Tigers Secure Semi Final Slot
Posted 27/06/06, By Kyra

The Tigers did what was needed at Newcastle last night to secure a place in the last four of the Knock Out Cup, despite a late fight back from the Diamonds.

The opening stages certainly went in the Tigers favour and left the Diamonds fans feeling as if it was all over after heat 9.

It looked to start well for Newcastle when Franc and Henry gated in the opening heat. Contrary to comments made by some however, Danny Bird can pass and he proved this by coming inside Franc on the opening bends and giving chase to pass Christian Henry on lap 3. It was followed by a 5-1 from the gate by the fast gating Tigers reserves in heat 2.

Lee Dicken had barely time to unload his bike after arriving after racing had started before going out in heat 3. He was still pushing the speed as he came out of the gate level with James Grieves although Grieves soon pulled clear. Dicken held on to second comfortably however while partner Kauko Nieminen, who almost came a cropper on the opening bend, got past Adam McKinna to claim third.

There was some good racing from Shane Parker and George Stancl in heat 4, Stancl gating and holding Shane off for the entire race despite Shane trying everything he could to find a way through.

Unlike the opening heat, Danny Bird made the gate in heat 5 but in form James Grieves swept round him at speed and went on to win the race with some ease. The Newcastle pairing of Franc and Henry followed this with a heat advantage to the Diamonds from the gate but the scoreline was reversed in the following heat when Kauko Nieminen discovered the outside line on the second bend to pass George Stancl to claim the win with team mate Lee Dicken comfortably ahead of McKinna at the back.

In heat 8, David McAllan showed there was also an inside line on the opening bends when he cut back inside after a poor gate to pass not only Chris Mills but also his partner James Cockle. However, Christian Henry was already well clear and won the heat by a considerable margin.

Surprisingly James Grieves missed the gate in heat 9, allowing Shane to pull well clear and win with ease. Grieves did pass Ksiezak on the second bend but was unable to get anywhere near Parker. The heat advantage gave Glasgow a four point lead on the night with an 18 point lead overall. With only six heats left many Diamonds fans were already throwing in the towel but Franc and Henry restored a little hope with a 5-1 in heat 10. Franc was comfortably out in front whilst Henry and Nieminen did battle for second place, a battle Henry won. Dicken fell at the back at the end of the third lap.

Heat 11 saw Bird and McAllan restore some of the Tigers safety cushion with a heat advantage in a spread out heat from the gate, Stancl splitting the Tigers pairing.

However, the Tigers then seemed to press self destruct, loosing two successive 5-1's and allowing panic to set in. The impressive Henry claimed victory in heat 12, going from last to first with an outside surge at the start of the second lap, guest reserve Chris Mills following him home. Then surprisingly Bird and Parker were made to look ordinary by the Diamonds top two when Stancl and Franc recorded the Diamonds third 5-1 of the meeting.

it was down to Nieminen and Cockle to stop the rot and ironically the rider who did it for the Tigers ended up failing to score. James Cockle gated and rode out of his skin for three laps before clipping the fence allowing Grieves - and everyone else - through. Kauko Nieminen had done enough however to claim the important second place that ensured Tigers progression to the next round.

With heat 15 now merely a matter of completing the meeting, it was an uneventful heat won by Bird from the gate.

In the early stages it looked as though Glasgow were going to run away with the tie and in addition win the meeting on the night. In the end, Newcastle pushed them hard but the Tigers were deserved winners overall.

Webmaster Note:- Our sincere thanks to Newcastle fan Kyra for providing a report on this meeting for us after our expected reporter had to pull out at the last minute - and it was even unbiased! Thanks Kyra
As none of our team were at the meeting we are unable to give Rider Performance Points for this one

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