Glasgow Tigers 29: Newcastle Diamonds 29:
Berwick Bandits 15: Edinburgh Monarchs 19
Premier League Fours Northern Group Qualifier 3rd Leg
Saracen Park, Ashfield
Sunday, 20th June 1999
Newcastle recovered from their disaster at Berwick to tie with the home team and put themselves firmly in contention for a place in the Finals. Edinburgh suffering from the curse of the jinxed yellow and black helmet covers, trailed in third place and conceded the aggregate lead to Glasgow. The yellow and black helmets yielded seven points for Berwick at Armadale and twelve points for Newcastle at Berwick.
Monarchs were without Kevin Little and Stewart McDonald, himself on the injury list, came in with Blair Scott still at reserve. The other teams were unchanged.
The track suffered all that the weather could throw at it. It was fine and sunny at the start but a heavy shower fell after a couple of heats. This made the track very greasy. Later continuous rain fell, resulting in the track becoming a quagmire. Towards the end it cleared up and an inside racing line developed. Despite the conditions, the riders simply got on with things and produced some great entertainment.
Glasgow were in white, Newcastle in blue, Berwick were in white and Edinburgh had yellow and black.
Heat 1: Robert Eriksson, James Grieves, Les Collins, Alan Mogridge [60.1]
Grieves had a real go from gate 4 but Eriksson from gate 2 hit the first bend ahead and won despite Grieves trying everything to pass. Eriksson regained the Ashfield track record he held earlier in the season.
(1-3-0-2)
Heat 2: Jesper Olsen, Emiliano Sanchez, Tom Madsen, Blair Scott [60.2]
The yellow and black curse struck with Peter Carr excluded for tape touching. Blair Scott came in but trailed last. Jesper Olsen won in another fast time as Emiliano Sanchez recovered from a poor start to take second.
(3-6-1-2)
Heat 3: Scott Lamb, Paul Gould, Will Beveridge, Stewart McDonald [61.7]
Scott Lamb won but Paul Gould came second to continue Newcastle’s blistering start.
(4-8-4-2)
Heat 4: David Walsh, Mick Powell, David Meldrum [62.2]
The rain had now made the track slippy. Ross Brady made a great start and was leading but fell coming out of the second bend and was excluded. Walsh won the re-run and Powell passed Meldrum for second.
(6-11-5-2)
Heat 5: Jesper Olsen, Scott Lamb, Ross Brady, Les Collins [63.7]
Olsen made it four wins and a second out of five heats for Newcastle. Ross Brady was third behind Lamb with Collins suffering from engine problems last. Newcastle had already pulled back 11 points on Monarchs 17 point overall lead.
(6-14-7-3)
Heat 6: Emiliano Sanchez, Stewart McDonald, Robert Eriksson, David Meldrum [62.9]
McDonald made a good start and while he could do nothing about Sanchez he managed to hold off Eriksson for two welcome points.
(9-15-7-5)
Heat 7: Peter Carr, David Walsh, Alan Mogridge [63.7]
Peter Carr recovered from a poor start and passed Walsh with contemptuous ease to win. Will Beveridge had fallen on the second bend and was excluded.
(9-17-8-8)
Heat 8: James Grieves, Paul Gould, Tom Madsen, Mick Powell [64.9]
The track was by now a mud bath. James Grieves had a poor start and was behind Powell in last place. Powell lost position on the back straight allowing Grieves to slip through on the inside. Grieves now set off after Madsen and needed two attempts to pass on the outside. He chased Gould going into the final lap, reeled him in and surged ahead coming off the final bend for a memorable win.
(9-19-9-11)
Heat 9: Les Collins, Peter Carr, Paul Gould, David Meldrum [63.7]
Les Collins made a start and Peter Carr could not get back on terms. Paul Gould passed David Meldrum to continue his great form.
(12-20-9-13)
Heat 10: Emiliano Sanchez, Scott Lamb, James Grieves [65.2]
James Grieves gated and seemed set to win when his bike developed a misfire and he slipped back to third behind Sanchez and Lamb while David Walsh retired.
