Key:  + = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2009
SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE Tigers v Workington Comets Premier LeagueAug. 27

Referee: Graham Flint

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1. Ricky Ashworth © 8.19 2' 3 3 3 2 13+1
2. Chris Mills 5.15 3 1 0 0 4
3. Joel Parsons 5.51 1 2 +0 - 3
4. Richard Hall 7.37 3 1' 2 2 0 8+1
5. Josh Auty 5.98 1' 2 2 fx 5+1
6. Scott Smith 4.16 3 0 1' 2 1' 7+2
7. Hugh Skidmore 5.14 2' 2 1 1' 6+2
Eric Boocock 5 5 4 3 3 4 2 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 2
Sheffield Tigers 5 10 14 17 20 24 26 27 29 32 35 38 41 44 46
Workington Comets 1 2 4 7 10 14 18 23 27 30 33 36 39 42 46
Ian Thomas 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 4
1. Kevin Doolan © 8.91 0 3 3 1' 7+1
2. Simon Lambert (g) 5.06 1 0 1 3 0 5
3. Adrian Rymel 8.37 2 3 2 3 3 13
4. Richard Lawson r/r 5.38 - - - - ( )
5. André Compton 7.47 3 *4 3 2 3 1 16
6. Craig Cook 3.00 0 0 x2 1 - 1
7. John Branney 4.22 1 0 - 0 2' 1' 0 0 4+2
Track record = 59.2
R. Ashworth, 21 May 2009
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61.462.5 60.961.162.2 61.961.662.762.062.7 60.662.462.262.4 63.1

The Tigers got off to a tremendous start with Chris Mills and Ricky Ashworth leading the way in heat 1. Kevin Doolan was in close company until the third bend when he lost a lot of ground and was passed by guest Simon Lambert. John Branney took Hugh Skidmore very wide on the first turn in heat 2 as Craig Cook led from Scott Smith. Scott dived through into the lead on the third bend and seconds later Hugh dived past John in the same place, with Hugh also passing Craig on the pits turn for another 5-1. Richard Hall is the early leader of heat 3. Joel Parsons gets alongside Adrian Rymel into the third turn but the Czech held his line and second place. Graham Flint turned a blind eye to a terrible start to heat 4 with both Tigers very slowly away. André Compton takes an easy win, Hugh passes Craig on the first turn but Josh Auty has his work cut out before eventually rounding Craig at the start of the third lap. Simon Lambert slows on the second turn and loses three places. Kevin Doolan saw a red light at the start of the second lap (a camera in the crowd!) and nearly loses the lead to Joel Parsons. Richard and Simon are having a great scrap until Richard goes too wide at the end of the third lap just as Simon's inside line takes him past Joel and into second place. Joel dives straight back into second place on the first bend and Richard makes amends by diving under Simon out of the last turn to share the heat. Fantastic speedway and the Tigers lead by ten points.

Ian Thomas knows his stuff and André is straight out in the black & white helmet color for heat 6. Ricky leads the way but André goes around him on the third bend. Ricky dives back into the lead on the first corner and does just enough to hang on for the win. Adrian wins heat 7 from Josh. Scott passes Simon on the third turn on the first lap but then gets out of shape on the third lap letting Simon back into third place. The Comets gate ahead in heat 8 and while Hugh is right on John's exhaust he cannot find the way past. Joel nudges the tapes at the start of heat 9 and Eric gambles that he'll be able to make up the handicap against the Comets reserve. André traps and wins comfortably from Richard while Craig comes up trumps in third place. Ricky and Chris lead heat 10 but Chris loses two places on the first lap. Chris battles back into third place with an inside pass at the end of the third lap but John reclaims the point on the third bend on the last lap. The Comets have whittled the Tigers lead back down to two points and look set to test the Tigers endurance in the closing stages.

Kevin traps ahead to lead heat 11 but Josh and Scott share the heat. Joel has the inside gate in heat 12 but isn't given the chance to use it as he is replaced by Scott. Adrian takes a comfortable win with the Tigers reserves finishing ahead of the Comets reserve. Ricky leads heat 13 from André with Josh and Kevin battling for third place. Kevin barges under Josh on the second lap with Josh taking a heavy fall but Graham Flint rules against the Tigers again. Kevin gives Ricky a hefty nudge on the first bend in the rerun but Ricky shrugs it off and goes on to win with André passing his skipper on the last lap. André is out again in heat 14 as rider replacement and he takes the win ahead of hard pressing Richard. It comes down to a last heat decider with Ricky and Richard pitched against Adrian and André. Ricky shows first but Adrian off gate four rounds the field to lead down the back straight. Richard dives past André at the start of lap two but André powers back into third place on the same lap. Ricky is trying all he can but cannot get ahead of Adrian and Richard and André are locked in a similar battle for third with the visitors getting both verdicts and claiming the draw.

Excellent racing and I'm sure many of the large crowd will be back for more. Ian Thomas, in plaster after a recent fall, gave the Sheffield management a master class in tactics. I would love to know why Joel didn't take his last ride?

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