Poor
Show from Tigers
Posted
23/05/05
Berwick ended up deserved winners in a meeting
that many seemed to think Glasgow had won before a wheel was turned
- unfortunately that complacency seemed to spread to the pits.
The disgraceful antics of Peter Waite in the week
leading up to this meeting aside, Berwick were up for it and although
Tigers suffered some considerable bad luck during the meeting that
should not take away from Berwick's win. For a home team to have to
use both TR's and a TS to get close says it all.
Right from the start things went wrong for Glasgow
with George Stancl suffering an engine failure as the tapes went up,
Matt gating poorly. Matt took the outside line round the second bend
and got round Smith but Rymel was well clear for a first heat advantage
to Berwick.
Unusually for Ashfield the next four heats were more
or less from the gate. Smith surprisingly outgated the normally fast
gating Cockle in heat 2, Birkinshaw was at the back and tried hard
to get round Kugelmann but the German had the measure of him. An uncharacteristic
but basic mistake saw Trent forget to switch his fuel on in heat 3
to give Berwick their third heat advantage in a row before Shane got
the first Glasgow win in heat 4 although unfortunately Birkenshaw
again gated poorly and could not get past Kugelmann. Hopes of a recovery
were short lived however when Rymel and Mills shot from the gate to
give the Bandits their only 5-1 of the night.
With Glasgow already 10 down, Stancl came out as
a TR in heat 6 despite his earlier engine problems. Although George
and Matt made the gate, George's bike was heard to make a strange
sound going down the back straight and packed up altogether on the
4th bend whilst Glasgow were on a 5-1. It was left to Matt to hold
off the Bandits until the second bend of the final lap. Its unclear
whether he just lost concentration or actually caught something but
he lost control of the bike, the back wheel came round and clipped
the fence resulting in the young Aussie heading over the left handlebar
and landing heavily on the back straight. Scott Smith did very well
to avoid Wethers who had landed mid track. The race was awarded as
a 5-0 and thankfully Matt was able to walk back to the pits after
some attention on track but looked very groggy.
Many expected Shane to come out as a TR in heat 7
but it did not happen. Glasgow got their first heat advantage of the
night from the gate with Cockle doing well to hold his line and fend
off Mills for third place.
Shane replaced Jamie Birkinshaw in heat 8 as a TS
off 15m. Although his partner Wethers gated, he was behind the Berwick
pair by the back straight and Shane had it all to do on his own. He
chased hard but was unable to get past Kugelmann until the final bend
of the third lap leaving only the final lap to chase Smith who was
well in front. Shane came very close, catching up with Smith and almost
taking him on the line but it was not to be.
Heat 9 was shared thanks to Birkinshaw passing Smith
on the outside of the 4th bend on the third lap after a somewhat erratic
ride. Smith then retired on the final lap whilst well at the back.
George came out on Shane's second bike for heat 10 and although he
did not gate in front, he came under Madsen on the second bend and
was quickly well clear. Partner Wethers seemed to suffer the bike
gremlins as his machine seemed to cough at the end of the second lap
allowing Mills through into third. Another uncharacteristically poor
gate from Cockle saw him at the back in heat 11 with Parker out front.
James was determined and swept round Kugelmann on the fourth bend
to give Glasgow a heat advantage.
With time running out, Trent was brought out as the
final TR in heat 12. Both Tigers gated but the referee decided it
was an unsatisfactory start and called it back. In the re-start, Trent
once again gated whilst Birkinshaw was last out of the gate but rode
superbly round both Berwick riders on the 3rd and 4th bends of the
first lap. That was when the fun began! For a neutral, this race may
well have been exciting but for Glasgow fans it was real heart stopping
stuff as Trent and Birko seemed to be racing each other out front,
nearly colliding on at least 3 occasions. Jamie actually passed his
team mate coming into the last lap resulting in frantic signals from
team mates and management as he went past the pits. Trent reclaimed
the lead and Glasgow got the 8-1.
Heavy rain interrupted proceedings for 15 minutes
before racing re-commenced.
George struggled to gate on Shane's second bike in
heat 13 but dived up the inside of Rymel on the 4th bend to join Shane
at the front and give Glasgow hope with a 5-1. In an important heat
14, James Cockle found his gating form to get away first from the
inside but was last by the back straight. Trent slotted into second
but the Bandits got an important heat advantage to hold the advantage
going into the deciding heat 15.
This season George and Shane have had four 5-1's
at home in heat 15 this year including against Berwick in the last
visit and the Bandits must have been concerned that history might
repeat itself. It was not to be however. Shane gated but George was
third. With Stancl trying to find a way round Rymel, Makovsky took
advantage of a gap at the end of the second lap to come through into
third. The Bandits then team rode superbly to ensure a shared heat
and the victory that they deserved.
The performance of the Glasgow team during this meeting
was just not acceptable. They were on the whole out thought and out
ridden by a poor Berwick team who were worthy winners on the day.
Only Shane Parker really gets pass marks for this
meeting. George was frustrated by engine failures. Matt started well
enough but his heavy fall put paid to that although in fairness he
did look badly shaken up by it. Trent put a lot of effort in and will
rue his basic and costly error in his opening heat. James Cockle's
gating was not up to his usual standard today but he did as always
never give up and perhaps we forget he is a 3 point reserve. Jamie
Birkinshaw struggles badly apart from occasional flashes of style
such as his double pass in heat 12. The Tigers cannot carry on in
this manner and whilst the ship isn't quite going down, the alarm
bells are very definitely ringing.
Berwick rode as a team. They all contributed and
whilst Rymel is expected to do well at Ashfield he was more than ably
backed up by Makovsky and Madsen in particular. Glasgow did not deserve
anything out of this meeting and it would have been a complete injustice
if the Bandits had been denied the win thanks to the TR rule.
Pictures from home meetings can normally be found
on Ian Adams Website
or Lioness'
Webshots Site on a Monday evening.
The scorecard and heat details can be found here.
Tiger Performance Points:
| George Stancl |
** |
one phrase - engine failure |
| Matthew Wethers |
** |
Started well, bad fall has its effect |
| Trent Leverington |
** |
Tried hard but, oh dear, heat 3 |
| r/r |
|
resulted in 5+1 |
| Shane Parker |
**** |
Determined and solid as usual |
| James Cockle |
*** |
Never gave up but gating was poor |
| Jamie Birkinshaw |
* |
Struggling |
