Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2007

Key:   + = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m, rem = fell & remounted
Stoke Easy Rider 'Potters' v. Sheffield Window Center 'Tigers' Premier Trophy 21st April

Referee: Robbie Perks

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tot+Bp
1. Glenn Cunningham 6.88 3 3 2 3 0 11
2. Ben Barker 4.92 0 1 1 1' 3+1
3. Garry Stead © 6.07 3 3 3 2 1 12
4. Lee Complin 4.05 0 0 1 3 4
5. Rusty Harrison 4.62 2 2 3 0 7
6. Barrie Evans 4.27 ef 1' 0 1' 0 2+2
7. Jonathan Bethell (g) 3.20 2 1' 0 - 3+1
 John Adams 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 1 4 3 3 3 3 3 1
Stoke 'Potters' 3 5 8 11 14 18 21 22 26 29 32 35 38 41 42 67
Sheffield 'Tigers' 3 6 9 12 15 17 20 25 27 30 33 36 39 42 47 112
 Neil Machin 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 5 2 3 3 3 3 3 5
1. Ricky Ashworth 6.76 1' 1' 2 1' 5+3
2. Ben Wilson 5.54 2 2 3 1' 2' 10+2
3. André Compton © 9.41 2 3 3 3 3 14
4. James Birkinshaw 5.28 1' rem 0 1' 2+2
5. Joel Parsons 6.15 3 2 2 2 9
6. James Cockle 3.48 3 0 rem - 3
7. Paul Cooper 3.85 ef 0 2' 0 2 4+1

 Track record; 61.0
Billy Hamill, 11 Sept. 1996

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

64.3

66.3

65.8

63.9

63.8

63.8

63.7

64.9

64.2

64.1

65.4

64.0

64.9

66.1

65.3

The Sheffield Window Centre Tigers gated ahead in heat 1 but Glenn Cunningham wasted little time. He picked Ricky off on the second lap and was perfectly positioned to pounce when Ben Wilson locked up on the last lap. Heat 2 and again it's the Tigers who take an early lead with Barrie Evans stopping on the second turn and Jonathan Bethell falling. Jonathan quickly remounted and was rewarded when Paul ground to a halt on the second lap. Garry Stead won heat 3 for the Potters with André climbing all over him all the way to the line. Birko locked up on the second lap but still did enough to deny Lee Complin a point from his debut ride. Rusty Harrison led heat 4 until Joel stormed past on the second lap. Paul tried to do the same to Jonathan on the third lap but Jonathan fought back on the next bend. The Potters skipper led from tapes to flag in heat 5 but Lee Complin was again unable to compete leaving the Tigers holding a slender one point advantage.

James Cockle is the first to show in heat 6 but is eventually picked off by the whole field. Glenn powered from last to lead down the back straight and Ben Barker's point puts the Potters into the lead. André leads heat 7 with Rusty climbing all over Birko in second place until he goes too wide on the pits turn tumbling off. The Tigers trap ahead again in heat 8 and this time Paul does enough to hold Ben Barker off for a massive 5-1 to reclaim the lead. Garry leads heat 9 from Joel and James Cockle. Lee Complin gratefully inherits his first point for the Potters when James falls on the pits turn on the second lap. André leads the way in heat 10 with Glenn Cunningham riding shotgun for Ben Barker ahead of Birko. The Tigers lead still stands at a single point.

Ricky leads heat 11 from Rusty and Ben Wilson but goes too wide at the end of the second lap allowing Rusty through into the lead. The Tigers put Paul into heat 12 to replace James Cockle (who fell last time out), and the Potters respond by replacing Jonathan with Barrie. André takes an easy win but Paul is stuck at the back. Glenn powers to the front in heat 13 but Rusty is passed by both Joel and Ricky on the first lap. Rusty passes Ricky on the second turn of lap three but Ricky battles back into third place on the last turn. Paul leads heat 14 from Lee and Birko with a tired looking Barrie at the back. Lee passes Paul on the third lap to claim his maiden Potters win and share the heat setting up a cracking last heat decider. No surprises from John Adams who nominates Glenn and Garry, beaten once each by André, but Neil Machin bucks the convention of offering the race to the highest scorers and goes for Ben Wilson above Joel despite Joel's winning time being a second faster (perhaps Joel declined?). Neil obviously knows what he's doing ( ;-) as Ben and André trap and team ride all the way to the finish line despite every move Garry tried.

A meaningless victory for the Tigers although it will do their confidence no end of good. Birko's home maximum on Thursday was put into perspective here and he clearly hasn't benefited from his sojourns at other clubs. The Tigers reserves outscored the Potters pair by 20 points to 3 last Thursday, but even against a struggling Barrie Evans and a Conference league guest it was honours even at 8 all today. Paul blew his Sheffield engine in heat 2 and now has a £1,000 repair bill while James was gifted his win in heat 2 and struggled thereafter. Ricky has a long way to go before he can think of passing André at the top of the averages but Joel Parsons turned in a strong display from the third heat leader berth. Ben gave his best ever showing at Loomer Road while André was magnificent. Let's hope we can replicate this form when we start out league campaign against the Berwick Bandits.

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