Tigers Bounce Back
(Posted 24/04/08)

The best way to handle a home defeat is to hit back right away and Tigers did that at Perry Barr last night as they shocked many by beating the Brummies on their own track.

There was never any realistic chance of qualifying after Glasgow went down at home on Sunday but pride was definitely at stake and the Tigers reclaimed that with a good team display.

Intentions were clear right from the start when Robert Ksiezak and Shane Parker made the gate on a slick and already dusty track and went on to silence the home fans with a 5-1.

Carpanese was making his debut for the Brummies and he has come in with a reputation for tapes offences.  Perhaps nerves got to him as he lived up to that reputation, breaking the tapes in heat 2 and going off 15m. Tigers claimed a heat advantage in this one courtesy of an electric gate from Josh Grajczonek with Lee Dicken getting the important third place.

The home side hit back in style however with an untroubled 5-1 from the gate courtesy of  an impressive looking pairing of Schramm and Lyons.

It looked as if the Tigers could hit back with another 5-1 when Ksiezak and Dicken gated in heat 4 but Adam Roynon highlighted again just how much he has developed over the last couple of seasons passing first Dicken then making an excellent cut back manoeuvre on the 4th bend of the opening lap to pass inside Ksiezak and go on to win the race comfortably.

Heat 5 was from the gate, Parker staying close to race winner Jason Lyons but unable to to make any real impression.

Lyons was out again in heat 6 and won from the tapes but it was his partner Lee Smart who was the star of the heat.  He had missed the gate but managed to get the better of Josh Grajczonek on the inside coming out of bend two, moving to the outside line on the back straight before swooping round the outside of Robert Ksiezak into second on bends 3 and 4.  From then on, the 5-1 was secure for the Brummies.

Trent Leverington made a decent start in heat 7 and refused to be intimidated in a tough opening bend, pulling ahead.  It took Roynon to the start of the second lap to get passed the Tigers guest Chris Mills and chase down Trent. Roynon was all over him for the remainder of the race but Trent held firm for the victory, blocking any of Roynon’s passing attempts with some excellent awareness and clever riding.

Leverington was back out as the rider replacement ride in heat 8 and Stewart Dickson elected to replace Lee Dicken with fellow reserve Josh Grajczonek.  It was a move that was to pay off as an electric gate by Grajczonek with Leverington only slightly behind saw the Tigers pairing gain a comfortable 5-1 to re-establish a 2 point lead.

However the home side hit back straight away in similar fashion, courtesy again of the impressive pairing of Schramm and Lyons who recorded a 5-1 from the gate..

The best heat of the night was possibly heat 10, which was very competitive with all four riders very much in with a shout of winning right up to the flag.  It was Mills who was to claim victory for the Tigers but there was a good battle particularly between Roynon and Leverington.  Roynon got the better of Trent this time but was unable to claim first place from Mills. Right at the death, Smart also got the better of Trent and the heat was shared.

Heat 11 saw Roynon finally claim his second heat win of the evening and he did it in some style with Parker and mills filling the minor placing's to claim a share of the spoils.

Josh Grajczonek continued to add to his growing reputation with an excellent start in heat 12, clamping Jason Lyons to the inside kerb with Trent taking full advantage to come round the outside and for a short while the Tigers were on a 5-1.  Josh lead the Birmingham captain for a lap but Lyons swept outside him at the end of that opening lap, cutting inside Leverington on the next bend and going on to claim the win.

Parker and Ksiezak gated in heat 13 but once again Roynon was not for giving up. He finally got his reward on lap 3 when he managed to pass Ksiezak but by then Shane had managed to open up an unassailable lead.  The heat advantage was enough to bring the scores level and it was once again down to the performance of the riders in heat 14 to keep Tigers in the meeting.

Mills and Grajczonek did not disappoint.  They both gated well and settled in for an easy 5-1 from the gate, helped in fairness by Schramm pulling up on the opening bends with bike problems.  It meant however that at the very least, Glasgow would come away from Perry Barr with a draw.

However, Tigers wanted to finish in style plus there was the little matter of Jason Lyons un beaten record round Perry Barr this season to take into account.  Parker and Leverington gave it their all out of the gate and hit the front.  Shane pulled clear whilst Trent worked hard to hold up the Birmingham pairing, covering every inch of the track.  Roynon eventually got through on the third lap with Lyons following shortly after but Trent’s hard work had ensured that his captain would claim the heat win and become the first rider to beat Lyons on his home track – and in both knock out cup meetings.

It was an excellent reaction to Sunday’s defeat, bouncing back with a solid team performance and restoring some pride with a victory.  Josh Grajczonek certainly caught the eye of the Birmingham fans with an excellent display and some electric gating whilst Shane Parker looked like his old self.  Trent rode solidly and very much as a team man, contributing more than just his own points tally to the meeting.  It is good to hear that Robert Ksiezak also looked comfortable and rode well although he tired a bit towards the end and Chris Mills was certainly an effective guest.

Many thanks to Ian and David for providing the bones of this report at the last minute after none of our regular travelers could do it and for not showing any Birmingham bias!  Thanks guys.

.

Glasgow Tigers speedway - posted on glasgow speedway dot com, an unofficial glasgow tigers speedway website.