Anderson’s Quality Butchers Berwick Bandits 52

Sheffield Window Centre Tigers 41

(Premier League)

The Berwick Bandits extended their time at the top of the Premier League to three weeks with a cracking 11-point victory over the powerful Sheffield Tigers 52-41.

Many had looked upon Berwick’s opening two League encounters as perhaps the soft option, where as Sheffield would provide a real tester, and should they overcome the Tigers then that would prove Berwick to have a team worthy of great things.

Overcome them they most certainly did and now the side have to knuckle down and capitalise on one of the club’s best League starts in years.

Saturday was also notable for the fact that with seven League points under their belts, the 2008 Bandits had scored the equivalent of the entire League season’s points for their 2007 counterparts, and that achieved in only three matches.

The Bandit’s Czech pair of Makovsky and skipper Rymel went through the card unbeaten by a Tiger in five races each receiving good back up from Magosi (three paid wins) Aarnio (two wins) and Bager (one win).

Scott James from Conference League Redcar deputised for the injured Guglielmo Franchetti, who’s facility for rider replacement ran out 24 hours before the meeting and whilst James failed to score his racing saw him right on the pace and there or there abouts all night.

Adam McKinna had a nightmare of a meeting, blowing a bike to bits in Heat two enforcing his move to his second machine, whilst in the last third of the meeting all manner of Hades let rip as tensions mounted and fines from the referee emerged from race-control.

All in all it was a match the crowd adored with thrills, spills and controversy by the bucket load, all the right ingredients keep the screams, boos, jeers and cheers at a maximum for two straight hours.

HEAT ONE: was called back as an unsatisfactory start with much movements before the tapes went up, but in the second attempt Rymel led off the opening bend on the wide line with Magosi slipping into second place, but as Parsons yanked the power on to try an outside pass round the Hungarian he lost it coming off bend two to smash hard into the safety fence, remaining on the  track for several minutes but did take a ride back to the pits in the ambulance having got on board under his own steam. After a session with an ice pack he was declared fit to continue. In the three-man re-run it was Berwick all the way over a lack-lustre Ashworth (5-1 / 5-1).

HEAT TWO: saw both Bandits again shoot ahead to lead in a maximum position with Martin chasing well, but Mckinna’s bike gave up dramatically on the fourth bend of they opening lap to grind to an expensive halt and presenting a shared of the spoils to Sheffield (3-3 / 8-4).

HEAT THREE: Bager made a sleepy gate as guest James tried a cheeky inside pass up Compton before the Tiger took control. Bager almost made a thrilling pass on Cooper on the first bend of lap four before making the perfect pass over the Tiger’s number four coming off bend four, just grabbing the two points on the line (2-4 / 10-8)

HEAT FOUR: with McKinna swapping bikes, Aarnio took his ride3 and did well to ease round Wilson on bend three, to put up a fine chase on Smethills who was passed by Makovsky on the opening bend (4-2 / 14-10).

HEAT FIVE: Bager rode a great bends One and Two in this heat to lead well as Parsons, with his throbbing ankle, passing James on bend three of the second (3-3 / 17-13).

HEAT SIX: was an easy and dominant maximum for Magosi and Rymel from the gate to the flag (5-1 / 22-14).

HEAT SEVEN: gave Makovsky a clear way to start well in front but Aarnio was well and truly boxed by Compton and Cooper who concentrated on keeping the Finn at the back to great effect (3-3 / 25-17).

HEAT EIGHT: Magosi passed Smethills when coming off bend two on lap one as McKinna tailed off at the back on his second bike (3-3 / 28-20).

HEAT NINE: was Wilson’s only success of the night having scored zero in his opening two (and last one as it happened) when he jetted from the gate to lead well as Martin passed James on the second bend of lap three as Bager got very close to Wilson (2-4 / 30-24)

HEAT 10: was a straight forward race with Rymel seeing off Compton early on as Magosi took a safe third (4-2 / 34-26).

Heat 11: and tensions spilled out everywhere as Ashworth took the fast wide line off bend two to make sure of his early lead, but Makovsky took a clean and highly controlled swoop underneath the Tiger one lap later as Parsons passed Aarnio only for Tero the Hero to come back and grab third, almost getting to grips with Ashworth for second to no avail. As they riders were on their warm-down lap Ashworth reached out as if to remonstrate with Makovsky but caught the Czech a little heavily sending the Berwicker hard into the safety fence, but thankfully the Bandit was up and walking back to the pits swiftly. The referee called Ashworth and fined him for his reckless actions after the race was over (4-2 / 38-28).

HEAT 12: gave Compton the chance to shine as tactical rider for double points and he shot out to lead well on bend one with Smethills under pressure from Bager all the way until the Bandit took a swoop under the former Bandit sending him sprawling over the track with the result the race was stopped and Bager excluded for unfair riding handing a doubled max to the Tigers reducing the gap to 3 points (1-8 / 39-36).

HEAT 13: Ashworth fell on the opening bend resulting in an “all four back” verdict being called and in the re-run the Tiger took the lead only to be passed by both Czechs on bend two, but he regained two points when he re-passed Makovsky on lap two, only for the Bandit to power up dramatically and perform a magnificent pass round Ashworth on bend four of lap three to bring the house down (5-1 / 44-37).

HEAT 14: and Aarnio came out well to win in a tapes to flag attempt, but Cooper was challenging hard and nearly, just nearly came within a whisker’s of taking two points, but it was Aarnio’s night as he just held onto the win (3-3 / 47-40).

HEAT 15: saw both Bandits well ahead of Compton who put in four laps of excellent chasing, but with the Czechs in this mood there was just no overtaking them to provide a very fine home win (5-1 / 52-41)

Berwick Promoter Peter Waite said: “Now we really have hit the big time with this complete win over Sheffield.

“They are an excellent side who ride our place so very well, yet our lads went and conquered them with relative ease.

“It is hoped this great form can continue to keep the Bandits on top of the League.”

Andersons Quality Butchers Berwick Bandits 52

1. Adrian Rymel © 3,2*,3,3,3 = 14+1
2. Norbert Magosi 2*,3,3,1 = 9+1
3. Henning Bager 2,3,2,X = 7
4. Scott James (Guest) 0,0,0,0 = 0
5. Michal Makovsky 3,3,3,2*,2* = 13+2
6. Tero Aarnio ® 3,1,0,1,3 = 8
7. Adam McKinna ® R,N,0,1 = 1

Sheffield Window Centre Tigers 41

1. Ricky Ashworth 1,2,2,1 = 6
2. Joel Parsons Fx,1*,1*,0 = 2+2
3. Andre Compton © 3,1*,2,6^,1 = 13+1
4. Paul Cooper 1,2,0,2 = 5
5. Ben Wilson 0,0,3,0 = 3
6. Sam Martin ® 2,1,1,N = 4
7. Lee Smethills ® 1*,2,2,2*,1*,0 = 8+3