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Stoke Potters v Newcastle Diamonds
Premier League, 03 September 2005
Loomer Road, Stoke
| 1 | Alan Mogridge | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1* | . | . | 11 | 1 |
| 2 | David Meldrum | 0 | 1* | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Paul Clews | 0 | 1* | 1* | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | Robbie Kessler | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | . | . | 12 | 0 |
| 5(g) | Paul Thorp | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1* | . | . | . | 7 | 1 |
| 6 | Barrie Evans | 2* | R | 0 | . | . | . | . | 2 | 1 |
| 7(g) | Luke Priest | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2* | . | . | 10 | 1 |
| 1 | Josef Franc | 1* | 3 | 1* | 0 | 0 | . | . | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | Kristian Lund | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | . | . | . | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | Lubos Tomicek | 2 | 1* | 2 | 0 | . | . | . | 5 | 1 |
| 4 | Phil Morris | 1* | 2 | 0 | 1 | . | . | . | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | James Grieves | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | . | . | 15 | 0 |
| 6 | Jamie Birkinshaw | Fx | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | . | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Jamie Robertson | 1 | 1 | 2* | 2 | 0 | . | . | 6 | 1 |
* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).
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Stoke had new signing David Meldrum at number 2 to replace Adam Allott and used Paul Thorp at number 5 for Jan Staechmann. Newcastle were at full strength defending a 7 point lead in search of the bonus point. However, the Diamonds could well have done with the win to give their chances of qualifying for the Young Shield a boost. This match was tight throughout. The opening heat won by Alan Mogridge was shared but Stoke took a 5-1 from Priest and Evans in the reserves race which was awarded after James Birkinshaw had fallen. Robbie Kessler won heat 3 for a 3-3 but Newcastle pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 4 won by James Grieves from Luke Priest with Jaimie Robertson beating Paul Thorp at the back. The heat four score was 13-11. The next three heats were shared with wins for Franc, Grieves and Thorp but Newcastle rocked the home side when they took a 1-5 in heat 8 to turn a two point deficit into a two point lead. Kristian Lund and Jaimie Robertson did the damage with David Meldrum third. This made the heat eight score 23-25. James Grieves took his third win of the match in heat 9 but Kessler and Clews shared the points then in heat 10 Stoke drew level again. Alan Mogridge won the heat from Lubos Tomicek with David Meldrum keeping Phil Morris at the back for a 4-2. Paul Thorp won again in heat 11 but Lund and Franc shared the points for the Diamonds. Stoke went back in front with a 4-2 in heat 12 which was won by reserve Luke Priest from Jaimie Robertson and Paul Clews to make the score after twelve races 37-35. Everything was still up for grabs including the bonus point and in heat 13 James Grieves won for the fourth time. However Alan Mogridge and Paul Thorp kept Josef Franc at the back so the position remained unchanged. Then Stoke made a crucial breakthrough in heat 14. Robbie Kessler won the race but Like Priest produced an excellent race to keep Phil Morris and Jaimie Robertson at the back for a home 5-1 which clinched the match points and left Stoke needing a 4-2 to take the bonus point in the final race. Heat 15 was an excellent race with passing on all four laps but when the dust had settled James Grieves had won again to complete a full five ride maximum although Robbie Kessler and Alan Mogridge had taken the minor places for a shared heat so Stoke took the match points but Newcastle got the bonus by one point on aggregate! Match Report by Merlin |