(SPEEDWAY 1)
NEWCASTLE romped to League Cup silverware with a thumping 65-27 home win over injury-hit Ipswich at Brough Park.The Diamonds, who had trailed by 12-points from the first leg, were dominant with mid-season signing Anton Rosen scoring a paid maximum – whilst the Witches, already without Rohan Tungate, lost Leigh Lanham (shoulder) and Ben Barker (knuckles) within five races.Newcastle boss George English said: “It’s a great pity when our opponents suffer two nasty injuries to top men so soon in the meeting, which obviously had an effect on their performance.“But take nothing away from our victorious Diamonds, they were well and truly up for this Cup and would have given a full-strength side a good run for their money, and I believe we'd have still managed to take the League Cup. But best wishes to Ben and Leigh, and we hope to see them racing on track again very soon.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
POOLE will use the rider-replacement facility for Rohan Tungate in tonight’s Elite League play-off semi-final against Swindon as the Australian is ruled out with concussion and a broken finger.Pirates promoter Matt Ford said: “We've suffered so many setbacks this season I suppose it was inevitable that something was going to crop up ahead of this play-off semi-final, but you never know - this might just inspire us that little bit more.“I would have much preferred to be trying to claw back single point figure points with a full team, but it is what it is and we are going to have to produce the mother of all comebacks.”Swindon, meanwhile, expect to have No.1 Hans Andersen fit to ride despite a crash in the final round of the European Championship last night as they defend a ten-point advantage.Boss Alun Rossiter said: “We need to avoid last places, I know that seems obvious but the longer the meeting goes on with us in a good position the more pressure will go on Poole.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten accepts his side are major underdogs as they head to Birmingham in the play-off semi-finals tonight.The Monmore men suffered a narrow two-point defeat at home in the first leg but Van Straaten says they have already exceeded expectations in 2013, although they have been weakened by injuries to Tai Woffinden, Ty Proctor and Jacob Thorssell.Van Straaten said: “Whatever happens we know we have proved a few people wrong this season. The experts wrote us off at the start of the season but the lads have done us proud.“And we're not going there just to make up the numbers, we will go there as underdogs looking to spring another surprise. It's not all over although, of course, it's a very tough task.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
JAMES Grieves rounded off his Premier League career with a stunning paid maximum in his last official Ashfield appearance.Grieves collected 14+1 in the Tigers’ 62-31 win over Plymouth – their first league success since May – and secured his full house with a brave overtake on Matthew Wethers in Heat 15.Grieves said: “Right from the start of the meeting, when I got my first race win, I was really up for it - I didn't want to get beaten.“I was really determined. I wanted double figures, but my attitude in my head said I just wanted to come home safe and sound. But the way it panned out, to get a maximum with my home club is just awesome - you'll never beat that.”(SPEEDWAY 5)
MILDENHALL will defend an eight-point lead at King’s Lynn on Wednesday in the second leg of their National League play-off semi-final.The Fen Tigers won 49-41 at West Row on Sunday, doubling their advantage with a last-heat 5-1 from top-scorers Dan Halsey and Stefan Nielsen, but boss Robert Henry knows they face a tough task at the Norfolk Arena.Henry said: “I would have hoped we could have taken a lead of around 14-16 points to Kings Lynn, but it wasn’t to be. We missed Armo (Jon Armstrong) big-time and although the lads gave their all, losing Connor (Mountain) was a further blow and we are now up against it. “That said, the lads have dug deep before when we have needed them to and hopefully we can give it a real go and in Speedway you never know.”(FIXTURES)
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Birmingham v Wolverhampton 7.30, Poole v Swindon 7.30
TUESDAY OCTOBER 1:NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Isle of Wight v Dudley 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2:NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: King’s Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 3:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Somerset 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 4:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30, Somerset v Redcar 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Newcastle 7.15SUPPORTERS’ PAIRS TROPHY: Coventry 7.30
