Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2010
SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' v Birmingham 'Brummies' Premier Trophy 15th April

Referee: Chris Gay

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Ricky Ashworth © 7.94 0 1 2 3 6
2. Josh Auty 6.07 1 0 *6 1' 8+1
3. Richard Hall 7.37 2 2 0 3 3 10
4. Hugh Skidmore 5.06 1' 1' 2 1 5+2
5. Josef Franc 7.84 2 2 2 1 0 7
6. Paul Cooper

4.56

2 r - ef 0 2
7. Arlo Bugeja 3.00 1' 1' 1 0 - 3+2
Eric Boocock 1 3 3 3 3 1 2 7 2 3 2 3 4 1 3
Sheffield 'Tigers' 1 4 7 10 13 14 16 23 25 28 30 33 37 38 41
Birmingham 'Brummies' 5 8 11 14 17 22 26 28 32 35 39 42 44 49 52
 Graham Drury 5 3 3 3 3 5 4 2 4 3 4 3 2 5 3
1. Steve Johnston 8.84 3 3 3 2 1' 12+1
2. Aaron Summers 5.92 2' ef 0 - 2+1
3. Chris Kerr 5.47 3 1 0 2 6
4. Richard Sweetman 6.44 0 3 3 3 2 11
5. Jason Lyons © 8.02 3 3 1 0 7
6. Justin Sedgmen 4.64 3 2' 2 3 1' 2' 13+3
7. Jake Anderson 3.00 0 0 - 1 - 1
Track record: 59.2
R. Ashworth, 21 May '09
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

61.9

62.1

61.1

61.5

62.0

61.2

61.0

61.6

62.3

61.5

61.7

61.3

62.2

62.5

61.9

2010 programme I've had more enjoyable visits to the dentists than tonight's match! Congratulations to the Brummies. That's one heck of a team you've got there. My problem was really the racing, or to be more accurate the lack of it! Why produce a gaters paradise when your team can't gate for toffee?

The Brummies stamped their authority on the match from the very start as they streaked from the gate to win heat 1. Josh Auty dived past his skipper on the third turn of the second lap but couldn't do the same to Aaron Summers. Justin Sedgmen powered past Paul Cooper on the back straight of heat 2 and pulled clear to win by a country mile. Chris Kerr led heat 3 but Richard Sweetman learned what it was like when you didn't gate and found himself stuck behind Hugh Skidmore. Jason Lyons trapped ahead of Josef Franc to win heat 4 but Arlo Bugeja passed Frank Anderson on the second turn to earn a point. Steve Johnston was the comfortable winner of heat 5 but Aaron suffered a breakdown from the back of the field. The Tigers trail by four points but have yet to provide a heat winner!

Jason led heat 6 from Ricky Ashworth and Justin Sedgmen. Ricky went wide on the second turn looking for grip only for Justin to breeze past him on the inside. Josef made a decent enough start to heat 7 but Richard Sweetman swept around the entire field to lead by the back straight. This put the Tigers 10 points down so Josh was wearing black and white for heat 8. Astonishingly he gated alongside Justin and emerged from the second bend with a slight lead with Arlo in third place just ahead of Aaron. Josh was able to pull a couple of bike lengths ahead of Justin while Arlo and Aaron were glued together with Arlo just holding on for the point. Hugh was first to show in heat 9 but Richard Hall brought up the rear. Justin blasted around Hugh on the third turn and went on to win easily while Hugh clung grimly onto second place ahead of the hard pressing Brummies skipper. Richard Sweetman gated and was never troubled by Ricky while at the back of the field Josh easily contained Chris. Tigers trail by seven points.

Josef took a flyer in heat 11 only for Chris Gay to rule "all four back to the tapes". Johnno made no mistake in the rerun and Arlo went too wide on turn two allowing Frank Anderson his solitary point. Richard Hall woke up to win heat 12 but Paul's engine spluttered and died as the tapes rose. Ricky trapped from the inside gate in heat 13 and was never troubled by Steve while Josef did sufficient to keep Jason behind him to record the home teams second heat advantage of the match. Justin and Richard Sweetman made no mistake taking maximum points from heat 14. Eric predictably nominated the Tigers two top scorers for heat 15. This meant that Josef took an extra ride despite having not won a race all night. He finished third in heat 13 behind Johnno, while Ricky who won heat 13 found himself spectating from the pits. Richard Hall made his second decent gate of the night to win while Josef failed to add to his account. Surely the team manager should have the authority to overrule the 'two top scorers are nominated' mantra.

A comprehensive defeat by the Premier champions elect. Let's hope it hurt the riders as much as it hurt the spectators. There were plenty of disgruntled people muttering about staying home next Thursday to watch some paint dry. A good result from Saddlebow Road might persuade some to give it another week. On the other hand a poor result might prove to be the final straw. Whatever the result we need to see good racing or there is likely to be a rush on Dulux down at Homebase and B&Q.

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