(SPEEDWAY 1)
LEICESTER and King’s Lynn fought out a 45-45 draw at Beaumont Park with the outcome in doubt right down to the end of Heat 15.The Lions looked set to take maximum Elite League points as they took a four-point lead into the race, but after Niels-Kristian Iversen hit the front, team-mate Robert Lambert overhauled first Szymon Wozniak and then Patrick Hougaard on the last bend for a 5-1 to level the scores.Reserve Nicolai Klindt piled up 15+2 for the home side, whilst Iversen (16+1) dropped just one point from six rides for the visitors.Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “I thought that the scores would be close and whilst King's Lynn benefited slightly more than we did from the rider replacement facility we should have won the match. “It was in our hands and with everything considered we have to feel disappointed with the result.”Lynn chief Rob Lyon said: “It was absolutely great to snatch a draw like that, and what a ride it was from Robert Lambert in Heat 15.“Iversen led from the front, but the ground he made up to snatch second place was remarkable and it was a good result for us. “We deserved something out of it, there was some fantastic racing and both teams deserve plenty of credit.”In the Premier League, Workington avenged their defeat at Armadale on Friday night with a 57-36 home victory over Edinburgh.Ricky Wells (11+2) and Claus Vissing (11) led the way for a solid Comets side, whilst Erik Riss collected 14 for the Monarchs.Workington boss Tony Jackson said: “Once again it was a solid team effort with everyone contributing vital points from one to seven. “Before the meeting we all had a good chat about how important it was to get our home league programme off to a winning start and that’s exactly what we did. “The Monarchs kept things close in the early stages but we were able to pull away in the second half of the meeting to claim what was a well-deserved victory.”Glasgow are through to the League Cup semi-finals after a 45-45 draw at Berwick in a hard-fought contest.The Tigers needed a point from the meeting to win the Border group, and finished with two after sharing the points behind home guest Stuart Robson in Heat 15, with the Bandits’ Sebastian Alden blowing an engine just before the start.Former Berwick rider Fernando Garcia (12+1) was one of four Glasgow riders to reach double-figures, whilst Robson scored 11 for the Bandits.Berwick boss John Anderson said: “Above all else this was a great speedway match and the way it built was brilliant for the supporters with its’ dramatic last heat decider.“But it was just a massive shame that Seb suffered a hugely expensive engine blow-up right on the gate a matter of seconds before the tapes were due to go up or a match-winning 4-2 might have been on the cards.”Glasgow boss Stewart Dickson said: “It was job done. We came looking for a win initially, but we got what we needed.“The boys did well. A draw will keep everybody happy. It means that Berwick don't lose for a second consecutive week, which is never good for business in speedway, and we get what we came for and a wee bit more.”In the Midland section, Ipswich recorded a 51-39 win over Sheffield at Foxhall, although the Tigers have already been confirmed as group winners.Nico Covatti scored 13 points for the home side with James Sarjeant adding 11, whilst Jason Garrity (9+1), Simon Stead and Josh Bates all picked up nine for the visitors.Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “I think a lot of the boys stepped up on the night. Maybe Danny (King) didn't have such a good night and Lewi (Kerr) struggled in his first two but all of the other boys pulled together and had a better performance. “I think everything has gone to plan in one sense because we knew that we had a lot of new boys that needed to settle in and learn the Ipswich track and get their confidence up.”Sheffield co-boss Marc Bates said: “We were going well up until around Heat 10, but they just seemed to have too much for us towards the end of the meeting and we just tailed off.“We are still through to the League Cup semi-finals though, that’s the main thing and we aren’t too concerned about tonight.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
BIRMINGHAM confirmed their place in the National Trophy Final with a 51-39 win at Stoke on Saturday.The result completed a 100 per cent record in the Northern section for the Brummies, led by skipper Tom Perry on 12+1 with youngster Jack Parkinson-Blackburn adding 10+1.The Potters were well-served by their top two with Ben Wilson scoring 13 and captain Tony Atkin 12+1 in their first home match of the season.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “Fair play to Stoke, they rode well early on but at the critical times the riders pulled out rides that were needed. I can’t single anyone out because yet again everyone has played their part from 1-7. “To go through the National Trophy campaign completely unbeaten both home and away is a great achievement. “There is a confidence within the club at the moment that is great to see, and we hope to carry that into our National League campaign as well.”Atkin said: “It was good to get a home meeting in as we are one of the last teams to do so and we all needed that.“I feel there are a couple of places that need to be sorted out as we don’t want to lose week-in, week-out, and I’m sure that the management will be looking at that.”Meanwhile Eastbourne built up a 12-point lead over Mildenhall in the first leg of their KO Cup tie at Arlington.Adam Ellis scored a 15-point maximum for the Eagles with Jake Knight adding 12+1 as the home side took a 50-38 win despite the early loss of reserve Nick Phillips with suspected concussion. Connor Mountain picked up 10+1 for the Fen Tigers.Eagles boss Glenn Martin said: “I said before the start I would be happy with a ten-point lead, we got 12 but, of course, I would have liked more.“Adam is in a league apart and he proved that tonight. Jake was brilliant, and I was proud of Luke Harris. He has come in on a three-point average but has to ride at No 2 instead of the reserve berth and he showed a lot of guts tonight. I was very encouraged by the way he rode.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
