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ROCKETS' CUP RUNNETH OUT
Sunday June 15, 2014
The Silver Ski Rockets’ interest in this season’s Knock-Out Cup is over after last heat heartbreak left them adrift 53-37 at Glasgow on Sunday evening. The Tigers’ 16 point cushion took them through 93-87 on aggregate, and they will now meet Newcastle in the Quarter-Finals.
The Rockets were once again without Mathieu Tresarrieu, whose European Grasstrack commitment allowed only a National League replacement, and it proved a determining factor here.
The Frenchman bagged 4 points from two rides in May’s first attempt to run this fixture, which was abandoned in the rain with Rye ahead 25-23 at Heat 8.
His forced replacement here, Ben Hopwood, was unable to contribute a point, and that was also the case for second guest Danny Phillips, who was called up as cover for the injured Stefan Nielsen.
That effectively reduced the Rockets to a five man side, and the Tigers took full advantage with a powerful start that saw them quickly wipe out Rye’s 10 point first leg advantage to move 31-17 ahead – 4 points up on aggregate – by Heat 8.
Rye pulled the tie level again when Steve Boxall and Luke Bowen maxed out in Heat 10 after Kevin Wölbert had fallen chasing Boxall for the lead, but two Glasgow 4-2s pushed the score to 49-35 with one race to go. Accordingly, the Rockets needed a 5-1 from Boxall and Kennett to force a replay, but it was the Tigers who celebrated after Wölbert and Rusty Harrison had finished either side of Boxall for one final 4-2.
Rye House team manager John Sampford needed little prompting when questioned afterwards about the story of the tie. “The reason why we lost on aggregate is very clear – we had no facility for Mathieu Tresarrieu. National League guests are unfortunately no replacement at all.
“I couldn’t ask any more from Ben Morley last night than to score 5 from the No.2 position, but the prospects for a National League man coming here as an away rider in that same No.2 position are pretty low.
“The main positive we can take away from today is that all the regular Rockets were scoring points. Steve Boxall is now back to where he was before, and Edward (Kennett), Jason (Garrity), Luke (Bowen) and Jason (Bunyan) all tigered away for their returns.
“But we really missed that extra man….â€
Rye House scorers:
Steve Boxall 11+1 (5 rides), Jason Bunyan 10 (6), Edward Kennett 8 (5), Jason Garrity 5+1 (4), Luke Bowen 3+2 (4), Ben Hopwood (guest) 0, Danny Phillips (guest) 0 (3)
Glasgow scorers:
Kevin Wölbert 12 (5 rides), Rusty Harrison 11 (5), Theo Pijper 10 (4), Christian Henry 7+1 (4), Anders Thomsen 5+2 (4), Tom Perry (guest) 5 (4), Michael Palm Toft 3 (4)
Picture: IAN ADAM
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