Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Thursday, 22 May
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Isn’t speedway a strange sport? Since the season started in March the teams struggled through the cold, miserable weather rearranging fixtures to avoid a backlog and sometimes running more than once a week at home. Now that we’re more than half way through May with some warmer and sunnier weather what happens? Well this week we had one Premier League match on Monday night, one on Tuesday night, none on Wednesday and only one again tonight! Tonight’s match was at Sheffield where the Tigers raced against Workington in a Premier League match.
Premier League: Sheffield 40, Workington 50.
Sheffield were at full strength but Workington were without the unfortunate Barry Burchatt so had to use Rider Replacement instead at number 2.
It’s not often the Tigers get turned over at home but Workington won this match with some ease. In fact the home side managed just one heat advantage all match – a 4-2 in heat 3 – while the Comets provided ten of the fifteen race winners. The key to their success was the stunning performance of their young reserve, Joe Haines, who scored paid twelve from his seven rides to back up the visitors’ top three. He would have scored more but for an engine failure on the last bend when leading heat 14! Every one of the Comets’ riders was paid for at least one race win.
The opening two races were shared with Daniel Nermark winning the opener, after cruising round Joel Parsons on the top bends of the third lap, and Joe Haines rocketing from the gate to win the reserves race for the Comets. However it was the Tigers who took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Andre Compton passed Kauko Nieminen on the third lap while Charles Wright fell at the back. The lead lasted just one race because Workington replied with a shock 1-5 in heat 4. The Tigers were unlucky when Paul Cooper suffered an engine failure while lying third but Carl Stonehewer and John Branney relegated Ben Wilson to the back turning a two point deficit to a two point lead with the score now at 11-13.
Andre Compton won heat 5 but the race was shared when Daniel Nermark and Joe Haines who struck the fence coming off the second bend finished behind him. Carl Stonehewer won again in heat 6 although he blocked his partner, Joe Haines’, run down the back straight resulting in Ricky Ashworth moving past into second place. This resulted in a 2-4 which doubled the visitors’ lead to four points. Ben Wilson gated to win heat 7 but the Tigers made no impression on their arrears because Nieminen and Wright slotted in behind him for a 3-3. Heat 8 was shared too by virtue of a Joe Haines win so the score moved to 22-26.
Workington’s big three won the next three races. Carl Stonehewer took heat 9 from Andre Compton and Lee Smethills for another 3-3 then Kauko Nieminen won heat 10 from Ashworth and Parsons. Daniel Nermark kept the winning run going for the Comets with a heat 11 success from Ben Wilson but this time he was supported in third place by Joe Haines for a 2-4 increasing the visitors’ lead to six points. Andre Compton broke the trend by winning heat 12 but Kauko Nieminen and Joe Haines kept the Workington lead intact by sharing the heat taking the score to 33-39.
With three heats left Sheffield were struggling but things looked a bit brighter when Ben Wilson and Ricky Ashworth made the gate in heat 13. It was not to be however as Carl Stonehewer passed Ricky Ashworth then closed the door on him allowing Daniel Nermark to pass them both with a run round the outside. Wilson’s win resulted in a shared race and it was all over for the Tigers when heat 14 was shared. This time it was Charles Wright’s turn for the glory as he led Paul Cooper and Lee Smethills home after Joe Haines suffered an engine failure on the last bend while leading the race. The race was shared then the Comets rubbed salt in the wound by finishing with a 1-5 as Daniel Nermark and Carl Stonehewer led Wilson and Compton home in the last race.
Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 11 (5), Ben Wilson 10 (5), Paul Cooper 6 (5), Ricky Ashworth 5+1 (4), Joel Parsons 4+2 (4), Lee Smethills 3+2 (4), Sam Martin 1+1 (3).
For Workington – Daniel Nermark 13 (5), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Joe Haines 10+2 (7), Kauko Nieminen 9 (4), Charles Wright 4 (4), John Branney 2+1 (5).
Premier League: Sheffield 40, Workington 50.
Sheffield were at full strength but Workington were without the unfortunate Barry Burchatt so had to use Rider Replacement instead at number 2.
It’s not often the Tigers get turned over at home but Workington won this match with some ease. In fact the home side managed just one heat advantage all match – a 4-2 in heat 3 – while the Comets provided ten of the fifteen race winners. The key to their success was the stunning performance of their young reserve, Joe Haines, who scored paid twelve from his seven rides to back up the visitors’ top three. He would have scored more but for an engine failure on the last bend when leading heat 14! Every one of the Comets’ riders was paid for at least one race win.
The opening two races were shared with Daniel Nermark winning the opener, after cruising round Joel Parsons on the top bends of the third lap, and Joe Haines rocketing from the gate to win the reserves race for the Comets. However it was the Tigers who took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Andre Compton passed Kauko Nieminen on the third lap while Charles Wright fell at the back. The lead lasted just one race because Workington replied with a shock 1-5 in heat 4. The Tigers were unlucky when Paul Cooper suffered an engine failure while lying third but Carl Stonehewer and John Branney relegated Ben Wilson to the back turning a two point deficit to a two point lead with the score now at 11-13.
Andre Compton won heat 5 but the race was shared when Daniel Nermark and Joe Haines who struck the fence coming off the second bend finished behind him. Carl Stonehewer won again in heat 6 although he blocked his partner, Joe Haines’, run down the back straight resulting in Ricky Ashworth moving past into second place. This resulted in a 2-4 which doubled the visitors’ lead to four points. Ben Wilson gated to win heat 7 but the Tigers made no impression on their arrears because Nieminen and Wright slotted in behind him for a 3-3. Heat 8 was shared too by virtue of a Joe Haines win so the score moved to 22-26.
Workington’s big three won the next three races. Carl Stonehewer took heat 9 from Andre Compton and Lee Smethills for another 3-3 then Kauko Nieminen won heat 10 from Ashworth and Parsons. Daniel Nermark kept the winning run going for the Comets with a heat 11 success from Ben Wilson but this time he was supported in third place by Joe Haines for a 2-4 increasing the visitors’ lead to six points. Andre Compton broke the trend by winning heat 12 but Kauko Nieminen and Joe Haines kept the Workington lead intact by sharing the heat taking the score to 33-39.
With three heats left Sheffield were struggling but things looked a bit brighter when Ben Wilson and Ricky Ashworth made the gate in heat 13. It was not to be however as Carl Stonehewer passed Ricky Ashworth then closed the door on him allowing Daniel Nermark to pass them both with a run round the outside. Wilson’s win resulted in a shared race and it was all over for the Tigers when heat 14 was shared. This time it was Charles Wright’s turn for the glory as he led Paul Cooper and Lee Smethills home after Joe Haines suffered an engine failure on the last bend while leading the race. The race was shared then the Comets rubbed salt in the wound by finishing with a 1-5 as Daniel Nermark and Carl Stonehewer led Wilson and Compton home in the last race.
Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 11 (5), Ben Wilson 10 (5), Paul Cooper 6 (5), Ricky Ashworth 5+1 (4), Joel Parsons 4+2 (4), Lee Smethills 3+2 (4), Sam Martin 1+1 (3).
For Workington – Daniel Nermark 13 (5), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Joe Haines 10+2 (7), Kauko Nieminen 9 (4), Charles Wright 4 (4), John Branney 2+1 (5).
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