(SPEEDWAY 1)
WOLVERHAMPTON put one foot into the Premiership KO Cup Final with an emphatic 59-31 win over Somerset at Monmore on Wednesday.
The hosts recorded five 5-1s in the first six races to storm into a 28-8 lead, and leave the Rebels playing damage limitation on the night.
Richard Lawson (11) and Lewis Kerr – with a notable effort over home No.1 Fredrik Lindgren – managed race wins for the visitors, who lost Charles Wright with a shoulder injury following a heavy crash with Mark Riss.
Lindgren (15+2), Sam Masters (13+1), Rory Schlein (13) and Kyle Howarth (11+3) all scored heavily for the hosts as they built their advantage for Friday’s second leg when they will have several riders unavailable.
Lindgren said: “It was very, very important for us to build up a big lead before Friday.
“The Somerset promotion refused to change the date even though we have five riders missing, and obviously they see a chance to try and snatch a place in the Final.
“It was really good to build up a big lead at home which gives the team a good chance to progress even with so many of us missing in the second leg.”
Rebels boss Garry May said: “We were obviously hoping for a better result than this, but Wolves are a formidable team around their own track and totally dominated us from the off.
“Although we still have the second leg at the Oaktree Arena to come on Friday night, it is advantage Wolves as to who will be going on to the Final, but we will give it our best shot and will not concede anything until the last points have been won or lost.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
SHEFFIELD will be back to full strength for the first leg of their SGB Championship play-off semi-final against Glasgow at Owlerton tonight (Thursday).
Todd Kurtz returns after missing his side’s last six fixtures, with Josh Bates also taking his place for the league leaders after a successful comeback in meetings at Berwick and Leicester over the weekend.
Meanwhile Glasgow have sprung a team selection surprise by naming rider-replacement for the injured Nike Lunna in the No.5 position.
The Scottish Tigers have made the tactical decision to pair heat-leaders Aaron Summers and Richie Worrall in the middle order, with Dan Bewley back from injury and James Sarjeant and Alfie Bowtell taking guest bookings at reserve.
Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “We’ll take each meeting in the play-offs one at a time like we have done all year and we will see what happens.
“The team and team manager picked Glasgow as they thought that was best, so now it’s over to them to do what they have done all year and perform and hopefully we will progress to the Final.”
Glasgow boss Stewart Dickson said: “All we can do is treat it as two completely new meetings. What has gone before this season counts for nothing now.
“Earlier in the season we beat them easy at Ashfield and lost by just two in Sheffield. We now need to find that form again.
“The main thing is that we made the play-offs. Now it’s about getting the best team out as possible after all the injuries.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
IPSWICH host Edinburgh tonight (Thursday) in the SGB Championship semi-finals – as the sides meet in the play-offs for the second year running.
Almost a year ago to the day, the Witches ran up a 58-32 home win over the Monarchs in the quarter-finals to set up progression to the last four.
But in 2017, the only setback to their perfect home record came when Edinburgh recorded a dramatic 47-46 win at Foxhall on their last visit in July.
Ipswich star Rory Schlein said: “It doesn’t play on your mind really, I think we have beaten better sides at home this season. We were not good enough at the end of the day that night.
“They have got good riders, there is no doubt about that, but we know if we perform to our capabilities we should get a home win.
“It is 30 heats and I think it is good going first at home because if we can build up a big lead then the pressure is on Edinburgh going into Friday.”
The Witches bring in Mason Campton to guest for the injured Justin Sedgmen, with rider-replacement in operation for Cameron Heeps, whilst the Monarchs name a full-strength line-up.
Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “I think the end product of the season is where we wanted to be, no doubt about that. With no disrespect to any of the opposition my choice would have been Ipswich.
“We know it will be tough but we won down there earlier in the season and I think we can do well against them at home.
“They had an early TR the last time they visited Armadale and that lifted them, and that facility won’t be available this time so I’m hopeful we can progress.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
THE Isle of Wight round off their home National League campaign tonight (Thursday) when Cradley visit the Smallbrook Stadium.
The Warriors go into the meeting bottom of the table but a win would lift them above both Buxton and Stoke in the fight to avoid the wooden spoon.
Co-promoter Barry Bishop said: “I can hardly believe this week’s meeting against the Heathens will bring down the curtain on 2017 as it only seems like a few days ago that we had our opener.
“It’s fair to say that on track our results have not met our pre-season expectations and we now find ourselves propping up the table; however, off-track the club has gone from strength to strength and I believe will continue to do so.
“We certainly have a cracker of a meeting for everyone to enjoy as we close the year and it would be fantastic to end on a win, get off the bottom and send our loyal fans home with a good feeling.”
The hosts name a full-strength team but Cradley again have problems with injuries and rider unavailability.
Luke Harris and Joe Lawlor are the Heathens’ only two regulars, with Josh Bailey and Rob Shuttleworth guesting in the heat-leader positions.
Meanwhile Danny Ayres has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season on medical grounds.
Heathens chairman Nigel Pearson said: “The news came as a bitter blow and it means our nightmare run of luck continues. But that’s irrelevant in a situation like this and I hope our fans will agree.
“I’m sure everyone will join myself and the rest of the management in sending Danny our very best wishes and we really do hope he gets over his illness sooner rather than later.
“We go to the Island with just two of our regular riders and we fully understand the frustration of our supporters. We also acknowledge that this is not in the best interests of the sport and it is a dreadful position for our club to be in again in what has been a testing couple of weeks.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Glasgow 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Cradley 7pm
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.30, Somerset v Wolverhampton 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Scunthorpe v Peterborough 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Mildenhall 7.15
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 23:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington v Glasgow 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Eastbourne 7.30, Stoke v Mildenhall 5pm, Stoke v Kent (follows previous fixture)
Results Wednesday September 20, 2017
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st leg
Wolverhampton 59 (Freddie Lindgren 15+2)
Somerset 31 (Richard Lawson 11)
