Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2008
SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' v Birmingham 'Brummies' Premier Trophy s/f 5 June

Referee: Jim McGregor

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Ricky Ashworth 7.85 r 1' 2' 2' 5+3
2. Joel Parsons 6.57 1 2 x 3 6
3. André Compton © 9.24 3 3 3 3 1 13
4. Paul Cooper 5.60 1 0 1 2' 4+1
5. Ben Wilson 6.61 0 2 3 3 3 11
6. Kyle Hughes (g)

3.00

1 1' 1 - 3+1
7. Lee Smethills 5.38 3 1 3 1 3 11
Eric Boocock 1 4 4 1 3 3 3 3 4 5 4 4 5 5 4
Sheffield 'Tigers' 1 5 9 10 13 16 19 22 26 31 35 39 44 49 53 90
BRC 'Brummies' 5 7 9 14 17 20 23 26 28 29

31

33 34 35 37 94
 Graham Drury 5 2 2 5 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 1 2
1. Adam Roynon r/r 6.76 - - - - (8)
2. Chris Mills (g) 5.88 2' 1' 2 x 5+2
3. Jason Lyons © 8.30 2 3 1 2 1 0 9
4. Lee Smart 4.17 0 0 0 0 0
5. Craig Watson 6.48 3 3 3 2 0 2 13
6. Jack Hargreaves 5.71 0 0 0 - 0
7. James Birkinshaw 4.80 2 2' 2 1' 2 0 1 10+2
Track record: 59.3
Chris Holder, 6 Sept '07
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

60.8

61.0

59.9

61.0

60.8

62.0

61.1

62.0

59.9

61.5

61.0

60.8

61.6

62.6

61.8

2008 Programme  The Tigers had a mountain to climb after last nights pathetic effort in the away leg, but at least the track looked good! Craig Watson took a rider replacement ride in heat 1 and he and guest Chris Mills trapped ahead. Ricky got crowded out of the first turn and never recovered while Joel tried hard but couldn't get on terms. The Tigers reserves led heat 2 but James Birkinshaw rounded our conference league guest Kyle Hughes on the second turn. Thankfully Lee Smethills rode well to keep Birko at bay. André swooped around the field to lead by the back straight and Paul kept the pressure on to pick up third place despite looking down on power. Craig and Birko trapped and stopped Ben Wilson's outside blast in heat 4 with Ben shutting off before hitting the fence and letting Lee Smethills through into third place. After that Ben seemed to lose interest and didn't even challenge his own team mate. André and Paul gated well in heat 5 but both Birko and Chris picked Paul off on the second bend to share the heat. Sheffield were chasing a twenty point deficit from the first leg, but it has now grown to twenty four points!

 Craig trapped to lead heat 6 but came under concerted pressure from Joel who was hugging the inside line. Every time Joel got close enough Craig slammed the door in his face, while Ricky blasted high and wide around the outside but just lost ground lap after lap. Ben Wilson trapped ahead in heat 7 but made no attempt to defend his lead which he meekly surrendered to Jason on the third turn. Lee Smart held third place until Kyle calmly passed him on the third turn, lap three. After two false starts caused by a starting gate malfunction we took an early interval to give the electrician a chance to put things right. When heat 8 eventually started the Brummies held the lead. Joel passed Birko on the third turn on the inside line but was carrying too much speed and his back wheel wiped out Birko's front wheel on the third turn earning him a exclusion. Nothing dirty, just trying too hard! Lee Smethills was the comfortable winner of the re-run. Craig led heat 9 until André blasted around him on the pits turn and with Paul outpacing Jack Hargreaves the Tigers took their first heat advantage in the last six heats. The home pair caught Jason napping to lead heat 10. Ricky went too wide on the pits turn allowing Joel through into the lead but the Tigers pair stuck to the inside line and there was nothing Jason could do to catch them. Two thirds into the match and the Tigers lead for the first time on the night, but trail by eighteen points on aggregate.

Chris Mills had a big moment on the apex of the first and second turns in heat 11 causing Kyle to lay his machine down to avoid a potential crash. Chris didn't actually fall but was excluded as the principle cause of the race being stopped. Kyle's bike had to be carried back to the pits while the track staff set to repairing the fence. Ben Wilson trapped in the re-run but Birko gave him a good race and Kyle's point extended the Tigers lead. André led heat 12 from Jason but Birko lifted exiting the pits turn at the end of the second lap and Lee was perfectly poised to snatch third place. André nearly squandered the lead by going too wide on the last turn but just pipped Jason on the run to the finish line. Jason was the rider replacement to join Craig in heat 13 but Ricky trapped and Ben rounded the field out of the second turn to take the lead. Ricky had obviously been watching the racing as he stuck to the white line and there was nothing Jason could do to catch him. Birko's gating let him down again in heat 14 and although he passed Lee Smart on the last lap the Tigers pair claimed another maximum to lead by fourteen points. Ben took the lead exiting the second turn in heat 15. André went wide on the pits turn looking for a way around Craig but just lost a place to Jason who passed him on the inside. André kept it wound on and passed Jason on the second turn but very nearly lost it again on the pits turn, and again at then end of the third lap although he was getting close to Craig by the chequered flag.

It was probably a case of the Brummies taking it easy once the aggregate win was in the bag but if only the Tigers had dialled themselves into the track earlier and started the meeting the way they finished it! Ben and Ricky were shocking in their opening rides and it's not as if they haven't seen the track before. You would think with their years of experience at Owlerton they would know what was required. Joel was trying, too hard at times, while Paul was missing his best engine after it blew at Perry Bar the night before. Would you believe that Lee met Birko in all five of his rides, winning 4-1 which isn't bad going, while Kyle Hughes was impressive on his Premier League Owlerton debut. Just the League to play for now...

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