Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2011
Ipswich 'Witches' v SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' Premier League 22 April

Referee:

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Kevin Doolan © 8.98 0 1 2' 0 3+1
2. Taylor Poole 6.11 3 3 2 3 1' 12+1
3. Lasse Bjerre 5.80 3 3 3 3 2 14
4. Morten Risager 6.10 2' 0 2' 3 7+2
5. Chris Schramm 6.21 2 1 1' 3 7+1
6. Jerran Hart

4.28

2 3 2 2' 9+1
7. Chris Mills 4.99 fx 0 1' 0 1+1
Pete Simmons 3 2 5 2 3 4 4 3 5 5 3 3 3 5 3
Sackers 'Witches' 3 5 10 12 15 19 23 26 31 36 39 42 45  50  53
Sheffield 'Tigers' 3 7 8 12 15 17 19 22 23 24 27 30 34 35 38
 Eric Boocock 3 4 1 4 3 2 2 3 1 1 3 3 4 1  3
1. Shane Parker 7.95 1' 2 3 2' 3 11+2
2. Hugh Skidmore 5.69 2 1' 3 ef 6+1
3. Ricky Ashworth © 7.77 fx fx 0 1' 1+1
4. Emiliano Sanchez 6.64 1 2 1 1 5
5. Josh Auty 7.69 3 2 1 2 x 8
6. Simon Lambert 3.47 3 0 0 2 5
7. Ashley Birks 3.00 1 1 0 ef 2
Track record: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

60.1

awd

60.3

60.1

60.3

60.7

61.4

62.4

61.1

61.5

61.6

60.7

61.1

62.2

awd

Sheffield Window Centre Tigers went into Good Fridays fixture at Foxhole in optimistic mood after the demolition job at Owlerton on the same opposition the previous evening. A huge Good Friday crowd turned up (around 4000) at Foxhall Heath for the clash with a massive travelling support for the Tigers on the baking hot back straight to watch the meeting, which was the Tigers first visit to Ipswich for 15 years. Track looked well prepared despite the baking hot mid afternoon conditions.

Tigers reverted to the line up used at other away meetings so far this season, which will have surprised some. Kevin Doolan won the toss for the Witches and took gates 1 and 3. Heat 1 saw the Witches rocket away from the tapes but surprisingly Witches No.1 Kevin Doolan was picked off by both Hugh Skidmore and Shane Parker with inside passes. Taylor Poole was an easy winner. Heat 2 saw Rambo away followed by Jerran Hart, Ashley Birks is third but falls and remounts then Chris Mills falls on lap 3 and the race is awarded as a 4-2 to the Tigers. Heat 3 saw the powerful Foxhall pairing of Morten Risager and Lassie Bjerre come out for the Witches. Ash takes a fall on the first bend when trying to race on the difficult outside line and is excluded. The Witches complete an easy 5-1 over Emiliano in the rerun. The start to heat 4 is classed as unsatisfactory for movement at the starting gate, but Chris Mills goes very wide and ploughs through the fence and a lengthy delay ensues to repair it. Chris Schramm makes the gate in the rerun hotly pursued by Josh Auty who executes a superb pass to win the race, Ashley Birks on his first visit to Foxhall secures a good 3rd place over Chris Mills. Lasse Bjerre makes an electric gate in heat 5, Shane puts in a great effort to pass but doesn't quite make it, Skidmore takes 3rd over Risager and the scores remain tied.

Witches again make the gate in heat 6, Josh pressures Doolan and passes him, tries to catch Poole but the track is difficult and Witches take the lead. Heat 7 sees the turning point in the meeting. The first running sees Chris Schramm breaking the tapes and choosing to go off 15 metres. Tigers make the gate in the rerun but they are passed by Jerran Hart. Then catastrophe as Emiliano knocks the struggling Ashworth off going into turn 3 and the referee excludes Ricky. Poor riding from Sanchez as it was a certain 3-3. Hart wins the rerun from Sanchez and Schramm as Tigers fail to take advantage of Schramm's tape break. The first running of heat 8 sees Taylor Poole and Hugh Skidmore come down in a first bend bunching incident. After a delay due to someone being taken ill in the crowd, the rerun sees a good gate from Skiddy, Taylor Poole rides well to come from last to second, Millsy 3rd and the gap remains at 4. Risager makes the gate in heat 9 followed by the 2 Tigers but a tremendous ride from Bjerre sees him come from last to first in 2 laps, very impressive on a poor track and the lead extends to 8 points. Poole from the gate in heat 10 followed by the 2 Tigers but a good ride from Doolan sees him pass both Tigers and the gap extends to 12 therefore meaning tactical time.

Everyone in the stadium expects Shane Parker to be announced as the TR but surprisingly the black and white helmet colour is given to Skiddy by the Tigers 'Team Manager' even more surprising when Skiddy was on the poor gate 4. Seems the fans are correct AGAIN as Parker takes a good win but Skiddy finishes last behind Schramm and Hart and a wasted opportunity to claw some points back. The huge contingent of Tigers fans on the back straight are less than amused with the tactics. Lasse Bjerre takes a huge tapes to flag win in heat 12. Rambo, Ricky and Mills have a messy battle for second place but the Tigers hang on for another 3-3 and the gap remains at 12. Shane Parker is now given the Black and White helmet colour for heat 13. Ipswich gate again, but Doolan is picked off by Auty on lap 2 and Parker on the last lap. Schramm takes the win and the gap is now 11 points. The pivotal heat 14 looks weak for the Tigers and is proved as the Witches take a tapes to flag 5-1 despite numerous opportunities for Emiliano to pass the out of control Hart. Shane gates into the lead in heat 15. Auty pressures and cleanly passes Taylor Poole who falls all by himself on turn 3 lap 3 and the referee amazingly excludes Auty, race is awarded as a 3-3 and the Witches take a 15 point win.

The Tigers will look back at this meeting as one they could have got something out of but a few riders just didn't have the days they wanted. Ricky just couldn't get dialled into the track and struggled and Emiliano's form is beginning to be a concern as he looks very slow and no improvement is coming at the moment. The Tigers have a big weekend next weekend if their ambitions for a great season are to happen, where big points at home to Glasgow and away at Plymouth and Newcastle should be expected.

Thanks to Chris Wells for this match report.

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