Easy Win for Tigers
(Posted 10/09/07)

Classic it certainly wasn’t but you can’t choose the opposition and the Tigers septet did all that was asked of them as they ended up comfortable winners against Berwick.

Trying to look at the positives, it did mean that the Glasgow management were able to give Gary Beaton at number 8 some Premier League experience with the rider replacement rides for Robert Ksiezak.

On to the meeting itself it was clear form the start that the one sided meeting anticipated from the moment Berwick’s team had been announced was going to happen with Tigers opening up with two 5-1’s from the gate in the opening two heats. Probably the only talking point in those two heats was the showing of Matej Kus who looked competent in third place of the opening heat before falling at the end of the second lap.

The third heat stopped the maximums with a 3-3, again from the gate with Gary Beaton, in as rider replacement, making a poor gate but not being far off Kalle Katajisto in third place. It was encouraging at the end of the race however to see the youngster getting the advice of Shane Parker in the pits.

Berwick surprised with another shared in heat four courtesy of a heat win by Burza. Unusually Trent Leverington had missed the gate but worked his way up into second by the end of the opening lap. Although he continued to make up ground on Burza, the Bandit was never in any danger.

Gary Beaton had his second outing in heat 5 and rode well for his third place, holding off a late challenge from Kalle Katajisto. Shane Parker won easily.

Burza showed his gating abilities again in heat 6 but Craig Watson was very determined and quickly swept round his outside on the opening bends into the lead and then well clear. David McAllan challenged Burza for the entire race but was unable to find a way through.

Bandits then elected to bring Kus out as a TR but his involvement in the heat was to be shortlived. Kus slid off himself on the opening bend, Michael Coles trying valiantly to lay his bike down but unfortunately made contact which sent the Glasgow man crashing heavily onto the track. After a delay Coles was able to continue but Kus was unfortunately ruled out of the meeting with concussion. The referee decided rather strangely to call it as all four back and he was replaced in the re-run by young Sam Martin. Martin tried very hard to make the black and white helmet count for something but Coles rode a very good race to block his attempts to pass. Coming off the final bend, Martin went for the drive round the outside and momentarily it looked as if he would succeed but Coles managed to get extra drive on the run in to the line and hold on. Trent meantime had won the race after a tough opening bend with Rempala.

Another easy 5-1 from the gate for the Tigers followed before Gary Beaton came out alongside Shane Parker for his third – and probably best – race of the meeting. The race was not without a little controversy that would have been more talked about had the meeting been closer. Burza ended up off 15m after hitting the tapes and looping on the first running but the actual handicap was more like 5m, such was the flier he got in the re-run. Parker had gated and pulled well clear, Beaton had also gated and although Burza had caught up with him by the second bend the youngster rode an excellent race to block him until the final bend with rather cruelly Burza found the extra drive to pass and steal second.

Watson won a well spread out heat 10 from the gate. Burza looked poor in this one and when he wobbled at the end of the second lap, David McAllan misjudged and laid his bike down thinking he was going to come off. He did remount and give chase but to no avail.

With Matej Kus out of the meeting, busy reserve Sam Martin took his place in heat 11 and competed with his team mate for third place whilst Leverington and Coles recorded another easy 5-1.

After failing to beat the 2 minute time allowance, Jacek Rempala went off 15m on Stan Burza’s bike in heat 12 but was ably held off by Lee Dicken – who even dodged his opponents chain guard at the end of the opening lap – for the entire race. Not surprisingly, Shane Parker again won the heat.

Another Tigers 5-1 was to follow although they had to work for it in the early stages after Burza again showed his gating skills. Watson rode a superb line coming into bend two to move Burza out and leave room for Trent and himself to come through. Wato then settled in behind Trent for the remainder of the race, keeping an eye on Burza’s challenge at the same time.

Rempala won heat 14 for the Bandits from the gate but the action was for the minor placings with a good race between Sam Martin and Gary Beaton for third. Martin went round the outside of Beaton coming off bend four lap two but Gary immediately hit back and had reclaimed third by the start of the third lap. Martin looked quicker than the Glasgow no 8 but Gary rode a clever race to block every attempt Sam made to pass.

Watson and Parker were both on potential maximums, Wato’s a potential paid maximum, going into heat 15. The first running unfortunately was marred by another injury, this time to Stan Burza. He came to grief on the opening bend after his chain went, his bike also collecting Craig Watson in the process and was unable to take his place in the re-run which yet again the referee had unbelievably called as all four back. With all other eligible Berwick riders already packing up, the re-run however went ahead with only three riders anyhow and was won from the gate by Shane Parker. Wato looked to have been affected by his tumble in the first running, missed the gate and had to settle for third.

It wasn’t lack of effort from the Bandits riders, it was just that most of the riders were being asked to punch above their weight and that is never going to be conducive to competitive speedway. Kus in his two rides showed potential and Sam Martin worked hard but it was never going to happen.

David McAllan was struggling with his foot and Trent probably had one of his poorer meetings performance wise by his high standards and yet only dropped one point! Tigers went about their business professionally but it was hardly a surprise that the crowd looked a lot poorer than of late given the team put out in opposition.