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Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs
Challenge, 29 May 2006
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow

Glasgow 49
1Danny Bird33332* ..141
2David McAllan0100. ..10
3Lee Dicken201F. ..30
4Kauko Nieminen0332. ..80
5Shane Parker32*32*3 ..132
6Robert Ksiezak33F2T ..80
7James CockleX011*. ..21
Edinburgh 41
1Henrik Moller21*20. ..51
2Theo Pijper1*231*0 ..72
3Matthew Wethers301*1. ..51
4William Lawson112Fx. ..40
5Rusty Harrison22211 ..80
6Sean Stoddart1*00.. ..11
7Derek Sneddon21*2*33 ..112

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

Both Glasgow and Edinburgh were at full strength for this match..

This was the second leg of what was to have been the seasonal opener for these two teams. The weather had other ideas though and, even when the Edinburgh leg got under way last March, it didn’t get past heat 12 before the rain caused it to be abandoned. At that time Edinburgh had built up a 6 point lead at 42-36 despite Glasgow having scored two 6 point TRs but subsequent attempts to run the second leg also fell foul of the weather until tonight when it was staged on a pleasant sunny evening.

If a week is a long time in politics a minute can be a long time in speedway! With three and three quarter laps completed in heat 14 of this match the Trophy was heading back to Edinburgh as they were on a comfortable 1-5 which would have put the aggregate score beyond Glasgow but a very heavy crash involving William Lawson and the fourth bend fence completely changed the picture as Glasgow took a 3-3 from the race and then scored the necessary 5-1 in heat 15 for overall victory.

This was a tense and close fought match through all 15 heats although many of the heats were very processional and decided from the gate. There were never more than four points between the teams as Glasgow provided most of the race winners and most of the last places.

Danny Bird, who made five rocket-like starts in this match, won the opening heat but Henrik Moller and Theo Pijper were comfortably placed behind him for a 3-3 before David McAllan came to grief on the last lap. In the reserves race Robert Ksiezak squeezed Derek Sneddon out on the second bend and, as the riders entered the third bend James Cockle dived hard underneath Sneddon. Unfortunately he couldn’t control the move and shot across from the inside of the bend to the fence causing Sneddon to bale out. Cockle was excluded from the rerun but Ksiezak made another fast start to win the race for another shared heat. In heat 3 Lee Dicken took an early lead but got out of shape on the second bend hampering both Kauko Nieminen and William Lawson behind him. Matthew Wethers grabbed his chance by racing through on the inside for the victory but Nieminen was the big loser as Lawson could not get past Dicken for second place. This gave the Monarchs a 2-4 and a two point lead before we had the first of two cracking races between Shane Parker and Rusty Harrison in heat 4. Harrison made the gate and rode the line he knew that Parker usually favoured but Parker was not to be denied. After a couple of laps perched on Harrison’s back wheel he made an excellent inside pass off the second bend for the victory. At the back Sneddon beat Cockle so the race was shared and the score after 4 races was 11-13.

Heat 5 was also shared when Kauko Nieminen made a blistering start. Theo Pijper moved into second place and Henrik Moller passed Lee Dicken round the outside of the second bend to join his partner for the 3-3. A tapes to flag win for Danny Bird and a third place for David McAllan behind Rusty Harrison produced the 4-2 which levelled the match for Glasgow then the Tigers took the first 5-1 of the match in heat 7 when Robert Ksiezak made another fast start with Shane Parker in second holding off the attentions of William Lawson to give the home side a four point lead. However Edinburgh took the second 1-5 of the match in heat 8 when, for the second time this season, Pijper and Sneddon saw off Cockle and McAllan to level the scores again at 24-24.

Glasgow moved two points in front again in heat 9. Another fast start by Kauko Nieminen produced another win while Dicken took third place from Sean Stoddart for a 4-2. Danny Bird stormed from the gate to win heat 10 and it looked briefly as though David McAllan might join him. However William Lawson passed McAllan on the second bend and a couple of laps later Matthew Wethers produced a fine pass on the inside of McAllan on the third/fourth bends to share the race. Edinburgh levelled the match again in heat 12. In the first running of the race Lee Dicken made an excellent start and had made it to the front off the second bend only to discover to his obvious frustration that his partner, Robert Ksiezak, had come to grief on the first corner causing a rerun with all four back. In the rerun Derek Sneddon made the gate with Ksiezak taking second ahead of the ever pressing Matthew Wethers with Lee Dicken falling while at the back. This produced a 2-4 and the 36-36 score meant that Edinburgh still led by six points on aggregate.

Heat 13 produced the usual 5-1 for Glasgow from Bird and Parker but not before the crowd were treated to a brilliant race. Rusty Harrison moved into second place behind Bird and denied Parker the opportunity of his favourite outside run. For all four laps Parker stalked Harrison and off the final bend he just edged past on the inside to win by a wheel on the line. This meant that Glasgow were now only two points down on aggregate but it looked as though Edinburgh were going to tie up the match in heat 14. After James Cockle had been replaced by Robert Ksiezak for tape touching, Derek Sneddon jetted from the gate and was joined off the second bend up front by his partner William Lawson with Kauko Nieminen chasing forlornly behind them. The celebrations in the Edinburgh camp were suddenly brought to a halt as Lawson got into the deep shale on the apex of the third/fourth bends. His bike straightened and he was catapulted into the fence in a horrific looking crash which brought a hush from the crowd. After a lengthy interval he was able to limp into the ambulance for the journey back to the pits. The race was awarded but Edinburgh only took a 3-3 which meant that they were two points up on aggregate going into the last race. Shane Parker made a lightning start in the final race with Danny Bird on his tail. Try as he did Rusty Harrison could make no inroads so Glasgow took the 5-1 they needed to win the trophy.

Match Report by Merlin