Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2006

Key:   + = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
Sheffield PIRTEK 'Tigers' v. IOW Wightlink 'Islanders' Play-Off semi-final 12th October

Referee: Paul Ackroyd

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tot+Bp
1. Ricky Ashworth 7.74 2 2' 3 2 9+1
2. Ben Wilson 7.08 1' 3 2 2' 8+2
3. Emiliano Sanchez 7.38 2' 0 3 2' 7+2
4. Kyle Legault 6.75 3 2 2' 3 1' 11+1
5. André Compton © 9.65 3 3 3 1' 3 13+1
6. Paul Cooper (B) f 2' r 1 3+1
7. Tai Woffinden (C) 3 2' 1' 3 9+2
Reg Wilson 3 3 5 5 2 5 5 3 5 5 3 5 3 4 4
PIRTEK 'Tigers' 3 6 11 16 18 23 28 31 36 41 44 49 52 56 60 103
Wightlink 'Islanders' 3 6 7 8 12 13 14 20 21 22 27 28 31 33 35 85
David Croucher 3 3 1 1 4 1 1 6 1 1 5 1 3 2 2
1. Chris Holder 8.27 3 1 *4 3 2 13
2. Jason Bunyan 6.14 0 3 *6 1' 0 10+1
3. Ray Morton 7.19 1 tps 0 r 1
4. Krzystof Stojanowski © 6.62 f 1 1 2 4
5. Jason Doyle 7.27 1 1 1 0 3
6. Andrew Bargh (g) (C) 1' f 0 1 2+1
7. Nick Simmons (B) 2 r 0 0 0 2
Fastest this season; 60.0
A. Compton & R. Ashworth
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

59.5

61.9

60.6

61.1

61.5

awd

61.5

61.6

62.5

61.8

60.7

63.4

61.0

62.9

61.5

© Class Trend Ltd.  Chris Holder got the match off to a cracking start by winning heat 1 for the visitors. He resisted Ricky's challenge on the first two turns and opened a slight lead into turn three. Ricky gave it everything he had but just couldn't match Chris' pace, hardly surprising as he equalled Simon Stead's track record! Jason Bunyan pressed hard for third place but Ben was his match. Cooperman trapped to lead heat 2 and Tai Woffinden swooped around the field to take the lead down the back straight. The Tigers looked good for a maximum until Paul inexplicably fell on the third turn on lap 3. Kyle jetted away from the tapes in heat 3 and Emiliano brushed Krzystof Stojanowski aside and rounded Ray Morton to join his team mate at the front. Krzystof fell trailing the field at the start of the second lap. André took an easy win in heat 4 but all eyes were on Tai who easily outpaced Jason Doyle to claim another 5-1 for the Tigers. Jason Bunyan made a lightning start to lead heat 5 with Kyle climbing all over him, while at the back Emiliano did his best to contain Chris Holder who eventually grabbed third place at the end of the third lap. Five heats down, the Tigers lead by 6 points on the night, and the Islanders by 1 point on aggregate.

Ricky and Ben put the Tigers ahead with a 5-1 in heat 6 with Andrew Bargh sliding off from last place at the start of the fourth lap. Ray Morton destroyed the tapes to earn himself an exclusion from heat 7, with André running out the comfortable winner. Cooperman (suffering from a terrible cold) gave everything he'd got to catch Krzystof and his last bend swoop was rewarded with second place by inches on the finish line. Jason Bunyan was wearing the black & white colours in heat 8 and muscled his way into the lead on the first turn leaving Ben trailing, while Tai shared the heat ahead of Nick Simmons at the back. Jason Doyle was first to show in heat 9 but Kyle passed him on the apex of the first and second turns just as Emiliano flashed past the pair of them and into the lead down the back straight. Ricky and Ben made it back-to-back 5-1's as they dominated Krzystof and Ray in heat 10 to put the Tigers 19 points ahead on the night, and by 12 on aggregate.

Chris is wearing black & white in heat 11 but has to accede to André who never put a wheel wrong, and Jason Bunyan was always good for third place even before Cooperman retired from last place. Emiliano was first to show in heat 12 but Tai made another great second turn to breeze past and into the lead. Emiliano quickly moved to cover his back wheel but no challenge from the Islanders ever materialized. Chris made a super start to lead heat 13 and Ricky and André took a couple of laps to sort themselves out before Ricky went on to mount a challenge for the lead. Kyle was the comfortable winner of heat 14 with Krzystof getting the better of Cooperman to claim second. Paul earned a point finishing ahead of Nick Simmons despite throwing-up in the course of the race! André and Kyle got the nod for the Tigers and met Chris and Jason Bunyan for the Islanders. This time it was the Tigers skipper who took the honours with Kyle chasing hard after Chris as the Tigers booked their place in the Play-Off final.

We now wait to see whether it will be Rye House (if they have any fit riders), or King's Lynn we will meet to determine who will be the 2006 Premier League champions.

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