(SPEEDWAY 1)
LAKESIDE condemned Elite League Champions Poole to their first defeat of the season so far with a dramatic 50-40 victory at the Arena-Essex Raceway.Just 48 hours after suffering a 57-33 loss at Wimborne Road, the Hammers gained revenge with a tremendous performance as they came from six points down to win by ten.Andreas Jonsson led the way with 13+1 whilst his opening-race partner Piotr Swiderski totalled 11+1. Hans Andersen scored 11+1 for the Pirates with Lakeside asset Adam Ellis adding 11 himself at reserve.Hammers co-promoter Jon Cook said: “We are totally delighted with the win, and it takes a proper speedway team to be able to lower Poole’s colours.“I know a lot of people have said that this is a one-team league, but I’d say after tonight it’s a two-team league. “It’s early days, but we’ve done six meetings and we have to be very pleased with where we are at and the way things are going at the moment.”Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “We always knew it would be difficult coming here as they were always likely to score well, but given that we were able to build a fairly decent lead and then allowed them to get back at us was a little disappointing. “There were some positives to come out of the meeting but there were some negatives too. We are going to have to ensure that as many of the team are firing as possible and tonight we ended up with just too many passengers. But I feel confident we will learn by that.”In the League Cup, Berwick laid to rest a near two-decade hoodoo as the Bandits notched their first win at Edinburgh since September 1998.Despite a 15-point maximum from home No.1 Sam Masters, the visitors successfully protected the lead they had moved into with a 5-1 in Heat 5 and came away with a 46-44 victory.Kevin Doolan top-scored for the Bandits on 12 with ex-Edinburgh men Theo Pijper (10+1) and Matthew Wethers (9+2) also playing key roles.Berwick boss Scott Courtney said: “This was the perfect way to start our official matches this year, and to win here at Edinburgh was the best feeling ever as it was so long ago we last managed it. “This sets us up nicely to move on with the season, and hopefully we can continue in this positive manner. For now we're going to soak up this success and look to continue by dealing with Newcastle home and away over the weekend.”Monarchs skipper Sam Masters said: “It was never going to be easy with two new boys in the side, so we needed the heat leaders to win most of the races. Some of our side just didn’t gate well enough.”Sheffield were also away winners in the League Cup with an impressive 49-44 success at Peterborough.The visitors recorded nine race wins, top-scorer Kyle Howarth (12+1) combining with Josh Bates for three vital 5-1s as the Tigers moved six points clear at the top of the group standings.Nikolaj B Jakobsen collected 14 for the Panthers, his total including a successful tactical ride, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from slipping to a home defeat.Sheffield co-boss Marc Bates said: “We are absolutely ecstatic with that result. All the team rode well, the top five were fantastic again, Richard (Hall) had a great win in heat 14 and Nathan (Greaves) rode hard but just didn’t quite manage to get in the points.“If we can ride like that all season, which is obviously going to be difficult, then we are more than a match for anyone, home or away.”Panthers co-promoter Ged Rathbone said: “We had a team meeting beforehand and stressed that we couldn’t afford to be complacent, but that’s exactly what happened.“We’ve built a team that is being tipped as title contenders and people part with their hard-earned cash to watch us race. What they saw tonight was not acceptable and it can’t happen again.”Meanwhile a Somerset Select were taken to the wire by the Isle of Wight at the Oaktree Arena before prevailing 48-45 in a Challenge match.Rebels regulars Jake Allen, Bradley Wilson-Dean and Zach Wajtknecht dominated the scoring for the home side, whilst their usual team-mate Paul Starke scored 14 for the Warriors.Somerset boss Garry May said: “The match provided some excellent racing while giving the three Somerset riders who are new to the team this year, Jake, Bradley and Zach, some additional track time in order to get extra laps under their belts.“It is good to see the Isle of Wight back on the speedway map, and hopefully their return will prove to be a successful one for all concerned with the club.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
LEICESTER boss Norrie Allan knows his side must improve rapidly on their early-season form when they host Belle Vue in the Elite League on Saturday.The Lions suffered damaging home-and-away defeats against Lakeside last weekend and now face an Aces side who secured an impressive win at King’s Lynn in their first match of the campaign.The visitors have called in Chris Harris to guest at No.1 as Matej Zagar is away competing in the Slovenian national championship.Allan said: “The Aces are probably stronger rider for rider than Lakeside who beat us last week, so we cannot afford to fall behind and it is important that we achieve success very early in the meeting to get our confidence up.“Our riders have been afforded a practice session at Leicester and hopefully that will lead to us delivering a much improved showing following the home defeat against the Hammers.”Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon said: “I always encourage the boys never to underestimate any opponent. If we’re going to be the force we want to be we have to go to these tracks and win, there’s no two ways about it.“Leicester haven't had the strongest teams these last couple of years and they've been struggling quite a bit already this season, but that shouldn’t give way to our being complacent on Saturday.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
