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18 May 2008: Glasgow (46) Scunthorpe (44) |
| Match Report Sunday 18th May 2008 Premier League 'Buildbase' Glasgow Tigers - (46)
Scunthorpe 'Henderson Insurance' Scorpions - (44)
After getting their League account opened last week, the Buildbase Glasgow Tigers were ready to build on that foundation and faced the Premier League's newcomers, Scunthorpe for the first time in 24 years. Although this is a new team to Ashfield, the visitors' declared team tracked three heatleaders who were all Elite League regulars in 2007 and had sampled the track before. Unfortunately, Richard Hall had to call off after a grass track accident, and that could have had a bearing on the destination of the points. Tigers welcomed back Mitchell Davey after his two week layoff and Kauko Nieminen, a big favourite from his 2006 spell with Glasgow, deputised for injured skipper Shane Parker with Rider Replacement (Robert Ksiezak and the reserves) covering for Josh Grajczonek again. More problems afflicted the home men earlier in the week when Ross Brady, hero of the win against Isle of Wight, suffered another injury at Sheffield, but rallied to the cause to race through the pain barrier. Lucky white heather anyone? Gate pattern B in operation. Heat 1 Mitchell Davey took the first Rider Replacement ride, giving him a chance to weigh up the track before the reserves' race. Scunthorpe's strong opening pairing leapt from the start to leave Trent Leverington trailing and Mitchell, not looking comfortable, a long way back. In an all too familiar start, the visitors were ahead from the off. Moore, Wilkinson, Leverington, Davey (1-5) (1-5) - 58.2 Heat 2 With a real need to pull points back quickly, the last thing Buildbase Tigers needed was to throw more points away. With Mitchell having two on the trot, he was given extra time. He clearly had some problem in the pits and was nowhere near ready to take his place. A fresh two minutes was started allowing him to take up his place 15 metres back, with Ross Brady switching to gate 2. He made the restart with only 30 seconds to go and then Ross decided to demolish the tapes. With it being against the rules to have two riders off the handicap, Ross was excluded and it was looking decidedly dodgy for the homesters. As expected, Viktor Bergstrom and Byron Bekker got a free run on their first time on the Ashfield shale as Mitchell struggled to overcome the handicap and the Tigers were already up against it. Bergstrom, Bekker, Davey(15m), Brady(Exc.Tapes) (1-5) (2-10) - 61.1 Heat 3 Magnus Karlsson got the drop at the start but 'old boy' Kauko Nieminen swept round the outside to pass on turn 2. Benji Compton had got the better of Lee Dicken meanwhile, but the big man roared into turn 3 and the youngster dropped it under pressure. The referee excluded Compton as the cause. At the restart, Karlsson showed he was a quick learner and this time blocked Kauko's move. Try as he might, the Finn could not get past the ex Monarch who completed a stylish win. (Rerun) Karlsson, Nieminen, Dicken, Compton(F.Exc) (3-3) (5-13) - 58.5 Heat 4 Bergstrom took the visitors' opening Rider Replacement ride. Robert Ksiezak and Ross made short work of the start and, although they got in each other's way off turn 2 they soon settled down to dominate their reserve opponents. Tigers had managed to halve the Scorpions' lead and give the home fans some renewed hope. Brady, Ksiezak, Bekker, Bergstrom (5-1) (10-14) - 61.5 Heat 5 It was tight into the first turn as Wilkinson shoulder charged Kauko, but the Tigers' guest is made of stern stuff and emerged ahead, putting his firm stamp on proceedings. Nieminen, Moore, Wilkinson, Dicken (3-3) (13-17) - 58.8 Heat 6 Ross came in as Rider Replacement for Glasgow and Karlsson did likewise for Scunthorpe. Ross and Trent made the start tell, with the stand-in skipper hanging back for any potential rearguard action. As it turned out, Karlsson seemed unconcerned at the back and only came to life when he rounded Bergstrom on turn 4 lap 3. It was too late to do any damage and the home men had levelled the scores at last. Brady, Leverington, Karlsson, Bergstrom (5-1) (18-18) - 61.1 Heat 7 Robert made a rocket start to open up a lead on Karlsson, but the Swede closed right up on turn 4. Robert maintained his narrow lead, having to shut the door on Karlsson's run off turn 4 lap 3, and it looked as though he might stand firm until, final time around, he chose the inside line on turn 3. Karlsson swiftly turned outside to sweep round the Aussie for a well taken win capping a good race and the Scorpions were back in front. Karlsson, Ksiezak, Compton, Davey (2-4) (20-22) - 60.3 Heat 8 Robert took his Rider Replacement ride. Ross was moving as the tapes went up so all four were called back although the referee waited until the riders, with Robert hitting the front, had reached the apex of the bend. The restart saw Robert and Ross gate legitimately and superbly, with Robert rounding his partner on turn 2 and heading off into the distance. Wilkinson's wild, sweeping style kept him in the hunt until he took Ross as the third lap closed. Ross, though, had done enough to ensure his team-mate was too far gone to be troubled and the scores were level again. Ksiezak, Wilkinson, Brady, Bekker (4-2) (24-24) - 60.1 Heat 9 Compton was called up for his Rider Replacement ride. This looked an opportunity for the Buildbase Tigers to get their noses in front, and so it proved. Lee started well and Kauko raced round him on the turn. Once Bergstrom's initial challenge on the first lap fizzled out, the home men opened up a big gap and sent the home fans wild as their favourites had gone in front for the first time. Nieminen, Dicken, Bergstrom, Bunyan (5-1) (29-25) - 59.1 Heat 10 Ross came in as Rider Replacement. Bergstrom replaced Compton as a reserve replacement. Ross hit the turn first but Karlsson came out on top with Trent ahead of Bergstrom. The Swedish reserve drew level with Trent as they completed the first lap, but the skipper drove hard into the turn to pull ahead again. Bergstrom stuck to his task and rounded Trent on turn 4 lap 3 just as the Aussie's bike started playing up. Karlsson, Brady, Bergstrom, Leverington (2-4) (31-29) - 59.4 Heat 11 The ecstacy of two heats earlier now turned to the agony as Scunthorpe's top pairing made mincemeat of the Tigers' Aussie pairing, really attacking that first turn and turning the tables on the home men for their own two point lead. Wilkinson, Moore, Ksiezak, Davey (1-5) (32-34) - 60.3 Heat 12 Karlsson baulked Ross and shot into the turn ahead of Kauko. The former Tiger stalked his man for three laps before a wide run on turn 4 led to a cut back inside and a hard drive into turn 1 edged him ahead of Karlsson and he completed the job down the back straight. Karlsson's early attentions completely threw Ross off the pace although, to be fair, he was probably not in the best shape to be looking at taking seven rides. Nieminen, Karlsson, Bergstrom, Brady (3-3) (35-37) - 59.9 Heat 13 Wilkinson came in to take the Rider Replacement ride and this looked a tough one. The Tigers' pair, however, showed real fight. Robert gated well from the outside to hit the turn ahead and then Trent got right in about the Scorpions' top pair, splitting them on the turn to join his Aussie partner. With Wilkinson floundering at the back, Moore took up the chase but Trent was ready to repel all boarders until the former Swindon man cut back on turn 4 lap 3 to draw level. He drove hard into the next turn and Trent went sliding into the fence in a cloud of dust. The referee quickly put the Scunthorpe man's exclusion light on and awarded the race as it stood, taking Tigers back in front. Ksiezak, Leverington, Wilkinson, Moore(Exc) (5-1) (40-38) - Awarded Heat 14 Ross came in for his seventh ride in place of Mitchell, and Bergstrom replaced Compton. Ross made another good start to try and increase the home men's lead and looked to have done enough until Bergstrom came through on the very last bend. With Bekker a faller though, The home men's slender lead was stil intact. Bergstrom, Brady, Dicken, Bekker(Fell) (3-3) (43-41) - 60.8 Heat 15 Would the Buildbase Tigers be able to protect their minimal lead aginst the visitors' top two? Kauko quickly answered that question with a comprehensive win in spite of the attentions of Karlsson, and the Tigers had made it two home wins on the trot! Nieminen, Karlsson, Moore, Ksiezak (3-3) (46-44) - 59.4 Things had looked bleak for the 'Buildbase' Glasgow Tigers after their disastrous opening, but a showing of more fight in the team, on the backs of a super stand in role from guest Kauko Nieminen and busy reserve Ross Brady pulled this one out of the fire. Hero of the day had to be the Scot, just showing signs of recovering from his pre-season collarbone injury and getting the better of his 'love-hate' relationship with the Ashfield track. Bruised and battered he came from Sheffield but still took seven rides to great effect, so well done Ross! Karlsson looked particulary sharp for the visitors and the Moore/ Wilkinson pairing was always dangerous, but top man was former favourite Kauko Nieminen, turning in a Parkeresque performance. Report by : John Sloss |
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