Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Newcastle Diamonds Website (Unofficial)
Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum
Newcastle Diamonds v Redcar Bears
Challenge, 22 October 2006
Brough Park Stadium, Newcastle
| 1 | George Stancl | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | . | . | 12 | 0 |
| 2(g) | Sean Stoddart | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | . | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Christian Henry | 3 | 1* | 3 | 2 | F | 2 | . | 11 | 1 |
| 4 | Josef Franc | 2* | 2 | 1* | 2 | 3 | 0 | . | 10 | 2 |
| 6 | Adam McKinna | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1* | 0 | . | . | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | Jamie Robertson | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | . | . | 6 | 0 |
| 1 | Gary Havelock | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | . | . | 15 | 0 |
| 2 | Chris Kerr | 1 | Fx | 2 | 3 | 0 | . | . | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | Kevin Little | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | . | 12 | 0 |
| 4(g) | Lee Smethills | 0 | 1* | 1* | 2* | 1* | . | . | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | Jack Hargreaves | 1 | 1* | 0 | 1* | . | . | . | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Daniel Giffard | 3 | 0 | 2* | 2 | 1 | . | . | 8 | 1 |
* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).
|
Newcastle were missing Manuel Hauzinger and James Grieves so they had Sean Stoddart as a guest at number 2 for Hauzinger and used R/R for James Grieves at number 5. Redcar were without Tomas Suchanek and Mathieu Tresarrieu so they had Lee Smethills as a guest at number 4 for Suchanek and used R/R for Mathieu Tresarrieu at number 5. Newcastle brought down the curtain on a disappointing season by losing their home leg of the Tyne Tees Trophy in addition to the away leg resulting in a comprehensive defeat to an on-song Redcar team who, by contrast, brought an end to a highly successful first season by winning the silverware. With 10 last places over 15 heats there was little prospect of Newcastle pulling back the 12 points by which they trailed from the first leg. They did manage to hold a slender advantage over the opening seven races but a 1-5 for Redcar in heat 8 knocked the stuffing out of them and they never recovered. Redcar opened with as brace of 2-4s. Gary Havelock won the first race of his five ride maximum from George Stancl with Chris Kerr third in the opener then Daniel Giffard won the reserves race as Jaimie Robertson had to pass Jack Hargreaves to rescue two points for the Diamonds. However Christian Henry and Josef Franc squared the match with a 5-1 in heat 3 to give their supporters some hope. George Stancl won heat 4 from Kevin Little with Robertson third to add a 4-2 and put the Diamonds ahead with the score after four races standing at 13-11 and the aggregate deficit down to 10 points. Chris Kerr fell and was excluded in heat 5 but, in the rerun, Gary Havelock showed Franc and Henry a clean pair of heels for his second race win and a shared heat. George Stancl won heat 6 from Kerr and Hargreaves for another shared race then Christian Henry did likewise as R/R for James Grieves in heat 7 from Kevin Little and Lee Smethills. Heat 8 was the pivotal heat of the match. Chris Kerr and Daniel Giffard shot from the tapes for a crucial 1-5 ahead of the Newcastle reserves to turn a two point deficit into a two point lead. The score was now 23-25 and Redcar already had one hand on the Trophy leading on aggregate by 14 points. Gary Havelock as R/R for Mathieu Tresarrieu jetted from the gate to win heat 9 from the Henry/Franc pairing to share the points and the next three heats were shared too as Redcar consolidated their position. Heat 10 saw George Stancl win from Little and Smethills and, in heat 11, Gary Havelock continued his winning ways. Chris Kerr had made a bad start to this heat and could only follow Franc (R/R) and McKinna home to share the points then, in heat 12, Newcastle reserve, Jaimie Robertson, pulled off a fine win from Kevin Little. With Christian Henry falling, Jack Hargreaves picked up the third place point, again to share the spoils as the destination of the Trophy was decided in Redcar’s favour with Newcastle still unable to get back on level terms in the match. The score after twelve race stood at 35-37 with Redcar still 14 points ahead on aggregate. The coup de gras came in heat 13. Any lingering hopes Newcastle had disappeared when Gary Havelock and Lee Smethills scored a 1-5 ahead of George Stancl to put the Bears 6 points ahead in the match with just two races to go. Josef Franc won heat 14 for the Diamonds but the Bears clinched victory on the night by sharing the points when Daniel Giffard and Lee Smethills followed him home. Finally, in heat 15, Kevin Little ended his Redcar and speedway career in fine style by winning the race from Christian Henry passing both Newcastle riders on the way. Behind this pair Daniel Giffard took third place from Josef Franc for a 2-4 to the Bears extending their winning margin to eight points. Match Report by Merlin |