IPSWICH return to full strength for the opening Premier League match of the season on Saturday when they make the trip to Rye House.The Witches have Morten Risager back from a foot injury and have not raced as a team since March 20, since when James Sarjeant has also spent time out of the saddle due to illness.Boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It's far from ideal for us going straight into the Premier League season. We've missed out on two cup matches but for a team that is going to do well in the league you're going to have to overcome a bit of adversity along the way. “We've got to remember that Rye House haven't ridden that much either so it's not like they've rode loads and we've only rode twice. “It's also nice to be fielding a full team and that's what we want to do, the way our team is built if we are missing a rider it does not help.”In the League Cup, Workington and Redcar get the Northern section underway with a clash between the two sides at Derwent Park.The Comets welcome back Australian Mason Campton after a shoulder injury, whilst late winter signing Rasmus Jensen makes his debut.Workington boss Tony Jackson said: “Mason has declared himself fit to return for this evening’s encounter while Rasmus can at last make his long-awaited Comets debut.“We had hoped to get some track action under our belts at Redcar on Thursday but the weather ruined that, so hopefully we can finally get our stop-start season up and running this evening in front of our own fans!”Meanwhile Berwick and Newcastle clash in the first leg of the Tyne/Tweed Trophy at Shielfield Park.Both teams have already taken Trophy wins over Redcar this season although the Diamonds are missing two riders as Steve Worrall is racing in the Elite League and Matej Kus has been recalled to ride in the Czech Repubic. Kyle Howarth guests with the rider-replacement facility in operation.Berwick co-promoter Dennis McCleary said: “We had a great turn-out of people last week on a pretty cold and dismal evening, so there has to be every prospect of even more folk coming along this week to find out more about the new 'Bandits' Buzz' they are hearing about around town.“Our boys rolled Redcar over, but Newcastle look pretty formidable this year and in Robert Lambert they have one of the brightest young British talents to emerge in years. This will be a pretty stiff test.”Newcastle boss George English said: “It will be a tough test against Berwick who look a strong side this year so we look forward to testing our side away on Saturday before hopefully making it another home win on Sunday.“Although these challenge matches mean very little it is important for us to build confidence ahead of what promises to be a successful 2016 campaign.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
EASTBOURNE race their first National League fixture of the season at home to Kent on Saturday – two weeks after an Easter defeat against the same opposition.Meanwhile the first-ever British Youth Pairs Championship takes place at Northside on Saturday afternoon.Series sponsors Meridian Lifts have agreed to sponsor the 125cc event to give each pair an added incentive to make the top three.British Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “This is a great gesture from one of our series sponsor, and we would like to thank Andy Tomlin and all at Meridian Lifts for their valued support.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
EASTBOURNE have completed their team re-build with the signings of Adam Ellis and Luke Harris.Ellis joins the Eagles as their new No.1, replacing broken leg victim Kyle Hughes, whilst Harris slots in for Richard Andrews who is out with a broken scaphoid.Club director Connor Dugard said: “Adam was the man to complete the puzzle - he was the rider I first enquired about, and after a bit of time he wanted to join the club! “He was by far the best visitor (to Arlington) last year and it's great to have him join us. I must extend our thanks to Matt Ford at Poole and Jon Cook at Lakeside for letting us use Adam.“We tried signing Luke last year but unfortunately he had already gone to Cradley. We feel Luke has a lot of potential and Eastbourne is the club to help him kick on with his speedway career like he has shown on the grasstrack.”
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY APRIL 9:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Belle Vue 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Ipswich 7pmLEAGUE CUP: Workington v Redcar 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Kent 7.30TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 1st leg: Berwick v Newcastle 7pmAIR FENCE CHALLENGE 1st leg: Stoke v Buxton OFFBRITISH YOUTH PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP: Northside 2pm
SUNDAY APRIL 10:LEAGUE CUP: Scunthorpe v Peterborough 6.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Mildenhall v Kent 3.30TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 2nd leg: Newcastle v Berwick 6.30AIR FENCE CHALLENGE 2nd leg: Buxton v Stoke OFFBRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1: Glasgow 3pm
MONDAY APRIL 11:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Rye House 7.30
