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LAKESIDE chief Jon Cook has vowed to do everything possible to get the club’s Elite League play-off bid back on track.The Vortex Hammers went down to a shock 48-42 home defeat at the hands of a patched-up Poole side who only had two of their starting seven riders available.The home side were undone by a Paul Starke masterclass with 16+1 and 2012 World Champion Chris Holder continued his fine run with 15. Andreas Jonsson notched 11 for the Hammers who were without Edward Kennett.Cook said: “I will be talking to the riders and key members of staff at the club on a private basis in the days ahead.“We have to move forward and do whatever it takes to get the club back on the road to the play-offs.“Apart from that, as for the result and performance against Poole, I addressed the issue with supporters on the night and there is nothing more to add where that is concerned.”Meanwhile Belle Vue were convincing 45-21 winners over King’s Lynn in a meeting hampered by a starting-gate failure and curtailed after Heat 11 due to heavy rain.Matej Zagar led a powerful Aces’ display with 12 points whilst none of the Stars riders managed to go beyond the five-point mark.Belle Vue star Steve Worrall said: “It was a great result for us tonight in difficult conditions. Sometimes when it pours like that things can change so rapidly you lose the home advantage.“But all of the boys coped really well. I think Matej would prefer to have the elastic every week instead of the tapes! He was making some lightening starts and ended up with a full maximum.”
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EDINBURGH maintained their unbeaten home Premier League record with a 50-40 win over Berwick at Armadale.In a match which was tightly contested throughout, Mark Riss recorded his first win for the Monarchs and Sam Masters dropped just one point. Former Edinburgh man Matthew Wethers collected 10+3 for the Bandits.Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “The team worked so hard tonight, changing setups and helping each other, because the track was unusual and didn’t give us much advantage. It was a good atmosphere.”Berwick manager Scott Courtney said: “Looking at our scores here over the last 20 years, 50-40 isn't a bad result for us, but as we took the win in the League Cup, to go away tonight with nothing is disappointing.“All the guys rode well and we can't fault that, but team for team tonight it didn't go our way. But again the manner in which we raced the meeting simply strengthened out team spirit.”
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LEICESTER are bidding for back to back home wins when they entertain Elite League leaders Wolverhampton on Saturday.The Lions edged out their other Midlands rivals Coventry earlier this week and are now looking to repeat the feat against a Wolves team without their two Swedish stars.Scott Nicholls guests for the injured Joonas Kylmakorpi, whilst rider-replacement operates for Fredrik Lindgren who is racing in the World Championship semi-final in Lonigo.Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “I am expecting another close scoring match with the outcome not decided until the very end and just hope that our win last Monday against Coventry is the turning point in our fortunes at home.”Wolves star Sam Masters said: “Leicester will be disappointed with their season overall and ideally we want to go there and win again like we did earlier in the year,” said Masters.“We’ll need to be at our best though because they've shown a couple of times that they can shock a few teams if they all click on the same night.”In the Premier League Berwick host Plymouth with second position in the table the incentive for a home victory.The Bandits bring in Simon Nielsen to guest to the unavailable Dany Gappmaier, and continue to operate rider-replacement for Sebastian Alden, whilst the Devils have Steve Worrall guesting for Brady Kurtz who, like Gappmaier, is racing in Lonigo.In the Travel Plus National League the current top two clubs go head to head with Eastbourne facing Birmingham at Arlington.The Eagles can move to within a point of the Brummies with a win and have called in their former rider Ben Hopwood to guest for Ellis Perks who is away on Premier League duty, whilst Tom Brennan makes his debut on his 15th birthday.Birmingham are without Zach Wajtknecht, who is representing Great Britain in the European Grasstrack Championships, and Danny Halsey comes in to guest.Eagles manager Connor Dugard said: “If they took a point, I wouldn’t be too disappointed because the main objective is for us to win. We managed a point at their place and we could have got more but that’s the way it goes.“It is going to be very tough. They have very much built their team like we did last year with strength in depth. As long as we are all firing I cannot see any problems.”Brummies boss Graham Drury said: “Even though both teams are desperate to win this one for different reasons, there’s still a long way to go whatever the result.“If Eastbourne were to become the first team to beat us, yes they’d end our run and they’d close to within one point of us at the top but we’ve got meetings in hand.“If we went there and won, it could potentially move us eight points clear and give us a bit of breathing space but we’d still have to go out and perform consistently over the next couple of months.”(SPEEDWAY 4)
SWINDON’S Grand Prix superstar Jason Doyle says his side need six points from two massive home meetings in four days next week.The Robins tackle Coventry at the Abbey on Monday in front of the Sky cameras – and club bosses are hoping to see the place packed with admission slashed to £10. Any tickets purchased online will also include a free programme.Skipper Doyle, who is sure to be given a rousing reception after his sensational win in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, says wins over the Bees, then Wolverhampton on Thursday, are essential for their play-off hopes.He said: “We all need to step it up a bit, especially at home, and try to get ourselves on another winning run because we’ve already done it once.“We need to get two more wins this week, and although it’s not going to be easy it’s definitely achievable.”
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GREAT Britain will have two representatives in this year’s FIM 250cc Youth World Cup which starts in Grudziadz, Poland next week.Leon Flint and Kean Dicken will be travelling out to the venue to start the pre-World Cup Training Camp on Wednesday.GB Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “The FIM do a great programme prior to this event with a three-day training camp which includes all the riders participating in swimming, mental and sport training, bike safety checks and how to present a sponsorship presentation over the course of the three days.“Then there are two semi-finals run over the weekend, one on Saturday July 9 and one on Sunday 10, and for the first time the World Final is being held five days later in Gustrow, Germany on Friday July 15.”The Young Lions Management wish both Leon and Kean all the best in their quest to qualify for the World Final.
(FIXTURES)SATURDAY JULY 2:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Plymouth 7pm, Workington v Glasgow OFFTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Birmingham 7.30, Stoke v King’s Lynn OFF
SUNDAY JULY 3:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Sheffield 3pm, Newcastle v Plymouth 6.30, Scunthorpe v Ipswich 6.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Peterborough v Somerset 5pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Stoke 3pm, Rye House v Cradley 6pm
MONDAY JULY 4:ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Leicester 7.30, Swindon v Coventry 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Buxton 6.30
