two points.“It was an up-and-down night for everyone - on Friday it was me and Hans who struggled, and tonight it was others, but we’re there or thereabouts and the results still show the strength in depth we have in the team, and it’s great to be leading it.”Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon said: “It was definitely a fair result tonight. Coventry have always proved to be an enigma for us around our home track so to finish the night with a draw isn’t something I’m about to complain about.“They’re a tough outfit to beat and the last time they were in Manchester they gave us a real hiding, but I think we demonstrated just how much this team has improved since the last time we met.”Meanwhile Wolverhampton promoter Chris Van Straaten admitted his disappointment after a 34-57 reverse at Lakeside.Mikkel Bech (13+1) and reserve Ashley Birks (11+3) were both in the major points for the Hammers, whilst Wolves did not have a double-figure scorer.Van Straaten said: “We didn’t do ourselves or the sport justice tonight, and it was very, very disappointing.“There was only one real bright spark which was Tobiasz (Musielak), who rode better than we probably envisaged, but apart from that the rest of the team just didn’t seem to fire consistently.“It was a very poor result, and it’s immensely disappointing – we’ve got to put our finger on exactly what we need to do and look forward to a critical meeting against Coventry on Monday where we need to get some points on the board.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
PETERBOROUGH rider Ollie Greenwood will wave farewell following the club’s televised showdown against Glasgow on Wednesday.Panthers bosses and the popular reserve racer have reached a mutual agreement which will see him released from the team after a difficult second spell with the club, and they plan to unveil a new rider later this week.Promoter Ged Rathbone said: “Ollie has done his utmost to try to turn his performances around, but it just hasn’t happened and he does not want to be in a position where we could cost the team results.“We have chosen to make this public knowledge in advance of his last meeting for the club as we know the regard Ollie is held in by our supporters and we want them to be able to give him a good send-off.“It goes without saying that we thank Ollie for his efforts and we also hope a move to pastures new will help him to kick-start his season.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
STOKE have confirmed Shaun Tedham will return to their line-up ahead of a home clash with Birmingham on Saturday.Tedham has missed the Potters’ recent matches due to injury but now reclaims his team place at the expense of Ryan MacDonald, with his initial replacement Paul Burnett staying in the side.Manager Malcolm Vasey said: “Ryan has done his best for us and we’d like to thank him for his dedication and all the effort and travel that he has put in for us. “It’s never easy telling a rider that he has been released but we are in a results business and we have to do what we feel is best for the club at the time.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
ADAM Sheppard has stood down from the Kent team in order to rebuild his equipment with a spell away from league racing.Sheppard blew his main engine for home matches just a fortnight into the season and admits that was a tough setback to recover from.He said: “My results and scoring have reflected this in the past few weeks and currently I have no trust or confidence in my equipment to get the results that would do me justice. “I have one challenge meeting to do at Somerset on Friday, when I’ll be ‘guesting’ for a Cradley Heathens Select side and then I’ll be putting my attention on getting my engines sorted, having a few Midland Development League meetings and then hopefully getting in a position to challenge for a team place with the Kings again in a few weeks.”
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY JUNE 24:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Glasgow 7.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 25:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Workington 7.30
FRIDAY JUNE 26:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Belle Vue 7.30, Lakeside v Leicester 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Plymouth 7.30CHALLENGE: Exeter Select v Cradley (at Somerset) 7.30