PETERBOROUGH promoter Ged Rathbone admits there is no margin for error when facing one of their toughest sets of Premier League opponents on Sunday.The Panthers entertain Somerset in an eagerly-anticipated clash at the East of England Showground, with the Rebels having won twice at the venue in 2015 as well as once along with taking Premier League Fours victory the previous season.Rathbone said: “You only have to look at Somerset's record at the Showground in the last two seasons to realise it is going to be an extremely tough night.“We've got ourselves into the ideal position in the table with two away wins in recent days and it is essential we kick on with a victory at home.“We're well aware of the fact we under-performed in our last home meeting against Sheffield and we certainly don't want to slip up in front of our own fans again.”Rebels boss Garry May said: “There are some similarities between the Oaktree Arena and the Peterborough track, which probably accounts for some of the reasoning behind our good record there, but by the same token, apart from one match when they held us to a draw, the Panthers have not done so well when they come to the Oaktree.“Peterborough have a strong looking side again this year, so it won’t be easy on Sunday, but they have already had their colours lowered on home shale this season, so we will go there in a positive frame of mind, as we always do for our away trips.”Glasgow open their Premier League campaign against Redcar at Ashfield although Richie Worrall remains on the sidelines for the Tigers – whilst the Bears still have concerns over Lasse Bjerre after a crash in Denmark earlier in the week.Glasgow booked their League Cup semi-final place with a draw at Berwick on Saturday even though not every member of their side was in form.Boss Stewart Dickson said: “We still remain unbeaten in domestic competition, which is really what it's all about.“We'll take that, and the most important thing is that we've still got the six guys fit for tomorrow (Sunday). For Nike (Lunna) and Danny (Ayres), tomorrow is another day and we'll get them going again.”Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey insists his team must find some consistency for their Premier League opener against Plymouth at the Eddie Wright Raceway.The Scorpions will continue to operate rider-replacement for the injured Zdenek Holub, who hopes to return next weekend.Godfrey said: “When you look at our performances across our six meetings so far, Ryan Douglas has been excellent, especially when you consider he spent nearly the whole of last season on the sidelines with various injuries.“Ashley Morris came in and did well against Peterborough; meanwhile, young Josh Bailey at No 7 has given his all and really got stuck in, and that’s all we can ask of him.“But the other lads have been up-and-down and we really need to start finding some consistency and click as a unit, if we’re to make an impression in the Premier League this year.”Plymouth co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “It will be a good test for us at Scunthorpe. Some of our riders need to step up to the plate as far as the bigger tracks are concerned. And last Friday showed that we need to sharpen up with our gating.”In the League Cup, Newcastle host Workington with the visitors currently unbeaten in the Northern group after two home wins so far.An early-season Ian Thomas Shield clash between the clubs was won narrowly by the home side – but Diamonds boss George English has stressed a victory by more than six points is vital to his side’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.English said: “We have to win the meeting and our main goal is to stop Workington getting an away point which will be difficult. “Ricky Wells will be an obvious danger, especially with the potential of having a tactical ride.”Comets manager Tony Jackson said: “We showed in the Ian Thomas Shield meeting that we could push the Diamonds all the way and we will be looking for a similar effort this evening; If we put the same effort in this time then hopefully we will be able to take something from the match. “With such small League Cup groups every match point is crucial and I will also be stressing the importance of every race point to the riders beforehand too, as the final group positions could even go down to race points to determine who progresses to the semi-finals of the competition.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
MILDENHALL need to pull back a 12-point margin is they are to put holders Eastbourne out of the National League KO Cup on Sunday.The Eagles won 50-38 in the first leg and the tie will now be decided at West Row, with Ryan Blacklock stepping in for the unavailable Ellis Perks for the visitors.Meanwhile Birmingham defend a 22-point advantage when they visit Rye House, who have Robert Branford in their team for the first time this season – whilst Macauley Leek comes in at reserve for the injured Kenny Bowdery.Manager Peter Schroeck said: “Unfortunately, I’ve received the news that we’ve lost Kenny for Sunday. He’s still not recovered from his crash at Cradley, so we’re plugging the gap there with Macauley.”Former Rye riders Luke Bowen and Ben Hopwood have been drafted in as guests for the Brummies, who are without Zach Wajtknecht and Tom Perry due to Premier League commitments.
(SPEEDWAY 5)
RICHIE Worrall faces a short spell on the sidelines after confirmation he sustained a broken rib in his crash at Glasgow last weekend.Worrall tangled with Berwick’s Matthew Wethers and also suffered muscle and tissue damage to his back, all of which ruled him out of Belle Vue’s defeat at Swindon on Thursday and the Tigers’ weekend schedule.Worrall said: “Right now I’m just taking it day by day. I've been doing physio every other day since the crash but I think on Tuesday I might have overdone it a bit because the day after I felt pretty uncomfortable.“I’m hoping to be back on the bike before our (Belle Vue’s) match against King’s Lynn on Bank Holiday Monday, and with the Poole match off it’s given me a few more days to make as much progress as I can.“My aim is to rest up until Wednesday, then try to get going with some light training and gradually work myself up to having a few laps next Saturday, but that depends on how the week unfolds.”
(FIXTURES)
SUNDAY APRIL 24:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Redcar 3pm, Peterborough v Somerset 5pm, Scunthorpe v Plymouth 6.30LEAGUE CUP: Newcastle v Workington 6.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry OFFNATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Eastbourne 3.30, Rye House v Birmingham 6pm
MONDAY APRIL 25:TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v King’s Lynn 7.30INVICTA PAIRS: Kent 6.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 27:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Poole 7.30
