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Berwick Bandits v Kings Lynn Stars
KO Cup (SF), 03 September 2005
Shielfield Park, Berwick

Berwick 45
1Adrian Rymel33323 ..140
2Carl Wilkinson11R1. ..30
3Tom P Madsen2*122. ..71
4Adam Pietraszko331*3. ..101
5Michal Makovsky2F31*0 ..61
6Chris SchrammX111*1 ..41
7(g)Claus KristensenFx01.. ..10
Kings Lynn 44
1Oliver Allen22320 2.110
3Ashley Jones002*X0 ..21
4Kevin Doolan1R322 ..80
5Tomas Topinka32331* ..121
6Jan Jaros2*R2*03 0.72
7Tommy Stange310.. ..40

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

With the September averages kicking in Berwick found that the injured Scott Smith had moved to reserve with Carl Wilkinson moving into the body of the team at number 2. They were entitled to a guest for Smith, the higher average reserve, and called up Claus Kristensen. King’s Lynn were without the injured Troy Batchelor and had to use R/R at number 2. They had Derek Sneddon as their number 8.

When the two teams met in a league match at Saddlebow Road, King’s Lynn won by one point. Tonight Berwick turned the tables winning by one point but the Stars will be happier with the result and will fancy their chances of winning at home to move into the final.

Things started well enough for the Bandits as Oliver Allen only just beat Carl Wilkinson for second place behind Adrian Rymel for a 4-2. However the Bandits suffered a real blow in heat 2, a heat they normally win 5-1 comfortably. On this occasion Claus Kristensen fell on the first bend then as the riders raced down the back straight the red lights came on as Chris Schramm slowed. Jan Jaros ran into him and the referee excluded both Schramm and Kristensen. This left Tommy Stange and Jan Jaros to race round for a 0-5. Berwick quickly made amends with a 5-1 from Adam Pietraszko and Tom P Madsen in heat 3 but Tomas Topinka again showed his liking for the Berwick track by beating Michal Makovsky. Tommy Stange beat Claus Kristensen for third place so the Stars took a 2-4 which made the score after four races 11-12.

Berwick began to claw their way ahead with 4-2s in heats 5 and 6 with Tomas Topinka’s defeat in heat 6 by Adrian Rymel his first defeat at Berwick this year. These two results put Berwick three points in front but King’s Lynn struck two killer blows with consecutive 1-5s in heat 7 and 8. In heat 7 Makovsky and Jones came together in the run to the first corner and Makovsky lost a lot of ground sorting himself out. In his efforts to get back into the race he fell leaving Doolan and Jones to take maximum points. In heat 8 Carl Wilkinson suffered an engine failure and Claus Kristensen failed to mount a challenge to Oliver Allen and Jan Jaros as they scored another 1-5. This took the score after eight races to 21-26.

Topinka won heat 9 for a shared heat but Berwick pulled four points back over the next two heats with consecutive 4-2s with wins for Adrian Rymel and Michal Makovsky. Jan Jaros then made the gate in heat 12 to win from Madsen and Schramm to take the heat 12 score to 35-36.

Tomas Topinka won again to stop Berwick making any further headway in heat 13 but Berwick turned the one point deficit to a one point lead with a 4-2 in heat 14 won by Pietraszko from Doolan with Schramm beating Jaros for third place. Although Adrian Rymel won heat 15, Oliver Allen and Tomas Topinka filled the minor places for a shared heat to restrict Berwick to a one point lead for the second leg.

Match Report by Merlin