Saturday 29 March 2008

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
.
.
Saturday, 29 March
.
.
Four matches were scheduled for tonight but the weather ruled out three of them: Workington versus Edinburgh, Stoke versus Scunthorpe, and Rye House versus King’s Lynn – all Premier Trophy matches. The Workington against Edinburgh fixture has been rearranged for next Saturday. This left the sole survivor to beat the miserable March weather the Premier Trophy fixture between Berwick and Glasgow.


Premier Trophy: Berwick 52, Glasgow 44.


Berwick were again without Guglielmo Franchetti so used Rider Replacement at number 2 instead. They also introduced new signing, Henning Bager, to the team at number 5 in place of Manuel Hauzinger. Glasgow were at full strength for the first time this season with the return to the side of Ross Brady.

It was a cold evening at Berwick but at least it was dry with only a shower of rain having fallen since mid-afternoon. Berwick were desperate for a home win after successive defeats at Shielfield Park by Newcastle, Edinburgh and Workington while this was Glasgow’s first official away match of the season. They too really needed to win at the home of the Bandits to keep pace with Edinburgh and Workington if they were to challenge as Premier Trophy section winners.

In the opening race Ross Brady made the gate but within a lap he had been passed by the field and retired leaving Adrian Rymel and Norbert Magosi to score a 5-1 ahead of Shane Parker. Magosi was out again to win the reserves race. However Adam McKinna got stuck at the back of the field so Josh Grajczonek and Lee Dicken filled the minor places for a shared race. All eyes were on Henning Bager in heat 3 but it was Tero Aarnio and Trent Leverington who fought for the lead round the opening two bends. Leverington won that battle and sailed off to win the race while Bager, after a good gate slipped back to third to produce another shared race. It was three 3-3s on the trot with another in heat 4. Michal Makovsky made the gate but once again Adam McKinna ended up at the back leaving Ksiezak and Dicken to share the points taking the score to 14-10.

Henning Bager suffered an engine failure at the tapes in heat 5 but, fortunately for him, the referee had already called a stop to the race after Ross Brady had moved at the start so he was allowed in the rerun. Bager re-emerged on Michal Makovsky’s bike but once again it was Ross Brady who led from the tapes. He was passed by Tero Aarnio and, with Shane Parker at the back, it looked like a 4-2 to the Bandits. However Bager retired from the race leading to another 3-3. Instead of using Rider Replacement for Franchetti in heat 6, Norbert Magosi came in as a reserve replacement instead to partner Adrian Rymel again. This pair produced another 5-1 with both making good gates, Magosi winning the race from Rymel and Ksiezak, increasing the home side’s lead to eight points. Norbert Magosi was out again in the next race, his fourth ride in seven heats! He and Michal Makovsky were fast away for another 5-1 to the Bandits putting them 12 points ahead with Trent Leverington third. Makovsky was out again in heat eight to take the R/R ride. He won the race by the proverbial country mile but once again Adam McKinna could make no impression as a shaky Brady was followed home by Lee Dicken for another shared race. The 3-3 took the score to 30-18.

In heat 9 Robert Ksiezak took a TR and won the race after being passed then repassing Henning Bager now on Adrian Rymel’s machine. Tero Aarnio finished third so Glasgow won the race 3-6 cutting Berwick’s lead to nine points. It increased to 11 when the Bandits scored a 4-2 in heat 10. Adrian Rymel and Tero Aarnio (R/R) made the start but Trent Leverington passed Aarnio on the second bend for second place and a 4-2. In heat 11 Ross Brady was replaced by Lee Dicken. Shane Parker won the race beating Michal Makovsky while Lee Dicken finished third with Magosi well at the back. Glasgow won the race 2-4 cutting the lead to nine points again. In heat 12 Shane Parker came out as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back replacing Josh Grajczonek to partner Robert Ksiezak. He won the race too passing McKinna as early as the first bend and Bager on the second lap. With Trent Leverington second Glasgow scored the big 1-8 to cut the gap to just two points with the score now 40-38.

It was three on the trot for Parker as he was in heat 13 too. He won again but this time there was no support from Robert Ksiezak as Adrian Rymel and Michal Makovsky filled the minor places. The 3-3 kept the Bandits two in front with a vital heat 14 to come. Josh Grajczonek replaced Mitchell Davey as a reserve replacement. Norbert Magosi won the race while Tero Aarnio almost lost control when he reared. He lost ground and ended up in a battle with Lee Dicken for third place behind Josh Grajczonek. The Berwick rider prevailed after Lee Dicken made a mess of the fourth bend on the third lap. Berwick recorded a 4-2 stretching their lead to four points and the scene was set for yet another last heat decider at Berwick. Glasgow won the toss for heat 15 and chose the inside gates but it was Makovsky and Rymel who left Parker and Leverington for dead at the gate to score a 5-1 for an eight point win. At last the Bandits supporters breathed a sigh of relief but it was a good effort from Glasgow to force the last heat decider after trailing by 12 points after heat 8.

Scorers: For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 14+2 (6), Norbert Magosi 14+1 (6), Adrian Rymel 12+2 (5), Tero Aarnio 8+1 (5), Henning Bager 4+1 (4), Adam McKinna 0 (4).

For Glasgow – Shane Parker 15+1 (6) (including a 6 point TS), Robert Ksiezak 9 (4) (with 6 point TR), Trent Leverington 8+1 (5), Lee Dicken 4+3 (5), Ross Brady 4 (3), Josh Grajczonek 4 (4), Mitchell Davey 0 (3).

No comments: