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DIAMONDS TOO SHARP FOR ROCKETS
Saturday June 22, 2013
The Silver ski Rockets may still be looking for their first win in their Premier League programme but they gave visiting powerhouses Newcastle an absolute fright before being edged out 46-44 in the very closing stages.
It was a match that had everything: numerous passes, blanket finishes and a close score throughout, with the odd crash thrown in for good measure. Ultimately, it was the Diamonds’ generally quicker trapping that saw them through, although a series of jittery infractions at the tapes also led to a large number of re-starts.
With never more than four points separating the sides, it was the Diamonds who made the initial headlines with a 5-1 from Christian Henry and former Rocket Stuart Robson in the opener. That race set the racing tone for the remainder, with Robson winning a tremendous duel with Rye guest Josh Auty for third place before then chasing down Jason Bunyan and passing him on the final lap.
Newcastle briefly looked as though they could double their lead in the next race, only for leader Lewis Kerr to lock up and fall on the second lap. His sudden stoppage left Simon Lambert with nowhere to go but the safety fence, but the Rye House reserve picked himself up to partner Kasper Lykke to a 5-1 in the re-run, albeit after a few hairy moments.
Tyson Nelson appears to have put his recent mechanical issues behind him – a change of jet brought a strong guest performance at Lakeside the night before that was highlighted by a near victory over Grand Prix star Freddie Lindgren – and he was very much on form here, contributing four full or paid race wins. One of those, in Heat 3, put the Rockets ahead 13-11, while a second - achieved from the back to join Anders Mellgren on a 5-1 in Heat 9 – put them back on top at 28-26 after a Newcastle maximum in the previous race.
Auty was lured into a tapes infringement in Heat 11, and his resulting 15 metre handicap proved insurmountable – but only just – as the Diamonds nabbed a 4-2 to tie the score at 33-33. Worse was to follow in Heat 13, as Nelson went down outside Richie Worrall in a fiercely contested first bend and Worrall and Stuart Robson maxed out in the re-run after an “all four back†decision. That made the score 41-37 in the Tynesiders’ favour.
The Australian recovered to win Heat 14, which was shared 3-3, to leave the Rockets needing a 5-1 to snatch a draw in the final race. Nelson won again, but despite his best team riding efforts, Worrall snuck past Mellgren on the second lap and then held that spot by the narrowest of margins at the flag to ensure an overall Diamonds victory…. and also consign the Rockets to a fourth straight defeat, and a fifth consecutive in the League.
On just half a bike length can such matters ultimately hinge.
With Josh Auty’s battling guest efforts being rewarded with just 8 points and Rider-Replacement netting a mere 4+1, Rye are counting down the days when Olly Allen (broken forearm) and Jason Garrity (broken leg) are back in action. That day cannot come quickly enough.
As promoter Len Silver explained in his programme notes, however, “Olly is likely to be out for another six or seven weeks, and Jason will not be back for at least a fortnight…. By now (his broken leg) should have been virtually healed, but the x-ray pictures that I saw showed that it was only 50% knitted.â€
Rye House scorers:
Josh Auty (guest) 8 (5 rides)
Jason Bunyan 4 (5)
Anders Mellgren 11+1 (6)
Tyson Nelson 11+1 (6)
Robert Mear R/R
Kasper Lykke 8 (5)
Simon Lambert 2+1 (3)
Newcastle scorers:
Stuart Robson 10+2 (5)
Christian Henry 8 (4)
Andrew Tully 6 (4)
Ludvig Lindgren 5+2 (4)
Richie Worrall 10 (5)
Steve Worrall 1 (3)
Lewis Kerr 6+3 (6)
Match Points: Rye House 0 Newcastle 3
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