Saturday May 3, 2014
NB. PLEASE NOTE START-TIME FOR LAKESIDE v COVENTRY TONIGHT IS NOW 7.45pm(SPEEDWAY 1 – FRIDAY REVIEW)
PETERBOROUGH have secured qualification for the League Cup semi-finals thanks to a 47-42 away win at Plymouth.The Panthers needed a point from the St Boniface Arena to be sure of topping the group, but in fact they took three with an impressive display led by guest Steve Boxall (12+1), backed by Ryan Fisher (12) and Lewis Blackbird (10+1).Manager Blayne Scroggins said: “Our aim was to top the group and we have achieved it. It was great to get our away form back on track and there is no doubt we thoroughly deserved to win the meeting.“The guys are over the moon to be through to the semi-finals and this is a competition we believe we can win.”Plymouth’s scorechart was led by Ben Barker (12) and Kalle Katajisto (11) and co-promoter David Short confirmed after the meeting that the Devils could be set to make a team change.He said: “The quality of the racing was very pleasing. Peterborough are a strong side and our team put up a good show to take them to the last heat decider. We are looking to make a change to the side, but will not be able to complete anything until after the Bank Holiday.”Peterborough’s success meant Somerset’s efforts in demolishing Ipswich 67-27 at the Oaktree Arena were in vain as far as their overall League Cup prospects are concerned.But Rebels boss Garry May was still delighted with a power-packed performance from his side, with Nick Morris, Olly Allen and Brady Kurtz all unbeaten by an opposing rider.May said: “The boys were simply unstoppable. It was one of those performances you dream about, it being as near perfect as you could wish.“In fairness to Ipswich, the score-line does not reflect the standard of racing, but the team were so dominant that I think it eventually knocked the stuffing out of the Witches, like a boxer who can take no more punishment and eventually caves in under the intense pressure of attack.”In the Premier League, Edinburgh maintained their faultless start to the season with a 59-34 home victory over Scunthorpe, making it nine wins out of nine in 2014 so far.Craig Cook scored a paid maximum for the Monarchs whilst guests Theo Pijper and Mason Campton scored 19 of the Scorpions’ points and took the visitors’ only three race wins.Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “We were in very good form, and it’s just as well Scunthorpe had a couple of decent guests.”Scunthorpe manger Dave Peet said: “We were beaten by the better team. We looked OK for the first two races but just fell away after that. It was that sort of night – whatever we tried, it didn’t work.”Coventry are back on top of the National League table having beaten Kent 54-39 at Brandon, the Storm overcoming the absence of Oliver Greenwood to dominate the heat wins with James Sarjeant (15) and Luke Crang (14+1) dropping their only points to mechanical failure and a fall respectively.Manager Laurence Rogers said: “On paper you would have thought with us being without Olly they could have given us a hard battle, but we started with a great 5-1 and we really didn’t look back.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 – SATURDAY PREVIEW)
ELITE League leaders Lakeside face Coventry at Purfleet on Saturday in the first of two Bank Holiday clashes between the clubs.The Hammers have called up Steve Worrall to guest for Adam Ellis (World Under-21 duty) whilst the Bees bring in Max Fricke, who impressed in their recent win at Leicester, to stand in for the unavailable Kyle Howarth.Lakeside promoter Jon Cook said: “May's fixtures pit us against all the title favourites with Coventry first up. We are currently averaging two points a match, play-off form, but I feel we still haven't seen the best of our team. “Saturday is a very stiff test and with the return on Monday we will have a greater view of our abilities over the Bank Holiday weekend.”Coventry boss Gary Havelock said: “I have confidence in our team and we’ll certainly go there and give them a run for their money. It would be nice to get something there before we bring them back to Coventry on Monday.”Eastbourne co-promoter Mike Bellerby is delighted to be welcoming the World Champion to Arlington with Tai Woffinden leading Wolverhampton into action.Bellerby said: “That’s something special for the club and all speedway fans across the South East. We had a brilliant crowd against Lakeside on Good Friday and to follow that with a visit of the World Champion is great. It’s been a big talking point in the build-up to the match.”The Eagles use rider-replacement for Mikkel Michelsen, who is on World Under-21 duty, whilst former Wolves favourite Adam Skornicki guests for Piotr Pawlicki, who misses out for the same reason.Woffinden said: “Eastbourne is never an easy place to go, they have riders who always go good on their own track. But hopefully I can be back to something like my best and the rest of the boys can step up and get us a result down there.”Injury-hit Leicester bring in three replacements for their home clash with Belle Vue. Patrick Hougaard and Peter Ljung are both on the sidelines for the Lions, whilst Simon Stead is racing for his Premier League club Sheffield, so Lasse Bjerre, Ben Barker and Sam Masters all come in.Lions boss Norrie Allan said: “Our options have been limited for Saturday as there are so many fixtures with riders committed elsewhere. It is bad enough finding two replacements for Ljung and Hougaard but we have also had to contend with losing Simon Stead. I believe that we have come up with the best possible guests available on the night.”In the Premier League Knockout Cup Workington host Somerset in the first leg of a tie which has plenty of history in recent years. A quarter-final clash between the clubs last season saw the Rebels triumph in dramatic circumstances by a single point.Workington operate rider-replacement for Ricky Wells and bring in Chris Schramm to guest for Ashley Morris, as both are racing in the Elite League for WolverhamptonComets boss Tony Jackson said: “The past two seasons have seen our home fixtures against the Rebels go right down to the last race and we certainly don’t want to leave it so late this time. But, with it being a cup match we will be looking to put as many points on the board as we can to take down to Somerset for the second leg on Friday of next week.”There is also a first leg tie at Shielfield Park as Berwick host Sheffield, the Owlerton clash having been re-arranged for next Thursday (May 8) after a rain-off this week.Both sides use rider-replacement with David Bellego and Ty Proctor respectively unavailable, and Bandits co-boss George Hepburn says the club accepts Bellego’s World Under-21 aspirations.He said “David made his ambitions in both the World and European U-21 Championship very clear to us. We were aware of these justifiable ambitions when we agreed his contract earlier this year.”Sheffield skipper Simon Stead said: “We are going there to win. We want to give ourselves the best possible chance of making progress in the cup.”And the 2014 season gets underway at Stoke after extensive remedial work to the Loomer Road circuit, with the Potters hosting Kent in the National Trophy.Stoke promoter Dave Tattum said: “It’s been a tough week and the small work-force have been absolutely focussed and none more so than Colin Meredith who has put a lot into this exercise. “My hope now is that the public, who have been starved of speedway, will turn out to watch what should be a great encounter.”
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY MAY 3:ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Wolverhampton 7.30, Lakeside v Coventry 7.45, Leicester v Belle Vue 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Workington v Somerset 7pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Stoke v Kent 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 4:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Redcar 3pm, Newcastle v Workington 6.30LEAGUE CUP: Rye House v Peterborough 2pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Stoke 3pm, Mildenhall v Devon 3.30
MONDAY MAY 5:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Lakeside 7.30, Swindon v Birmingham 7.30, Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Newcastle 2.30, Scunthorpe v Edinburgh 3pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Mildenhall 3pm, Scunthorpe v Devon (follows PL fixture)
TUESDAY MAY 6:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Edinburgh 7.30
