(SPEEDWAY 1 – SATURDAY REVIEW)
LEICESTER secured match victory and all three points with a last-heat 5-1 from Mads Korneliussen and Jason Doyle to defeat Eastbourne at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium.Korneliussen, who dropped his only point in five rides to Bjarne Pedersen, hit the front from the start with Doyle passing the Eagles’ No.1 into the third bend to complete a 49-41 win for the Lions.Home boss Norrie Allan said: “We owed the fans a result after last week's home defeat against Coventry and the boys responded to the challenge to deliver a competent all-round performance.”In the Premier League Berwick ran up a 55-38 win over close rivals Newcastle, headlined by a paid maximum from four rides for Claus Vissing.David Bellego, Matthew Wethers and Kevin Doolan all added paid double-figure scores for the Bandits, whilst three of the Diamonds’ five race wins came from Stuart Robson.Berwick boss Ian Rae said: “This was better than we had dared hope as Newcastle are a good side, but to start our League campaign in this style is excellent and hopefully it means good things to come.”Newcastle manager George English said: “To end up 17 points behind Berwick at the end of this match was an undoubted disappointment, as beforehand we had been after at least one Premier League point, but to end up with nothing was not our plan at all.”Meanwhile Workington were 52-40 winners over Peterborough at Derwent Park with all-round strength proving crucial.Josh Grajczonek top-scored for the Comets on 13 points but although the Panthers had three riders in double-figures, their lower-order produced only two points between three riders.Peterborough co-boss Blayne Scroggins said: “They have a very strong team and it is a very tough place to go. I don’t think many teams will have any joy up there, but I’m still disappointed to come away empty-handed as we were well in contention for almost two-thirds of the meeting.“Both reserve lads were unfortunately off the pace and it is an uphill battle when that happens. Lewis (Blackbird) was unlucky not to score more points, but the number two position is very tough on the road.”(SPEEDWAY 2 – SUNDAY PREVIEW)
GLASGOW skipper Theo Pijper is calling on his side to turn around a tough start to the season when Peterborough visit Ashfield on Sunday.The Tigers have had a stop-start campaign so far due to the weather, and four of their seven defeats in all competitions have come against in-form local rivals Edinburgh.Pijper said: “We had a busy weekend to start the season, and then a two-week break, and we had to start again against the top team in the league at the moment.“If the boys all get heat wins this weekend, they will get a little bit confident and I think the rest will follow.”Panthers chief Mick Horton says an away win from the Premier League encounter is very much the target, especially after they left Workington with no points on Saturday.Horton said: “Glasgow have had a tough start to the season and we need to take advantage of that. The guys all know what is required of them. I will be a very disappointed man if I’m not making the long trip home with at least three points.”Newcastle and Berwick clash once again at Brough Park, following the Bandits’ 55-38 win on home soil on Saturday – but Diamonds boss George English believes his side is still the stronger one overall.He said: “All we can do is bounce back and gain instant revenge in Sunday’s return, when I honestly think is this had been a cup match over two legs we would have taken an aggregate victory - which of course means I’m after our lads retuning a lot of favours, which we are more than capable of doing.”Berwick boss Ian Rae accepts their opponents will be a different proposition back on Tyneside but is still optimistic of taking something from the meeting.He said: “We know they will be a tougher prospect by a significant amount so we won't be taking it lying down – it will have to be all riders firing on all cylinders from Heat 1 to the end.”Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey is expecting a tough test from two in-form Plymouth riders in the afternoon Premier League clash at the Eddie Wright Raceway.Ben Barker finished third in Thursday’s British semi-final at Sheffield and then scored a paid maximum at home on Friday, whilst Kalle Katajisto has been piling up points at reserve.Godfrey said: “I’m sure a cracking day of speedway action is ahead. Ben is always good entertainment around the Eddie Wright Raceway, while Kalle Katajisto is enjoying a fine run at reserve. But with the crowd behind us, I’m sure we’re capable of defeating the Devils.”The Scunthorpe-Plymouth match is the first half of another double header as the Stags then host King’s Lynn in the National League.
(FIXTURES)
SUNDAY APRIL 27:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Peterborough 3pm, Newcastle v Berwick 6.30, Scunthorpe v Plymouth 3pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v King’s Lynn (follows PL fixture)
MONDAY APRIL 28:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30
TUESDAY APRIL 29:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Newcastle 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Buxton 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 30:BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Rye House 7.30ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30, Poole v Birmingham 7.30
