NEWCASTLE Diamonds once again got off to a slow start yesterday afternoon at the Glasgow Tigers, and with skipper Derek Sneddon unable to pass Theo Pijper from the back in heat one, the Diamonds were two down from the off.
Another 4-2 came to the Tigers in heat two, but at the entrance to the first bend on lap three, Ritchie Worrall locked up and fell, also catching Nick Morris who also went down with the Diamond excluded, but both he and Morris were signed out of the meeting with injuries to nurse.
Come the end of heat four, and despite a spirited challenge from Kyle Newman, Newcastle found themselves 17-7 down with team manager George English taking an early tactical ride option with Mark Lemon taking the mantle for double points in the fifth.
Both he and Sneddon made a terrific gate and shot out to lead with the Aussie passing his partner to maximise the scoring on the last lap in a Newcastle 1-8, hauling them back to within three points of Glasgow, 18-15.
Stuart Robson blasted round the outside of Josh Grajczonek in heat seven, and with new boy Claes Nedermark keeping Michal Rajkowski at the rear, Newcastle were now only one behind, 23-22, and one up after another heat eight 2-4, won well by Sneddon as Pijper moved his partner wide on the last lap allowing Newman through for a vital point.
Former Newcastle skipper Christian Henry took the ninth race with ease as new Diamond, Slovenian Matej Ferjan eased his way past another former Diamonds’ captain, James Grieves, in a home 4-2 to put the Tigers back in front by 29-28.
That one point deficit remained until Glasgow took an all-important 5-1 in heat 12 with Henry and Rajkowski avoiding some first bend drama from Newman to put the Tigers 40-35 ahead, which turned into 45-36 at the end of a heat 13 that saw Grajczonek squeeze past Lemon to join Joe Screen up front. Robson won the 14th race, but with Newman and Rajkowski shedding chains and having to push home, it was the Tigers who won the foot-race for one point in the 3-3 which took the home side beyond the Diamonds’ reach, despite Lemon and Robson taking a 2-4.
English said: “Mark and Stuart were, as ever, our mainstays. While both out new guys put in good racing, they were both making their seasonal debuts and were still shaking off the cobwebs to a degree, and we know we are going to get good performances from Claes and Matej soon.
“Losing Richie too early on meant we were a tad down on manpower and at the end that showed.”
Tonight at 7.30pm the two sides clash again at Brough Park. Doors open at 6pm. All children accompanied by a adult will be admitted free of charge.
GLASGOW TIGERS: 1. Joe Screen (Captain) 14, Theo Pijper 3, Christian Henry 9, James Grieves 6+1, Josh Grajczonek 10+1, Nick Morris 1, Michal Rajkowski 7+2
NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS: Mark Lemon 14, Derek Sneddon (Captain) 6+2, Claes Nedermark 3+1, Stuart Robson 10, Matej Ferjan 6, Kyle Newman 4+1, Richie Worrall 0
