Post by Lawt on Mar 29, 2003 10:09:22 GMT
28th March 2003… Peterborough 53 Wolves 37… Elite League (A)
Peterborough Panthers
Ryan Sullivan 3 3 2* 3 2* 13 + 2
Shane Parker 1 1 3 3 8
Gary Havelock 2* 1* 1* 2 3 9 + 3
Hans N Andersen 3 2 2 1 8
Piotr Protasiewicz R 2 3 0 5
Kenneth Bjerre 2 0 0 2
Chris Harris R 2 2* 1* 3 8 + 2
Wolves
Mikael Max 2 0 1* 2 1 6 + 1
David Howe 0 3 1 2 Fx 6
Sam Ermolenko Fx 3 0 0 3
Adam Skornicki 1 1 1 2 5
Peter Karlsson 3 2 3 3 1* 0 12 + 1
Oliver Allen 3 R 0 3
Chris Neath 1 1 0 2
If I was still a teacher my report comment for Wolves tonight would be ‘Could do better’. Wolves held the match close until the middle of the meeting but then let things slip and allowed Peterborough into a 16 point lead. Hopefully the situation will be reversed in the second leg next Monday at the Green but Peterborough looked very ‘together’ and workmanlike at home.
Heat 1 - Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Shane Parker ; David Howe ; 61.4 (4-2)(4-2)
Sullivan was in a different league here and left MM in his wake on his way to an excellent paid maximum. Parker rode well to challenge MM after passing David.
Heat 2 - Oliver Allen ; Kenneth Bjerre ; Chris Neath ; Chris Harris(R) ; 62.5 (2-4)(6-6)
Great win for Ollie from the tapes with Bjerre chasing hard for the whole race. Harris had machinery problems allowing Chris an easy point.
Heat 3 - Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Adam Skornicki ; Sam Ermolenko(Fx) ; 62.5 (5-1) (11-7)
Sam was the first to suffer from the bump in the third/fourth turn and came down, bringing Andersen with him. Havelock did well to lay it down to avoid the mess. Adam had gated superbly and was leading! In the re-run Adam rode well but lacked power.
Heat 4 - Peter Karlsson ; Chris Harris ; Chris Neath ; Piotr Protasiewicz(R) ; 62.7 (2-4)(13-11)
Super ride from PK from the start but hotly challenged by Harris. Chris Neath rode well to hold Protasiewicz back in last place until his machine packed in on the 3rd lap.
Heat 5 - David Howe ; Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Mikael Max ; 62.2 (3-3)(16-14)
David Howe displayed his track knowledge and won easily. No support from MM who seemed well down on power again.
Heat 6 - Ryan Sullivan ; Peter Karlsson ; Shane Parker ; Oliver Allen(R) ; 62.2 (4-2)(20-16)
Great battle between Sullivan and PK with high speed passing and repassing and Sullivan emerging triumphant. Ollie pulled up in last place.
Heat 7 - Sam Ermolenko ; Piotr Protasiewicz ; Adam Skornicki ; Kenneth Bjerre ; 63.2 (2-4)(22-20)
Sam came back from his previous fall with a great win in this heat. Adam so nearly joined him for a 5-1 but reared in the last lap on (you guessed it) the third turn and Protasiewicz sneaked through for second place.
Heat 8 - Shane Parker ; Chris Harris ; David Howe ; Chris Neath ; 62.7 (5-1)(27-21)
From the tapes win for Parker.
Heat 9 - Peter Karlsson ; Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Sam Ermolenko ; 63.2 (3-3)(30-24)
Peter wins fairly easily. Sam (tac sub) battles with Havelock for the single point and loses it.
Heat 10 - Shane Parker ; Ryan Sullivan ; Adam Skornicki ; Sam Ermolenko ; 62.7 (5-1)(35-25)
Adam leads for three laps but the lack of power eventually tells and both Sullivan and Parker get past on the last lap. Adam tried very hard to cover the lines for the whole race but with two quicker riders behind it was always going to be impossible. Nevertheless, a superb ride for Adam. Sam trailed in a long way behind.
Heat 11 - Piotr Protasiewicz ; David Howe ; Mikael Max ; Kenneth Bjerre ; 63.4 (3-3)(38-28)
Protasiewicz led from the start but David made it hard for him and chased right to the finish. Mikael seemed unable to get involved.
