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Newport Wasps v Berwick Bandits
Premier League, 03 September 2006
Queensway Meadows, Newport

Newport 41
1(g)Chris Neath3221*2 ..101
2Tony Atkin11*1*1*. ..43
3Chris Schramm33200 ..80
4Neil CollinsR2*1*1*. ..43
5Carl WilkinsonF312. ..60
6Joel Parsons31212 ..90
7Billy LeggR00.. ..00
Berwick 49
1Jacek Rempala0033. ..60
2Andreas Bergstrom2132*2* 3.132
4Stanislaw Burza21*331 ..101
5Michal Makovsky3330. ..90
6Danny Warwick1*1*03R ..52
7Craig Branney22*020 R.61

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

Newport once again had Chris Neath as a guest for the injured Craig Watson at number 1 while Berwick again used R/R for James Birkinshaw at number 3.

Newport seemed to be doing their best to make sure that Berwick won this match when they had two retirals and a fall in the opening four heats. Yet again they took the lead in this match only to suffer another late collapse which saw them crumble to another home defeat.

The Wasps got off to a winning start in heat 1. Chris Neath won the race from Andreas Bergstrom with Tony Atkin third for a 4-2. The reserves race, won by Joel Parsons, was shared as Billy Legg retired at the back. Heat 3 was another shared race. Neil Collins shed a chain at the start but Chris Schramm beat Burza and Warwick (R/R) to keep the home side two points in front. They were two points down though after heat 4. Carl Wilkinson fell on the first bend allowing Michal Makovsky and Craig Branney to score a 1-5 ahead of Billy Legg. The score then stood at 11-13.

Newport were two points in front again after scoring a 5-1 in heat 5. Schramm and Collins won the race from Bergstrom and Rempala and there was no change after heat 6 won by Michal Makovsky from Neath and Atkin for a 3-3. Carl Wilkinson won heat 7 but Craig Branney (R/R) and Stanislaw Burza filled the minor places for another shared heat. There was no change in heat 8 either. Andreas Bergstrom won the race but Joel Parsons and Tony Atkin followed him home while Craig Branney, taking his fourth race in five heats, brought up the rear. The result was a 3-3 which took the score after eight races to 25-23.

Michal Makovsky won heat 9 for another shared race with Chris Schramm and Neil Collins in second and third places and it was five shared races on the trot after heat 10 when Burza beat Neath with Atkin third as Craig Branney, out for the sixth time, retired from the race. That made it three race winners on the trot for Berwick but no heat advantage for the visitors. With only a two point advantage the Wasps were hoping to avoid another late collapse as happened against Somerset in their last home match. The omens were not good when Berwick took a 1-5 from heat 11. For some mysterious reason Billy Legg had replaced Joel Parsons and Carl Wilkinson finished behind Jacek Rempala, who finally broke his duck, and Andreas Bergstrom and now the Bandits were two points in front. The Wasps ‘last five heat’ malaise continued as Danny Warwick and Andreas Bergstrom added another 1-5 ahead of Joel Parsons and Chris Schramm in heat 12 to stretch the Berwick lead to six points with the score now standing at 33-39.

Jacek Rempala won heat 13 from Wilkinson and Neath for a shared race to keep the Bandits six in front then Stanislaw Burza did likewise in heat 14 from Parsons and Collins after Daniel Warwick had retired. This consigned the home side to another home defeat with the wooden spoon now looming. In the last race Andreas Bergstrom completed the late rout by winning from Chris Neath and Stanislaw Burza took third from Chris Schramm. This produced a 2-4 for Berwick giving them an eight point victory.

Match Report by Merlin