Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Wednesday 2 July
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The two Wednesday evening tracks met tonight at Birmingham where King’s Lynn were the visitors in a Premier League match.
Premier League: Birmingham 38, King’s Lynn 54.
Injury-hit Birmingham were again in some disarray having to use guests Chris Mills (Reading), Andre Compton (Sheffield) and Paul Clews (Berwick) at numbers 2, 3 and 6 together with Rider Replacement at number 1 to cobble a team together. King’s Lynn on the other hand were at full strength.
Things just go from bad to worse for the Brummies. With only three of their own riders in the team from the start they were down to two when Kozza Smith crashed into James Birkinshaw in heat 4 causing an ambulance trip to hospital for the Birmingham man and consequent withdrawal from the meeting. Perry Barr must be a prime candidate for an exorcism; their injury record is quite preternatural.
The home side made a terrible start to the match conceding 1-5s in the first two heats. Craig Watson fell in heat 1 leaving Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey to score the first then the King’s Lynn reserves added the second in heat 2. Andre Compton stopped the rot by beating Tomas Topinka for a shared heat 3 before the heat 4 crash between Birkinshaw and Smith. This occurred on the last lap so the race was awarded to race leader Rusty Harrison with Birkinshaw given second and Watson third for another 3-3 which took the score to 8-16.
There was still no joy for the beleaguered home side when they watched Kevin Doolan breaking the Perry Barr track record in heat 5 from which the Stars gained a 2-4 leaving their hosts ten points in arrears. It was only heat 6 but already the Brummies called on Andre Compton to take his R/R ride as a Tactical Ride too. Even this was only partially successful as Rusty Harrison won the race while it took a last bend overtake by Chris Mills on John Oliver to scrape five points from the heat which Birmingham won by 5-3. They got a break in heat 7 though when Tomas Topinka suffered an engine failure on the last lap after both he and Simon Lambert had been passed by Paul Clews. This promoted the woeful Craig Watson to third giving the Brummies a 4-2 cutting their arrears to six points. The Stars were heading for another 1-5 in heat 8 until Paul Clews passed Kozza Smith on the line to rescue two points for the home team taking the score to 21-29. At this stage Birmingham’s guests had scored 17 of their 21 points!
Lee Smart continued his row of zeroes in heat 9 but Andre Compton won the race for a 3-3 however another 1-5 for King’s Lynn in heat 10 from Simon Lambert and Tomas Topinka effectively ended any remaining hopes to which the home fans might still have been clinging as their team now trailed by 12 points. Kevin Doolan produced another three points for the Stars by winning heat 11 from Craig Watson and Paul Clews who then took his third ride on the trot in heat 12 and produced another third place. With Andre Compton winning the race from Tomas Topinka the home fans had a 4-2 to celebrate taking the score to 32-42 but it was too little too late.
Kevin Doolan completed a four ride maximum in heat 13 producing a 2-4 for the visitors for a 12 point lead again. Then in heat 14 Lee Smart completed five pointless rides for the Brummies who lost another 1-5 this time to Kozza Smith and Simon Lambert. Heat 15 saw Kevin Doolan complete a five ride maximum but Watson and Compton shared the points behind him for a 3-3 giving King’s Lynn a 16 point victory.
Scorers: For Birmingham – Andre Compton 16+1 (6), Paul Clews 10+1 (7), Craig Watson 8+1 (6), Chris Mills 2+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 2 (2), Lee Smart 0 (5).
For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (5), Rusty Harrison 9 (4), Simon Lambert 8+2 (5), Tomas Topinka 6+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 6+1 (4), Kozza Smith 6+1 (4), John Oliver 4+1 (4).
Premier League: Birmingham 38, King’s Lynn 54.
Injury-hit Birmingham were again in some disarray having to use guests Chris Mills (Reading), Andre Compton (Sheffield) and Paul Clews (Berwick) at numbers 2, 3 and 6 together with Rider Replacement at number 1 to cobble a team together. King’s Lynn on the other hand were at full strength.
Things just go from bad to worse for the Brummies. With only three of their own riders in the team from the start they were down to two when Kozza Smith crashed into James Birkinshaw in heat 4 causing an ambulance trip to hospital for the Birmingham man and consequent withdrawal from the meeting. Perry Barr must be a prime candidate for an exorcism; their injury record is quite preternatural.
The home side made a terrible start to the match conceding 1-5s in the first two heats. Craig Watson fell in heat 1 leaving Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey to score the first then the King’s Lynn reserves added the second in heat 2. Andre Compton stopped the rot by beating Tomas Topinka for a shared heat 3 before the heat 4 crash between Birkinshaw and Smith. This occurred on the last lap so the race was awarded to race leader Rusty Harrison with Birkinshaw given second and Watson third for another 3-3 which took the score to 8-16.
There was still no joy for the beleaguered home side when they watched Kevin Doolan breaking the Perry Barr track record in heat 5 from which the Stars gained a 2-4 leaving their hosts ten points in arrears. It was only heat 6 but already the Brummies called on Andre Compton to take his R/R ride as a Tactical Ride too. Even this was only partially successful as Rusty Harrison won the race while it took a last bend overtake by Chris Mills on John Oliver to scrape five points from the heat which Birmingham won by 5-3. They got a break in heat 7 though when Tomas Topinka suffered an engine failure on the last lap after both he and Simon Lambert had been passed by Paul Clews. This promoted the woeful Craig Watson to third giving the Brummies a 4-2 cutting their arrears to six points. The Stars were heading for another 1-5 in heat 8 until Paul Clews passed Kozza Smith on the line to rescue two points for the home team taking the score to 21-29. At this stage Birmingham’s guests had scored 17 of their 21 points!
Lee Smart continued his row of zeroes in heat 9 but Andre Compton won the race for a 3-3 however another 1-5 for King’s Lynn in heat 10 from Simon Lambert and Tomas Topinka effectively ended any remaining hopes to which the home fans might still have been clinging as their team now trailed by 12 points. Kevin Doolan produced another three points for the Stars by winning heat 11 from Craig Watson and Paul Clews who then took his third ride on the trot in heat 12 and produced another third place. With Andre Compton winning the race from Tomas Topinka the home fans had a 4-2 to celebrate taking the score to 32-42 but it was too little too late.
Kevin Doolan completed a four ride maximum in heat 13 producing a 2-4 for the visitors for a 12 point lead again. Then in heat 14 Lee Smart completed five pointless rides for the Brummies who lost another 1-5 this time to Kozza Smith and Simon Lambert. Heat 15 saw Kevin Doolan complete a five ride maximum but Watson and Compton shared the points behind him for a 3-3 giving King’s Lynn a 16 point victory.
Scorers: For Birmingham – Andre Compton 16+1 (6), Paul Clews 10+1 (7), Craig Watson 8+1 (6), Chris Mills 2+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 2 (2), Lee Smart 0 (5).
For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (5), Rusty Harrison 9 (4), Simon Lambert 8+2 (5), Tomas Topinka 6+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 6+1 (4), Kozza Smith 6+1 (4), John Oliver 4+1 (4).
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