Heat 12 - Peter Karlsson ; Gary Havelock ; Chris Harris ; Oliver Allen ; 63.4 (3-3)(41-31)
PK replaces Sam and wins with an excellent pass on Havelock. Ollie rode well and was unlucky not to be able to hold off the very quick Harris. At the time I thought we should have replaced Ollie in this heat with David Howe – I could have been right.
Heat 13 - Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Peter Karlsson ; Piotr Protasiewicz ; 62.8 (3-3)(44-34)
From the tapes win for Sullivan – well ahead of MM and Peter.
Heat 14 - Chris Harris ; Adam Skornicki ; Hans N Andersen ; David Howe(Fx) ; Aw (4-2)(48-36)
Harris deserved his extra ride here and repaid the manager’s move with an excellent win. David (tac sub) hit the dreaded bump and fell heavily allowing Andersen the third place. Good ride from Adam again.
Heat 15 - Gary Havelock ; Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Peter Karlsson ; 63.4 (5-1)(53-37)
Havelock and Sullivan cruised to a 5-1 after Mikael lifted on the bump and forced Peter to take emergency evasive action. Had these been less experienced riders there would have been a serious pile up.
Wolves Comments
It was a match we didn’t expect to win but the final 16 point difference is disappointing and will make the home leg a bit more of a nail-biter. Wolves suffered consistently from the dip/hole/ pit/dent on the third/fourth bend and are very lucky to emerge from the meeting with no serious injuries.
Mikael: Way off the pace all night – very disappointing.
David: Showed that he still knows the way round the East of England Showground track.
Sam: Fell heavily in heat 3 and this could have affected his performance although he did win next time out. Brought in as a tac sub in heat 9 and then taken out and replaced by a tac sub in heat 12 – how often does that happen?
Adam: Excellent! He just needed a little more power to have blown them away. He showed a great understanding of the quickest lines around the track. He deserved double the points he actually scored.
Peter: A great night’s work. He was only really beaten by the superb Sullivan ( and the bump in the last heat). Captain’s performance/
Chris: Only met Bjerre once and beat him - tried hard. Perhaps not the track for him.
Oliver: Looked impressive but the opposition was just too much. Good win in the reserves race.
Other Team Comments
Peterborough rode with determination and seemed accustomed to the track and able to commit fully. They will be hard to beat at home on this sort of form. Sullivan was exceptional but I also saw a very different, and more confident version of both Havelock and Parker.
A very solid team performance.
Five Star Ratings/Comments
Weather: *** Chuffing cold on the back straight! Mist descended at the end of the meeting.
Track Conditions: ** Well prepared in all areas apart from the mine shaft on the 3rd/4th bend.
Attendance: *** Didn’t seem to be that many there – certainly not on the back straight.
Entertainment Value: **** Some good moments despite getting stuffed.
Wolves Performance: ** Poor. This track always brings out the worst in Wolves and yet we have three ex-Panthers riders in the team now.
Man of the Match: For Wolves – Adam Skornicki. For Peterborough – Ryan Sullivan.
Referee: *** All decisions were easy to make. Should have done something about the track surface as a matter of rider safety.
Hopefully we will reverse the scoreline and gain the bonus point at Monmore Green on Monday. Historically they ride our track just about as badly as we do theirs. Here’s to history…!!
Mark Lawton
Postscript
Forget what I said about Wolves luckily emerging from the meeting without serious injury. It has been reported that David Howe has a suspected broken wrist after he hit the third bend bump and fell in heat 14 last night.
Peterborough Panthers
Ryan Sullivan 3 3 2* 3 2* 13 + 2
Shane Parker 1 1 3 3 8
Gary Havelock 2* 1* 1* 2 3 9 + 3
Hans N Andersen 3 2 2 1 8
Piotr Protasiewicz R 2 3 0 5
Kenneth Bjerre 2 0 0 2
Chris Harris R 2 2* 1* 3 8 + 2
Wolves
Mikael Max 2 0 1* 2 1 6 + 1
David Howe 0 3 1 2 Fx 6
Sam Ermolenko Fx 3 0 0 3
Adam Skornicki 1 1 1 2 5
Peter Karlsson 3 2 3 3 1* 0 12 + 1
Oliver Allen 3 R 0 3
Chris Neath 1 1 0 2
If I was still a teacher my report comment for Wolves tonight would be ‘Could do better’. Wolves held the match close until the middle of the meeting but then let things slip and allowed Peterborough into a 16 point lead. Hopefully the situation will be reversed in the second leg next Monday at the Green but Peterborough looked very ‘together’ and workmanlike at home.
