Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2006

 The track looked in tip-top condition and Graham Trollope should be congratulated for all his hard work. The Potters bad luck started early with Mark Lemon's bike dying on the second bend in the first race leaving Ricky and Ben an easy 5-1. Cooperman pulled ahead into the first turn in heat 2 and looked comfortable after that, while Benji was trying too hard to make up ground after a poor start and overcooked it on the first turn of the second lap. Kyle made the start and rode a good line to deny Robbie Kessler any chance of a pass to win heat 3 but Emiliano was left struggling at the back. It was Benji who lead heat 4 from Moggo with André having to work his way through the field. Alan passed Benji on the pits turn on the first lap to take the lead with André hard on his heels. Moggo then locked up slightly on the pits turn on the second lap and André had to bale out to avoid running into him, only to be walloped by his own brother who also laid his bike down but still ran into him! Difficult decision but Tony Steele called it correctly and excluded Moggo. Benji made another good start in the rerun and big brother shepherded him all the way home, including the very slow last lap when Benji's rear tyre was flat! Luke Priest sportingly gave Benji a lift back to the pits. Mark Lemon got his act together and led heat 5 but Emiliano made up for another slow start with a blistering first lap which saw him go from 4th to second around the 3rd and 4th turns.

Ben rode a strong first turn to lead heat 6 with Ricky powering under Moggo out of turn two. Alan got his nose ahead of Ricky with a tight line out of turn four but Ricky had the better line on the first turn and pulled clear after that. André led heat 7 with Robbie ahead of Cooperman until the second lap when it seems Tony Steele inadvertently turned the 2 minute warning lights on. Robbie pulled up and was understandably peeved that the race wasn't rerun. Ben Wilson won heat 8 but Trent Leverington caught the eye passing Benji on the last turn on the second lap and then Luke Priest one lap later. Heat nine was restarted as the ref was unhappy about riders moving on the start line. Second attempt was also abandoned after the tapes only rose at one side, but third time lucky and it turned out to be a cracker. Moggo led but Kyle passed him on the third turn. Alan squeezed back into the lead on the inside on the pits bend but Kyle wound it all on to retake the lead on the next lap and then pull clear. Ricky only made it as far as the first bend in heat 10 but Ben showed a clean pair of heels to Robbie and maintained his unbeaten status.

Eighteen points ahead on the night, and twelve ahead on aggregate and John Adams eventually employs some tactics with Mark Lemon riding for double points. André takes the lead at the end of the first lap while Cooperman has his work cut out to stay ahead of Trent to claim third place. Benji comes from nowhere to join Emiliano at the front in heat 12 but Luke keeps up the pressure and is rewarded as he powers past Benji out of turn two on the last lap. Heat 13 is action packed as the top men from the two sides meet. Ricky takes the lead passing Mark Lemon out of the second turn, André goes between the Potters on the second turn one lap later but Mark Lemon retakes him and the lead as Ricky's bike explodes on the back straight. André battles back into the lead passing Mark on the second turn on the last lap and just manages to hold the lead as Mark challenges down the inside on the last turn. Excellent racing! Robbie is on a tactical in heat 14 but Cooperman is the early leader. Herr Flick swoops around him to take the lead on the pits turn with Kyle now in hot pursuit, but try as he might he cannot catch the flying German. The Potters win the toss for gate position and elect for 1&3 in heat 15. Mark Lemon leads down the back straight but André scythes past on the third turn. Ben Wilson makes up ground on the second turn on lap two and passes Robbie on the third turn to claim the remaining point.

Critics will no doubt dismiss this as another big home win but the score line in no way reflects the standard of racing. Every member of the Tigers claimed a heat win and rode as if they meant to book that semi-final slot against Rye House. Mark Lemon and Robbie Kessler both went well for the Potters but Moggo had an average evening. Luke Priest looked impressive and certainly put 'A' grade Barrie Evans in the shade. Graham Trollope was seen hard at work with the big blade straight after the finish of the second-half three team tourney which finished Sheffield 24, Scunthorpe 19, Hull 14.

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