(SPEEDWAY 1 – SUNDAY REVIEW)
SOMERSET have gone top of the Premier League on race points difference after a 51-41 win at Glasgow on Sunday.The Rebels collected all four league points at Ashfield with Olly Allen scoring a four-ride 12-point maximum, whilst Nick Morris won the final race after Brady Kurtz had been disqualified to secure the ten-point margin of victory.Somerset boss Garry May said: “This was a great team performance in what were tricky conditions. All the boys had an excellent afternoon, led by Olly and his maximum.”“There was some terrific racing out there, and that is a credit to both teams, but we were determined beforehand that we wanted to be heading back home with a win under our belts, and that is just what we did.”Glasgow manager Stewart Dickson was disappointed with the outcome, with the Tigers suffering a further blow as French youngster Dimitri Berge has suffered a broken wrist in a Longtrack crash.Dickson said: “It was a bit flat and we were weak - there was no doubt about it. We were missing Theo (Pijper), who has arguably been our best rider at home along with Rusty (Harrison) in the last month or so. But I hate to lose - that's just it.”Edinburgh also picked up points on the road with a 42-42 draw at Newcastle in a meeting curtailed one race early due to rain. Craig Cook scored a 12-point maximum for the Monarchs, who have two matches in hand on Somerset as well as a seven-point gap to the teams immediately below.Newcastle manager George English said: “We’ll take the point for the draw but it’s a shame the weather came in as fast and wiped out the last race. We might have suffered, but we might have benefitted and now we’ll never know, but not long after the call off the heavens really opened and it was the correct decision. “Every point is vital to us now and even one gets us that little bit closer to a possible play-off place, although it’s a pretty big ask at the moment.”Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “I was happy to take the two points and not ask our top two to go out and take risks.”In the National League, leaders Cradley won 50-40 at Mildenhall despite the absence of three of their regular riders.Youngsters Nathan Greaves (13+2) and Max Clegg (12+1) led the Heathens’ scoring at West Row, with home boss Robert Henry unhappy with his team’s display, which was followed by a 63-30 win over Scunthorpe in the second half of a double header.Henry said: “From the parade when Jack (Kingston) came off onwards it was an afternoon to forget. I am extremely disappointed by this performance, which simply wasn’t good enough. “Cradley are a good side, make no mistake, but we are much better than we showed and I feel disappointed for the supporters who were let down. It is difficult after being away from the track for so long, but you have to get on with it, there was too much talk about the track and other things rather than knuckling down and racing the opposition!”Cradley boss Will Pottinger said: “It was a fantastic effort from everyone. Without our top two guys, and then missing Danny (Phillips) at reserve we thought we were going to be up against it, so to come away from Mildenhall with a ten-point win is a brilliant achievement.“All six lads deserve a great amount of credit for the effort they put in. We probably would have been happy leaving with a point beforehand, so to come away with all four is superb.”Scunthorpe manager Richard Hollingsworth was pleased to see his side hit 30 points in an away match for the first time, with Arron Mogridge winning a tactical ride on his way to a score of 10, whilst Sam Chapman added nine.Hollingsworth said: “It’s been about perseverance this season. We’ve taken some hammerings, but we knew if we stuck with these lads, they would improve.“Although Arron and Sam are the ones who are starting to score the points, the rest of the lads are not far away either. They are on the pace and the points will start to come.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 – MONDAY PREVIEW)
SWINDON will be without No.1 Peter Kildemand for their vital Elite League clash at play-off rivals Coventry on Monday.The meeting at Brandon brings together the two sides immediately outside the top four at present, but Kildemand remains on the sidelines following his crash in Poland last weekend and the Robins will operate the rider-replacement facility.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “It's obviously going to be very difficult without Peter, and we tried everything to get a good guest. It's going to be a lot harder using rider replacement at No.1, but hopefully the boys can all pull together and we can come away with something.“A point would be a great result, so we just need our remaining six riders to all up their game and hopefully we can get a good result.”Coventry promoter Mick Horton said: “I think this one will be an absolute cracker, and if we can beat Swindon then it’s a major blow to their play-off hopes. If we could take maximum points, we’ll suddenly only be three behind them with five matches in hand, and that will put them under pressure.“It’s there for us, and the next week is going to be very telling with home and away against Lakeside and Leicester as well.”Lakeside and Eastbourne currently hold third and fourth places in the table – and both are in action at Belle Vue in a double header starting at 7pm.Aces CEO Chris Morton said: “Lakeside and Eastbourne are two very capable sides around our track and we know that Lakeside especially seem to enjoy riding Belle Vue, but we certainly won't be taking either of them lightly after the two defeats that we've had at home.“I think it's fair to say we've enjoyed some really good racing in Manchester this year and I don't think that’s going to change, but losing even those two meetings at home is unacceptable for the quality of the team that we have.“The important thing for us at this point is to step up to the plate and get back to winning ways and see out the season on a high, and I believe the riders are capable of beating both of these teams on Monday.”Wolverhampton and Leicester clash at Monmore Green, just nine days after a close encounter at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium in which the Lions edged to a two-point victory in the last race.The home side welcome back Piotr Pawlicki after another World Under-21 Final 15-point maximum over the weekend, as well as Lasse Bjerre and Jacob Thorssell who scored eight and seven respectively, and Bjerre will again be racing against his former club.Bjerre said: “We've got a big meeting against Leicester on Monday, and after riding for them earlier in the season I'm desperate to do well.“We need to bounce back as a team after a tough defeat a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully I can score some points and help us to do that.”Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “For some reason the Wolves have not clicked at home and we have to go there thinking that if our preparation is right I can see us doing well. “Wolverhampton is one of Nicolai Klindt’s and Simon Stead’s former clubs and it is Max Clegg’s home track as Cradley ride there, so hopefully all three will relish riding at Monmore Green. Also Jason Doyle scored 12 points for Birmingham there last year, so I think we should be optimistic of a result.”In the National League, Kent can move into second place with a win over Buxton at Central Park after the planned fixture between the two sides at the Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday was postponed.
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY AUGUST 18:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 7pm, Belle Vue v Eastbourne (follows previous fixture), Coventry v Swindon 7.30, Wolverhampton v Leicester 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Buxton 6.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 19:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 20:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Leicester 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Plymouth 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30, King’s Lynn v Scunthorpe (follows previous fixture)
THURSDAY AUGUST 21: ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Workington 7.30, Sheffield v Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 22:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Lakeside 7.30, King’s Lynn v Eastbourne 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, Plymouth v Peterborough 7.15, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30, Somerset v Ipswich 7.30, Workington v Glasgow 7.30
