Berwick break Potters.
Berwick Bandits took a much easier than expected victory over a Stoke Potters side who had been thought of as very much in-form in recent weeks. Stoke's Paul Pickering was in superbly blistering form until heats 13 and 15 when he inexplicably charged the starting tapes with vigour to be excluded from both. Up to then he had picked up four excellent wins, looking untouchable.
Jan Staechmann also had some good exciting rides for Stoke, particularly in heat 6 where he had a magnificent dual with home skipper, David Meldrum, who nearly pipped the Dane on the line for the win.
Berwick Bandits took a much easier than expected victory over a Stoke Potters side who had been thought of as very much in-form in recent weeks. Stoke's Paul Pickering was in superbly blistering form until heats 13 and 15 when he inexplicably charged the starting tapes with vigour to be excluded from both. Up to then he had picked up four excellent wins, looking untouchable.
Jan Staechmann also had some good exciting rides for Stoke, particularly in heat 6 where he had a magnificent dual with home skipper, David Meldrum, who nearly pipped the Dane on the line for the win.
Disappointingly for Stoke the high score anticipated from former Berwick rider Alan Mogridge failed to materialise as "Moggo" stunned the crowd with a very lack-lustre showing picking up only three points from six rides. Rob Grant, too had a subdued return to his former home circuit scoring only two.
Berwick, at first looked like taking a good win, but relinquishing the bonus point for the aggregate victory until heat 10 when to a man they upped the ante with Josef Franc battling to a fine victory. The aggregate totals were tied at heat 12, 81-81 after which Berwick only dropped one more point from the last three heats to take the bonus by 95-85.
Paul Bentley won the Paul Kirkwood memorial trophy, which was very fitting as the trophy was put up by Bentley in memory of one of his great friend, supporters and sponsors who sadly died last year. He retained the silverware he won last year in his own testimonial meeting.
Berwick can mathematically still attain 3rd in the League, but with only two remaining League meetings left for Berwick, one at Champions-elect, Edinburgh this Friday, plus a home meeting with the tough Newport side, the Bandits will have to be on top form to reach their bronze medal.
"We may be at the end of the season, but the lads will keep striving for as high a position as they can", said Bandit's boss, Peter Waite, " We knew the League had gone a few weeks ago, but we want 3rd to improve by two league places on last season, and the lads know what we want."
Berwick's promotion are hoping to stage the first full Sidecar Speedway meeting at Shielfield on October 25th, which they hope will form part of the official World Ranking series for Speedway Sidecars.