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Stoke Potters v Newport Wasps
Premier League, 06 May 2006
Loomer Road, Stoke
| 1 | Mark Lemon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | . | . | 15 | 0 |
| 2 | Trent Leverington | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | . | . | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | Paul Clews | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1* | 1 | . | . | 10 | 1 |
| 4 | Robbie Kessler | 1 | R | 3 | 2* | 3 | . | . | 9 | 1 |
| 6 | Barrie Evans | 2* | 1 | 0 | 2* | . | . | . | 5 | 2 |
| 7 | Luke Priest | 3 | F | 0 | 2 | . | . | . | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Chris Schramm | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1* | 0 | . | . | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | Carl Wilkinson | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | . | . | 12 | 0 |
| 4 | Tony Atkin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1# | . | . | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | Craig Watson | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4^ | 2 | . | . | 12 | 0 |
| 6 | Joel Parsons | 1 | 2* | 1 | 0 | 0 | . | . | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | Billy Legg | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | . | 0 | 0 |
* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).
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Stoke had new signing Trent Leverington in the side at number 2 to replace Michael Coles who has been dropped. Newport were without Neil Collins following his accident at Rye House when he broke three ribs and a collarbone last Monday. They used Rider Replacement at number one in his place. The recent spate of injuries continues unabated. This time it was the unlucky Craig Watson who suffered a dreadful injury just as he did last season around this time. In heat 15 his throttle jammed open at the start of the race and he was sent careering into the first bend safety fence. Unfortunately he went under the air fence and hit the one behind it suffering a badly broken arm. Early indications suggest that it will need an operation and that he will be out of the saddle for a long time. With Neil Collins also out injured the Wasps have lost their top two average riders. On a very dry track, Newport might have got off to a good start if Chris Schramm had not fallen while leading Mark Lemon. With Tony Atkin, taking the R/R ride, finishing behind Lemon and Trent Leverington taking the gift third place the Potters took a two point lead with a 4-2. Luke Priest and Barrie Evans added a 5-1 in the reserves race then Paul Clews won heat 3 from Carl Wilkinson who passed Robbie Kessler for a 4-2 which stretched the home side’s lead to eight points. Newport hit back with a 1-5 in heat 4 thanks to Craig Watson and Joel Parsons. Trent Leverington finished third after Luke Priest had fallen causing the race to be awarded. The heat 4 score was 14-10. The Wasps pulled another two points back in heat 5 with Carl Wilkinson winning from Paul Clews. Chris Schramm took third after Robbie Kessler had retired from the race. There were only two points between the teams but Stoke doubled it to four with a 4-2 in heat 6. Mark Lemon won the race and Craig Watson passed Leverington for second place. Robbie Kessler won heat 7 and with Barrie Evans in second it looked like a 5-1 for the Potters but Carl Wilkinson made a last bend swoop round the outside of Evans on the last bend to rescue two points for the Wasps. The 4-2 put Stoke six points up but Newport pulled two back again in heat 8. Chris Schramm beat Trent Leverington while Joel Parsons passed Luke Priest for the odd point and a 2-4 which took the heat 8 score to 26-22. Newport’s chances took a bad blow in heat 9. The race was rerun after Billy Legg fell and was excluded. Then Craig Watson burst the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. At the third attempt Paul Clews and Robbie Kessler team rode to keep Craig Watson in third as the Potters took a 5-1 to go eight ahead. It became ten after heat 10 when Mark Lemon beat Carl Wilkinson with Trent Leverington third for a 4-2. As a result Craig Watson took a TR in heat 11 but Mark Lemon, out again as R/R, won comfortably. Watson was second and with Chris Schramm in third place Newport took a 3-5 heat advantage to close to within eight points. Carl Wilkinson blasted past Luke Priest to win heat 12 but Paul Clews was third for a shared race. The heat 12 score was then 41-33. Mark Lemon beat Craig Watson for the third time in heat 13 with Paul Clews third putting the home side ten ahead again with the 4-2. Tony Atkin took a TR in heat 14 but gained no advantage from it as Robbie Kessler and Barrie Evans took a 5-1 from the gate. Then came the last race and Craig Watson’s injury which understandingly took a while to handle. Time ran out as the curfew was passed so the match was abandoned without the race being rerun. Match Report by Merlin |