Speedway: Birmingham Brummies 46, Newcastle Diamonds 44

May 8 2008 by Lawrence Heppell, The Journal

NEWCASTLE Diamonds rode a spectacular meeting at Birmingham last night to lose out by just two points.

With the lead changing hands regularly, Newcastle’s achievement was even more impressive as early in the match they were cut down to five men following a 360-degree spin and fall for Jamie Robertson who picked up concussion and was ruled out of the meeting.

George Stancl was again out of action and the rider replacement rule netted six points, but had Stancl been fit, his firepower could well have clinched victory.

There was a scare at the start of heat three when Lyons, a former Newcastle skipper, and current captain Christian Henry collided coming out onto the track, but fortunately both were unhurt.

Birmingham led from heat two and pressed their advantage in heat six with Bager and Smart taking a solid maximum over Sean Stoddart and guest Daniel Giffard to extend the home lead to 21-15 before Newcastle fought back.

In heat seven, Henry and Jason King shot out from the gate to lead comfortably over Roberts and Roynon to clamber back to only two down. In a thrilling heat eight Franc led from the off and Stoddart tucked in behind, with the latter just clinging on to second as Smart nearly passed him on the finish line in a second maximum to put the Diamonds into the lead 23-25.

After the all-conquering Lyons and Roberts regained the lead for the Brummies in heat nine, Henry’s superb win coupled with King’s well-held third in heat ten levelled the knife-edge match at 30-all with five races to go.

Newcastle sneaked the lead again in heat 11 before Roynon and Bager took a shock 5-1 in heat 13 over Franc to take the lead 40-38, setting up a great finish.

Newcastle’s King and Stoddart annihilated Roberts and Smart in heat 14 to leave the score at 41-43 with one to go, but Henry’s nerves got the better of him in the final heat as he broke the tapes, ending up on a 15m handicap.

It proved a gap too great to overcome in the re-run and with Franc also unable to dent the Lyons/Roynon partnership, the Diamonds lost the match by two points. Team manager George English said: “This was a fine effort from the lads and it was so disappointing when things went so wrong in the final heat. Still there’s a lot of pride to be taken from their work tonight.”

BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES: Henning Bager 7+1, Lee Smart 5+1, Jason Lyons 15, Phil Morris (Rider Replacement), Adam Roynon 10+1, Jack Roberts 6+2, Mattias Carpenese 3.

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS: Josef Franc 12, George Stancl (Rider Replacement), Christian Henry 10, Jason King 8+3, Daniel Giffard (guest) 5, Jamie Robertson 0, Sean Stoddart 9+4.