SPEEDWAY 1 - SUNDAY REVIEW)
GLASGOW are through to the Premier League play-off semi-finals after a 56-34 win over Plymouth at Ashfield on Sunday.Skipper Aaron Summers scored a 15-point maximum for the Tigers with Richard Lawson adding a paid maximum whilst Nick Morris dropped just one point in a powerful performance.Glasgow’s win sets up a semi-final clash with Somerset, with the first leg to take place at the Oaktree Arena on Friday and the return in Scotland on Sunday.Lawson said: “On a personal note it was good to come back. The last three meetings were a bit of a disaster with me riding badly and a few things on the bikes.“But I've put it behind me - the clutches are good and the engines are good - and I'm really fired up for next week.”Meanwhile in the semi-finals Peterborough secured a narrow 46-44 win over Edinburgh in a first-leg thriller at the Showground.The lead changed hands on numerous occasions during a titanic clash against a table-topping Monarchs side who were impressively spearheaded by the high-scoring combination of Justin Sedgmen and Craig Cook, who teamed up for three 5-1s.But a Panthers 5-1 from Emil Grondal and stand-in skipper Simon Lambert in Heat 14 ultimately proved decisive - although a mechanical failure for Ben Barker robbed Peterborough of the possibility of another in the finale.Peterborough promoter Ged Rathbone said: “We wanted a lead to take into the second leg and we’ve got a small one. We were very unlucky with Ben’s retirement in the final race as I felt sure he and Anders would have brought home a 5-1 and put us six points up on aggregate.“But we are still alive and kicking, and we will continue to fight on just as we have done throughout the season. We all believe we can go up to Edinburgh (on Friday) and defend our lead. “They will have our victory up there earlier in the season in the back of their minds and we need to make sure they know they are in a meeting again.”Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “I’m very pleased with how we rode especially with injury and illness affecting the team. I’m confident we can qualify for the final.”Eastbourne have secured the National Trophy with a resounding 59-31 win over Rye House in the second leg of the Final at Arlington.Leading by seven points from Saturday’s match at Hoddesdon, the Eagles confirmed aggregate victory after Heat 10 to claim their first silverware since 2009 led by double-figure scores from Bradley Wilson-Dean (14), Richard Andrews and Ben Hopwood (10+2 each).And club chairman Martin Dugard is hoping it is the first item of a trophy run over the closing weeks of the campaign.Dugard said: “It is a step-by-step process. It started with Tom Brennan winning the 250cc British title. Then we went on to the County Fours and now on again to the National Trophy.“Then it will be on again to the Gold Cup and then the Knock Out Cup. We are working our way through all of it and I think the boys realise now that once you have had success, and you taste it, it is quite a nice feeling. Some of these guys will never get that feeling again to be in a team and win stuff like we have.”Rye House boss John Sampford said: “Today was always going to be a very difficult task, especially after Ben (Morley) went full force into the air fence at a right angle in Heat 1. He bravely carried on, but the heavy knock he’d taken clearly lessened his effectiveness and he was a pale shadow of his normal self.“To be honest, the Eagles were just that little bit quicker than us out of the gate today, and that made all the difference. Congratulations to them on their success; they’ve put together a fine team that has finished second in the League this year, and we wish them all the best for their other two Cup finals.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
CRADLEY Heathens are on the lookout for new management to take the club forward.The current consortium, which brought the world famous club back to league racing in 2010, have reluctantly made the decision they cannot continue under the current circumstances- but are keen to emphasise they wish to see the club continue into the 2016 season if at all possible.The consortium state: “It is a very difficult thing for us to do, but unfortunately at this time we cannot continue for both business and personal reasons.“It is our intention to do everything we can to allow the club to continue under new management next season rather than close the club down.“We sincerely hope the forthcoming cup tie with King's Lynn at Perry Barr on October 14 is not the last ever Heathens meeting.”
(FIXTURES)
TUESDAY OCTOBER 6:RECYCLED AGGREGATE SERVICES OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Cradley 7.30GOLD CUP FINAL 1st leg: Birmingham v Eastbourne 7.30DARCY WARD BENEFIT: Poole 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 9:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Peterborough 7.30; 1st leg: Somerset v Glasgow 7.30