(15-20-11-14)
Heat 11: Robert Eriksson, Tom Madsen, Ross Brady, Will Beveridge [66.3]
A good win for Eriksson after pressure from Madsen. Brady had a good scrap with Beveridge for third. At one stage Beveridge passed Brady but the Monarchs’ youngster came back to take third on the line.
(15-23-13-15)
Heat 12: Mick Powell, Jesper Olsen, Alan Mogridge [65.7]
Mick Powell finally brought Olsen’s seven-ride unbeaten run at Ashfield to an end. Mogridge was fighting for third with McDonald. Stewart persisted with his favourite outside line and got into the mud and lost position and then retired.
(18-25-14-15)
Heat 13: Emiliano Sanchez, Paul Gould, Ross Brady, Claus Kristensen [64.3]
Claus Kristensen came in to replace Mogridge. Sanchez was really flying in the wet conditions and passed Gould for his third win of the night. Ross Brady took third place ahead of Kristensen.
(21-27-14-16)
Heat 14: Les Collins, David Walsh, Tom Madsen, Stewart McDonald [63.4]
Les Collins continued the Glasgow fightback passing Walsh for another superb win with Madsen third.
(24-29-15-16)
Heat 15: Will Beveridge, James Grieves [64.7]
Olsen was leading from Grieves and Beveridge when he fell and was excluded. Claus Kristensen, in for the two minuted Meldrum was not under power at the time and was also excluded. Grieves swept ahead from the gate and seemed certain to win until his bike developed a misfire once more allowing Beveridge a fortunate win.
(27-29-15-18)
Heat 16: Scott Lamb, Mick Powell, Peter Carr, Robert Eriksson [63.7]
With the inside line now dry, passing was becoming very difficult and Lamb gated ahead of Powell and Carr to complete an impressive day.
(29-29-18-19)
|
Glasgow Tigers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mick Powell |
2 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
7 |
|
Will Beveridge |
1 |
X |
0 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
|
Emiliano Sanchez |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
11 |
|
Les Collins |
1 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
7 |
|
Sean Courtney |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newcastle Diamonds |
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
7 |
|
Jesper Olsen |
3 |
3 |
2 |
X |
|
|
8 |
|
David Walsh |
3 |
2 |
R |
2 |
|
|
7 |
|
Paul Gould |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
7 |
|
Derrol Keats |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
Berwick Bandits |
|
|
|
||||
|
Scott Lamb |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
10 |
|
David Meldrum |
1 |
0 |
0 |
M |
|
|
1 |
|
Tom Madsen |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
|
Alan Mogridge |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
Claus Kristensen |
0 |
X |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
Peter Carr |
T |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
|
James Grieves |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
8 |
|
Stewart McDonald |
0 |
2 |
R |
0 |
|
|
2 |
|
Ross Brady |
X |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
|
Blair Scott |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
Edinburgh had a torrid time with a tape exclusion for Carr, engine problems for Grieves in two heats, a fall and exclusion for Brady and an retirement for McDonald. Grieves looked the best of the Edinburgh team and was good for 11 points but for the engine problems. Carr couldn’t seem to get out of the gate. McDonald failed to adapt to the wet conditions and stayed on the outside line when he would better have moved inside. Ross Brady picked up minor points but wasn’t gating up to his usual standard.
Emiliano Sanchez was the pick of the Tigers team reveling in the wet conditions. Les Collins struggled early on but finished on a high note with two wins. Powell was hit and miss.
Newcastle made a blistering start but faded slightly in the latter stages. Eriksson and Olsen will probably have expected more points. Newcastle’s hero was Paul Gould with a fighting seven points scoring in every race.
Scott Lamb was good value for Berwick and received some support from Tom Madsen. Mogridge and Meldrum never really got going.
Man of the match: Emiliano Sanchez for his 11 point haul.
Most exciting rider: James Grieves for his thrilling win in heat 8.
Next meeting: Newcastle Fours, Brough Park, Sunday, 20th June.
John Lowe