(SPEEDWAY 1 - WEDNESDAY REVIEW)
POOLE ran up their biggest victory of the season with a 60-30 triumph over Lakeside in the Elite League at Wimborne Road.Skipper Maciej Janowski and Chris Holder both scored four-ride paid maximums for the Pirates as the home side hit 60 points for the first time since their expunged fixture against Birmingham in June 2014.Janowski said: “Every meeting we always try and win, and today the whole team scored really good points and all the boys tried really hard. “I just hope that we can have more of these sorts of nights between now and the end of the season.”Peterborough have moved to the top of the Premier League with a 49-41 win at Berwick to leapfrog Edinburgh and Somerset.The Panthers’ victory was marred by the loss of young gun Robert Lambert, who had reeled off a hat-trick of heat wins before leaving the track in an ambulance after being caught up in a nasty heat 9 spill, although early indications suggest his hip injury is not too serious.By that stage the visitors were well on their way to victory as they powered into a 20-point lead after eight races, with the Bandits recovering some points after Lambert’s withdrawal.Panthers guest Steve Worrall won four races for a 12-point haul with reserve Simon Lambert adding 10+3, whilst Thomas Jorgensen piled up 16+1 for the home side.Peterborough boss Carl Johnson said: “It was another fantastic performance to secure another unbelievable result on the road. We started superbly, took the meeting by the scruff of the neck and kept going to grab a really impressive victory. Mark my words, not many teams will win at Berwick.“It was a huge blow to lose Robert because he was in such brilliant form, but the team spirit and character shone through again.”Bandits manager John Anderson said: “We allowed too many points to go away from us too early on, although the three engine failures in the first three races didn't help and sent our heads down, but the Panthers raced well and gated better than us generally.”Birmingham now lead the City Gearboxes National League by 11 points after extending their 100 per cent record with a 50-40 win at King’s Lynn.Temporary signing Josh Bates romped to a 15-point maximum for the Brummies, who finished strongly after the scores had been level at 36-36 with three heats to go.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “If I'm being honest, that scoreline flatters us slightly because things were really close throughout; but once again we got stronger as the meeting went on.“Credit to King's Lynn, they played their part in what I felt was a great advert for the National League but it's absolutely great for us to get another win on board.”Cradley returned to winning ways with a 59-33 victory over Stoke at Perry Barr, with Ellis Perks recording a paid-21 point maximum at reserve and skipper Max Clegg adding a 15-point maximum - whilst the Potters were unable to provide a race win.Heathens boss Will Pottinger said: “It was important that we bounced back from a couple of defeats in the league to get a win, and we managed to do that.“Stoke didn’t win a race, so we were quite dominant out in front and it was great to win by a 26 point margin.”Stoke boss Malcolm Vasey said: “It was a very disappointing night - especially when your riders can't win a single race between them you quite simply aren't going to win a speedway match. “There was some good effort and I wouldn't lay the blame at everyone's door, but we did look very weak at times and we just weren't good enough on the night.”(SPEEDWAY 2 - THURSDAY PREVIEW)
SOMERSET can take over at the top of the Premier League if they win at Redcar on Thursday.The Rebels are two points behind new leaders Peterborough and travel to Teesside to face a Bears team who have been buoyed by two recent home successes, including against title contenders Edinburgh.Manager Garry May said: “The way the play-offs have been structured this year, to finish first or second has added importance as it means you will receive a bye directly into the semi-final stages of those play-offs.“So we go to Redcar looking to pick up some points, as we do from all our matches, but if we can better the point that Edinburgh gained on their recent visit there, then that will do us very nicely.”Redcar boss Jitendra Duffill said: “Thursday’s encounter will be a very big challenge for us. Somerset have a very strong side again this year and we cannot afford anyone to have an off night, we will certainly be punished otherwise. “Spirits are high in the camp at the moment and we all believe that we are capable of winning, though it will certainly not be easy.”Elsewhere, fourth-placed Sheffield have booked Craig Cook to guest at No.1 as they take on sixth-placed Berwick at Owlerton.The Tigers will also be operating rider replacement for Ashley Birks, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with shoulder damage. Ryan Fisher continues to guest for Ben Barker for the Bandits.Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “We can’t afford any slip-ups, we have to keep focussed and get the job done.“We need to keep winning home meetings and if we do that and collect some points on the road where we can I’m confident we will make the play-offs, which will be a good effort after everything we’ve been through.”Meanwhile Rye House have been hit by international fixture clashes as they travel to Ipswich, who will welcome Premier League Pairs winners Danny King and Rohan Tungate back to Foxhall.Anders Mellgren and Robin Aspegren miss out for the Rockets due to Swedish League duties, with Kasper Lykke still out injured, with former Witches rider Adam Ellis and Kyle Hughes named as guests.Rye House boss John Sampford said: “It will be a difficult match on Thursday with three riders missing, but we’ll give it our best shot. “We’ll approach the match the same way we have done every other, and that is to go out there to achieve the best result possible; it’s as simple as that.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY JULY 9:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Rye House 7.30, Redcar v Somerset 7.30, Sheffield v Berwick 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 10:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 7.30, Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Sheffield 7.30, Scunthorpe v Peterborough 7.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Somerset v Plymouth 7.30CHALLENGE: King’s Lynn v Team Fritte 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 11:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Swindon 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Ipswich 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmTRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Plymouth v Somerset 7.15CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Buxton 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 12:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Workington 3pm, Newcastle v Sheffield 6.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Rye House v Berwick 5pm CHALLENGE: Mildenhall v Team Fritte 3.30
