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Stoke Potters v Newcastle Diamonds
Premier Trophy (Group), 16 April 2005
Loomer Road, Stoke

Stoke 45
1(g)Stuart Robson3222. ..90
2Paul Clews1021*. ..41
3Robbie Kessler32*23R ..101
4Peter Carr0302. ..50
5Alan Mogridge22X1*1 ..61
6Rob Grant303X. ..60
7Barrie Evans2*1*1*1. ..53
Newcastle 44
1Phil Morris21X.. ..30
2Christian Henry003Fn. ..30
3Claus Kristensen2100. ..30
4Josef Franc1*3332* ..122
5James Grieves33333 ..150
6Lubos Tomicek01122 1.70
7Jamie Robertson1Fx00. ..10

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

The last time Stoke faced Newcastle at home they were soundly beaten by to the tune of 43-51. This time they were looking not only for a win but to pull back a 12 point deficit for the bonus point. Stoke having redeclared their team had new signing Peter Carr at number four with Stuart Robson guesting for Jan Staechmann at number one and Alan Mogridge moving to number five. Newcastle were at full strength but, not for the first time this season, finished with a rider off to hospital.

Well one thing’s for sure – they don’t come any closer than this one. By all accounts it was a stormy affair which saw Phil Morris taken to hospital with a suspected broken rib and a clash between Lubos Tomicek and Rob Grant during which the starting marshall was hit by Grant’s bike and required him to go to hospital too with a suspected broken ankle! I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about this in due course.

Stoke were off to a 4-2 lead in the opening heat and stretched it to a six point lead with a 5-1 in the reserves race which saw Lubos Tomicek go from 15 metres back for tape touching. Robbie Kessler won heat 3 from Kristensen and Franc with Peter Carr finishing last. This turned out to be Josef Franc’s only defeat of the match. In heat 4 James Grieves ran up the first of his five heat wins but with Jaimie Robertson falling the heat was shared. The score was now 15-9.

Peter Carr won his first race for the Potters in heat 5 and was followed home by Robbie Kessler for a 5-1 ahead of Phil Morris to put the home side 10 points ahead at 20-10. Newcastle did not take the opportunity to use a TR in heat 6 and it was a decision they were to bitterly regret by the end of the meeting. As it happened James Grieves won the heat with Lubos Tomicek taking third place for a 2-4 pulling the score back to 22-14. In heat 7 another 2-4 came Newcastle’s way as Josef Frank beat Alan Mogridge with Claus Kristensen third and the deficit was now six points at 24-18. Christian Henry then won heat 8 as Newcastle were on a roll but Paul Clews and Barrie Evans filled the minor placings for a shared heat at 27-21.

In heat 9 Peter Carr broke the tapes and went unsuccessfully from 15 metres back. James Grieves beat Robbie Kessler with Lubos Tomicek third and Newcastle had pulled another two points back and were now trailing by only four points at 29-25. Josef Frank kept it that way by winning heat 10 but heat 11 saw Newcastle’s injury jinx strike again. Alan Mogridge was involved in a collision with Phil Morris which resulted in an ambulance ride for the Diamonds skipper to hospital with a suspected broken rib. The referee, however, excluded Morris from the rerun since he was deemed not to have been under power at the time of the collision. In the rerun Christian Henry was hit by Alan Mogridge which resulted in the Stoke rider being excluded. As Henry limped back to the pits he was replaced in the rerun by Lubos Tomicek. The rerun was won by Rob Grant for a 3-2 which opened Stoke’s lead to 35-30 with just four heats to go. Then Robbie Kessler won heat 12 with Barrie Evans third behind Lubos Tomicek for a 4-2 which stretched Stoke’s lead to 39-32

James Grieves kept on winning and his heat 13 success kept the difference at 7 points before the ‘events’ of heat 14. In this heat Lubos Tomicek replaced Jaimie Robertson to partner Josef Franc against Peter Carr and Rob Grant. According to reports, Lubos Tomicek was passing Rob Grant down the home straight when he was hit by Grant and the race was stopped. Tomicek got up and ran towards Rob Grant only to be restrained by the starting marshall. However Tomicek ‘escaped’ the clutches of his restrainers and went for Grant who, still seated on his bike, retaliated and, in attempting to ram Tomicek (so it is alleged), ran over the starting marshall which required a hospital trip for the poor official with a suspected broken ankle. The riders were eventually separated and returned to the pits where the aftermath will remain a mystery for the time being. Grant was exluded from the rerun which Josef Frank won from Peter Carr and Tomicek to take the score to 44-39 and put the match out of Newcastle’s reach.

It was just as well since James Grieves and Josef Frank wrapped things up with a last heat 1-5 for Newcastle against Alan Mogridge and Robbie Kessler for a one point defeat. Looking back to their decision not to give James Grieves a TR in heat 6, the Diamonds must be kicking themselves since the three extra points would have seen them win by 45-47! They must feel that Lady Luck has deserted them too after another injury to Phil Morris which saw him miss heat 13.

Match Report by Merlin