Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2007

Key:   + = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
Sheffield Window Center 'Tigers' v. Berwick Armstrong's Quality Butchers 'Bandits' Premier League 26th April

Referee: Craig Ackroyd

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tot+Bp
1. André Compton © 9.41 2' 2' 3 3 3 13+2
2. Ben Wilson 5.60 3 3 3 2' 1 12+1
3. Ricky Ashworth 6.76 3 2 2' 3 10+1
4. James Birkinshaw 5.08 2' 1' 3 3 9+2
5. Joel Parsons 6.15 3 2 2 0 7
6. James Cockle 3.48 1' 1' ef 1 3+2
7. Paul Cooper 4.00 2 2' 2' 2' 8+3
 Reg Wilson 5 3 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 5 2 5 3 4 4
Sheffield 'Tigers' 5 8 13 18 21 26 29 34 39 44 46 51 54 58 62
Berwick 'Bandits' 1 4 5 6 9 10 13 14 15 16 23 24 27 29 31
Peter Waite 1 3 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 7 1 3 2 2
1. Michal Makovsky © 7.36 1 3 *6 2 2 14
2. Michael Coles 5.13 0 0 r - 0
3. Jacek Rempala 8.00 0 0 0 1 1
4. Andreas Bergstrom 6.16 1 3 1 2 0 7
5. Stanislaw Burza 7.16 0 0 0 1' 1+1
6. Benji Compton 3.00 3 1 1 1 1 - ef 7
7. Rob Grant 3.00 0 1 - 0 - 1

Track record: 59.5
S.Stead & C.Holder

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

61.0

63.2

61.3

63.4

61.2

62.6

62.5

62.7

62.0

60.6

62.4

62.5

61.9

63.4

62.4

2007 Programme  André switches to the No.1 race jacket and slots in behind fast starting Ben for an opening 5-1 to the Sheffield Window Centre Tigers. Michael Coles looked very unsteady in third place and Michal Makovsky takes three laps before eventually passing him. Benji Compton shows he hasn't forgotten his way around Owlerton and leads away in heat 2. James Cockle easily outpaces Rob Grant at the back while Paul Cooper (mounted on Natalie on loan from Gary Flint, I'm not kidding) closes in on the leader and just fails to catch him on the finish line. Ricky and Birko make mincemeat of the Armstrong's Quality Butchers Bandits (groan) in heat 3 with Jacek Rempala looking like a complete novice at the back. Joel traps into the lead in heat 4 and Paul goes across Stanislaw Burza's line as they exit the second bend. Stanislaw is all at sea and even the pedestrian Rob Grant passes him on the second lap. Ricky leads heat 5 from Michal and Birko but Michal has got the track sussed and blasts around and into the lead off the pits turn. Sheffield lead by 12 points already.

Stanislaw anticipates the start in heat 6 and Craig Ackroyd's verdict is "all four back". Ben takes the win from André who tries some peculiar lines (perhaps trying to confuse his brother who is following him). Andreas Bergstrom is the first to show in heat 7 and he soaked up everything Joel threw at him. James Cockle rounded Jacek on the second turn and was never troubled. Ben and Paul take another 5-1 from heat 8 with Michael Coles pulling out of his scrap with Benji when he lost his steel shoe which he retrieved from the first bend after the race. Birko went plumb between the Bandits on the first corner to lead heat 9 and Ricky caught and passed Benji on the back straight. André blasted around the field in heat 10 to lead out of turn two, this time leaving Ben to his own devices ahead of Andreas and Jacek. The Tigers lead now stands at 28 point.  

Peter Waite makes a double effort to redress the balance in heat 11 substituting Benji for Rob Grant, and nominating Michal for a tactical ride on double points. James Cockle and Benji clash on the first corner with Benji taking a tumble. Benji was non too pleased but big brother soon calmed the situation, indeed it was André who got stuck in to putting the bike straight in the pits. Michal took a big win in the rerun ahead of Joel, and Benji had the last laugh when James shed his chain on the last bend. Ricky trapped ahead in heat 12 though Paul's momentum on the outside nearly took him into the lead on the back straight for another Tigers 5-1. André rounded Michal on the second turn to lead heat 13 but Joel tried just too hard to follow suit and fell gracefully on the second lap. He remounted but had lost far too much ground. Birko rounded Andreas on the second turn to lead heat 14 and James C had third place sewn up when Benji dropped a chain on the third lap. It wasn't James' night as his brand new chain went on the last bend allowing him to coast over the line for the point, but leaving him out of pocket on the night. André motored past Michal on the back straight to win heat 15 with Ben third giving the Tigers a 31 point lead to take to Shielfield Park on Saturday.

In case you're wondering, the engine which Gary Flint loaned to Paul for the evening is called Natalie. I asked Gary what his cut of the paid 11 points would be? He laughed and said Paul's mum might give him an extra scoop of mashed potatoes with his next meal !

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