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Redcar Bears v Workington Comets
Premier League, 31 August 2006
South Tees Motorsports Park, Redcar

Redcar 59
1Gary Havelock31*332* ..122
2Chris Kerr1232*. ..81
3Kevin Little2*113. ..71
4Mathieu Tresarrieu33333 ..150
5Tomas Suchanek0301. ..40
6Jack Hargreaves2*.... ..21
7Daniel Giffard322*01 2*1112
Workington 36
1Garry Stead202*2. ..61
2Alan Mogridge0226^0 ..100
3Tomasz PiszczFR00. ..00
4Rusty Harrison1112. ..50
5James Wright334^01 ..110
6(g)Ben Powell000.. ..00
7Aidan Collins111*10 ..41

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

Redcar were at full strength while Workington had Ben Powell at number 6 as a reserve guest for Lee Derbyshire.

Workington, chasing a place in the play-offs, could have done with a good result from this match but they didn’t get it. Redcar were always in charge and, despite a 1-8 to the Comets in heat 11, they won comfortably with an excellent opportunity for the bonus point when the teams meet again on Saturday night.

Redcar got off to a blistering start. Gary Havelock won the opening heat setting a new track record in the process by beating Garry Stead while Chris Kerr took third place as Alan Mogridge fell. This gave the home side a 4-2 for a two point lead and they rammed home two 5-1s to take the lead to 10 points. The reserves race was won by Daniel Giffard and Jack Hargreaves although Hargreaves, clearly in pain, was treated by the medics after the race and withdrew injured from the meeting. In heat 3 Tomasz Piszcz fell and the race was rerun resulting in a win for Mathieu Tresarrieu and Kevin Little for another 5-1. Workington hit back in heat 4 when James Wright won from Daniel Giffard with Aidan Collins third for a 2-4 which took the score 16-8.

Heat 5 looked like producing another home 5-1 when Tresarrieu and Little led from the gate but Alan Mogridge passed Little on the inside for second place so the Bears had to settle for a 4-2. Heat 6 produced a classic. Gary Havelock in third place got a good view of a fine pass by Chris Kerr on James Wright but Wright fought back and regained the lead on the last lap to share the points. Tomas Suchanek led heat 7 from Tomasz Piszcz while Daniel Giffard came from the back to pass Rusty Harrison but Piszcz suffered an engine failure so the Bears took another 5-1 which increased their lead to 14 points. In heat 8 Chris Kerr came from the back to pass Aidan Collins and Alan Mogridge so the race was shared with the score now reading 31-17.

The unbeaten James Wright took a TR for the Comets in heat 9 but he didn’t remain unbeaten as Mathieu Tresarrieu and Kevin Little looked like taking a 5-1 but Wright passed Little so the race was shared 4-4. Havelock and Kerr added a 5-1 in heat 10 from Harrison and Piszcz then Alan Mogridge took a TR in heat 11. This brought the big 1-8 when Mogridge was followed home by Garry Stead with Giffard in third. This clawed seven points back for the Comets who now trailed by 11 points but their joy was short-lived as Little and Giffard replied with a 5-1 in heat 12 which brought the score to 46-31.

Gary Havelock won heat 13 from Garry Stead while Tomas Suchanek relegated James Wright to the back for a Bears’ 4-2 and the Bears won heat 14 by the same score when Mathieu Tresarrieu beat Rusty Harrison and Daniel Giffard to stretch the lead to 19 points. Workington needed to hold it at that but instead lost another 5-1 in heat 15 to Tresarrieu and Havelock which leaves them with a 23 point gap to close in the return in search for the bonus point.

Match Report by Merlin