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Exeter Falcons v Glasgow Tigers
Premier League, 25 July 2005
County Ground, Exeter

Exeter 57
1Mark Lemon0332*3 ..111
2Lee Smethills32*32*3 ..132
3(g)Sam Hurst000.. ..00
5Seemond Stephens33330 ..120
6Ben Barker2*1032* 1.92
7Pavel Ondrasik32*12*2* 2.123
Glasgow 37
1George Stancl2312!1 2.110
2Trent Leverington1*2*R0. ..32
3Stefan Ekberg2*1*2^31* ..93
4Claus Kristensen3204^. ..90
5Shane Parker11RR. ..20
6Adam Roynon101.. ..20
7James CockleF010. ..10

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

It was a weakened Exeter side which took to the track tonight against Glasgow . Exeter’s new signing, Sebastian Tressarieu, failed to turn up apparently after missing his flight and the Falcons had no option but to use a Conference League guest, Sam Hurst, in his place. To make matters worse they were also using R/R for Ray Morton at number 4. Glasgow were at full strength and were defending a 17 point lead for the bonus point.

The opening heat was shared with Lee Smethills winning and Mark Lemon finishing last then Exeter took the lead with a 5-1 in the reserves race. Back came Glasgow with a 1-5 from Claus Kristensen and Stefan Ekberg against Ben Barker and Sam Hurst to level things but another Exeter 5-1 from Seemond Stephens and Pavel Ondrasik ahead of Shane Parker put the Falcons ahead by 14-10 after 4 heats.

Again Glasgow took a 1-5 against the weak Exeter middle pairing in heat 5 this time from George Stancl and Trent Leverington. However Exeter replied in heat 6 with another 5-1 from Lemon and Smethills ahead of Parker for a four point lead. Seemond Stephens beat Kristensen and Ekberg to keep it that way but another home 5-1 in heat 8 from Smethills and Ondrasik after Trent Leverington suffered an engine failure had the Tigers in trouble with the heat 8 score reading 28-20.

Glasgow fell out of it completely by surrendering three maximum heat wins to Exeter in heats 9, 10, and 11. Shane Parker had an engine failure at the start of heat 9 as the Exeter reserves, Barker and Ondrasik, headed home Adam Roynon. Rather surprisingly perhaps Glasgow gave a TR to Stefan Ekberg in heat 10 when he was faced by Exeter’s top pair of Mark Lemon and Lee Smethills. It backfired as the Exeter pair took a 5-2 then in heat 11 Stephens and Barker beat Stancl for another maximum. Exeter were now two points ahead on aggregate but in heat 12 George Stancl took a GDTS from 15 metres back. Ekberg won the heat from Ondrasik and Stancl passed Sam Hurst to double his one point for third place to give Glasgow a 2-5. Now Glasgow were one point up on aggregate as the score after 12 heats was 45-29.

Shane Parker had another engine failure at the start of heat 13 as Stephens and Lemon wrapped up another 5-1 ahead of Stancl to lead on aggregate by 3 points in their search for the bonus point. Glasgow played their last card by giving Claus Kristensen a TR in heat 14 but he could only finish second to Lee Smethills who completed his paid maximum for a 4-4. However, Glasgow were still in with a chance of winning the bonus needing a 1-5 in the last heat but Mark Lemon ended their hopes by winning the race although Stancl and Ekberg had the satisfaction of ruining Seemond Stephens’ maximum hopes.

Match Report by Merlin