Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2008
SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' v Isle of Wight 'Islanders' Premier League 19 June

Referee: Stuart Wilson

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Ricky Ashworth 8.30 3 3 3 2' 3 14+1
2. Joel Parsons 6.96 1 2' 3 0 6+1
3. André Compton © 9.52 3 3 3 3 12
4. Paul Cooper 5.00 2' 1 1 3 7+1
5. Ben Wilson 6.67 3 3 3 3 1 13
6. Kyle Hughes

3.00

r 0 ef 1 1
7. Lee Smethills 5.38 1 2' 1 2' 6+2
Eric Boocock 4 1 5 5 4 5 3 4 4 3 3 5 5 4 4
Sheffield 'Tigers' 4 5 10 15 19 24 27 31 35 38 41 46 51 55 59
Wightlink 'Islanders' 2 7 8 9 11 12 15 19 21 24 27 28 29 31 33
 David Croucher 2 5 1 1 2 1 3 4 2 3 3 1 1 2 2
1. Jason Bunyan © 6.45 0 0 1' r 1+1
2. Cory Gathercole 6.27 2 2 *4 2 0 10
3. Glen Phillips 7.75 1 1' 2 r 4+1
4. Paul Fry 5.08 0 2 1' 2 2 7+1
5. Krzysztof Stojanowski 5.64 1 ef 2 1 4
6. Andrew Bargh 3.67 2' 1 0 1 4+1
7. James Holder 4.59 3 0 0 0 3
Track record: 59.3
Chris Holder, 6 Sept '07
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

59.7

61.1

61.1

61.1

61.7

61.6

62.0

62.5

62.8

61.5

62.5

63.2

62.9

64.0

62.1

2008 Programme Joel Parsons anticipated the start in heat 1 but Stuart Wilson was having none of it and called "all four back". Cory Gathercole clamped him to the white line on the re-start allowing Ricky Ashworth to take the lead. Joel dived past Jason Bunyan on the third turn but couldn't get on terms with Cory. Track a little heavy and watered by a shower of rain just after 7pm but Ricky won in the fastest time this year! Kyle Hughes made an abysmal start to heat 2. Lee Smethills wasn't much better and he failed to make any impression on the Islanders reserves. André Compton and Paul Cooper were first to show in heat 3 but Paul pulled a big wheelie exiting turn 2 and in the mayhem that ensued Glen Phillips moved into second place. Paul did enough to resist Paul Fry's early challenges and was ideally placed to grab second place back when Glen went too wide and clouted the pits gate on the last lap. Ben Wilson and Lee gated well and were never troubled by Krzysztof Stojanowski in heat 4. André made another sweet start to win heat 5. Cory rounded Coops on the second turn but try as he might Jason could not get past. Tigers lead by eight points.

Ricky made another great start to lead heat 6 and Joel looked like joining him until Krzysztof suddenly swerved right across his line on the second turn. Joel picked up the place on the next lap when Krzysztof coasted to a halt. Ben won heat 7 from the tapes with Paul Fry utilizing a strange wheels-in-line into the bends style to collect second place. Cory was wearing black and white in heat 8 but Joel stormed into an unassailable lead. At the back of the field Lee kept the pressure on looking for an inside pass until swooping around James Holder on the second bend of the last lap. André was untroubled in heat 9 while Krzysztof had his work cut out to contain Coops. Ricky flew into the lead of heat 10 while Joel lost out on the elbow joust with Fryer on the way to the first turn. Two thirds through the match, Tigers lead by fourteen.

Ben cleaned up in heat 11 ahead of Cory and Jason with Kyle dumping his bike on the fourth bend in disgust after it stopped on the last lap. André and Lee took another maximum 5-1 in heat 12 to clinch the victory. Ricky trapped ahead in heat 13 but Ben rounded the field to lead by the back straight. Krzysztof never looked like challenging. Coops rounded his namesake to on the second bend to lead heat 14. Kyle passed James Holder and briefly challenged Fryer on the third turn but the experienced Islander soon shrugged him off. Ricky led heat 15 but Paul dived under him on the third turn on the first lap. Ricky swooped back into the lead on the pits turn to complete his maximum but Ben's was spoiled although he still outpaced Cory.

Good team performance from the Tigers with Kyle showing glimpses of what he's capable of. Shame we couldn't have done it back in April!

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