Heat 1 - Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Shane Parker ; David Howe ; 61.4 (4-2)(4-2)
Sullivan was in a different league here and left MM in his wake on his way to an excellent paid maximum. Parker rode well to challenge MM after passing David.
Heat 2 - Oliver Allen ; Kenneth Bjerre ; Chris Neath ; Chris Harris(R) ; 62.5 (2-4)(6-6)
Great win for Ollie from the tapes with Bjerre chasing hard for the whole race. Harris had machinery problems allowing Chris an easy point.
Heat 3 - Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Adam Skornicki ; Sam Ermolenko(Fx) ; 62.5 (5-1) (11-7)
Sam was the first to suffer from the bump in the third/fourth turn and came down, bringing Andersen with him. Havelock did well to lay it down to avoid the mess. Adam had gated superbly and was leading! In the re-run Adam rode well but lacked power.
Heat 4 - Peter Karlsson ; Chris Harris ; Chris Neath ; Piotr Protasiewicz(R) ; 62.7 (2-4)(13-11)
Super ride from PK from the start but hotly challenged by Harris. Chris Neath rode well to hold Protasiewicz back in last place until his machine packed in on the 3rd lap.
Heat 5 - David Howe ; Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Mikael Max ; 62.2 (3-3)(16-14)
David Howe displayed his track knowledge and won easily. No support from MM who seemed well down on power again.
Heat 6 - Ryan Sullivan ; Peter Karlsson ; Shane Parker ; Oliver Allen(R) ; 62.2 (4-2)(20-16)
Great battle between Sullivan and PK with high speed passing and repassing and Sullivan emerging triumphant. Ollie pulled up in last place.
Heat 7 - Sam Ermolenko ; Piotr Protasiewicz ; Adam Skornicki ; Kenneth Bjerre ; 63.2 (2-4)(22-20)
Sam came back from his previous fall with a great win in this heat. Adam so nearly joined him for a 5-1 but reared in the last lap on (you guessed it) the third turn and Protasiewicz sneaked through for second place.
Heat 8 - Shane Parker ; Chris Harris ; David Howe ; Chris Neath ; 62.7 (5-1)(27-21)
From the tapes win for Parker.
Heat 9 - Peter Karlsson ; Hans N Andersen ; Gary Havelock ; Sam Ermolenko ; 63.2 (3-3)(30-24)
Peter wins fairly easily. Sam (tac sub) battles with Havelock for the single point and loses it.
Heat 10 - Shane Parker ; Ryan Sullivan ; Adam Skornicki ; Sam Ermolenko ; 62.7 (5-1)(35-25)
Adam leads for three laps but the lack of power eventually tells and both Sullivan and Parker get past on the last lap. Adam tried very hard to cover the lines for the whole race but with two quicker riders behind it was always going to be impossible. Nevertheless, a superb ride for Adam. Sam trailed in a long way behind.
Heat 11 - Piotr Protasiewicz ; David Howe ; Mikael Max ; Kenneth Bjerre ; 63.4 (3-3)(38-28)
Protasiewicz led from the start but David made it hard for him and chased right to the finish. Mikael seemed unable to get involved.
Heat 12 - Peter Karlsson ; Gary Havelock ; Chris Harris ; Oliver Allen ; 63.4 (3-3)(41-31)
PK replaces Sam and wins with an excellent pass on Havelock. Ollie rode well and was unlucky not to be able to hold off the very quick Harris. At the time I thought we should have replaced Ollie in this heat with David Howe – I could have been right.
Heat 13 - Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Peter Karlsson ; Piotr Protasiewicz ; 62.8 (3-3)(44-34)
From the tapes win for Sullivan – well ahead of MM and Peter.
Heat 14 - Chris Harris ; Adam Skornicki ; Hans N Andersen ; David Howe(Fx) ; Aw (4-2)(48-36)
Harris deserved his extra ride here and repaid the manager’s move with an excellent win. David (tac sub) hit the dreaded bump and fell heavily allowing Andersen the third place. Good ride from Adam again.
Heat 15 - Gary Havelock ; Ryan Sullivan ; Mikael Max ; Peter Karlsson ; 63.4 (5-1)(53-37)
Havelock and Sullivan cruised to a 5-1 after Mikael lifted on the bump and forced Peter to take emergency evasive action. Had these been less experienced riders there would have been a serious pile up.
Wolves Comments
It was a match we didn’t expect to win but the final 16 point difference is disappointing and will make the home leg a bit more of a nail-biter. Wolves suffered consistently from the dip/hole/ pit/dent on the third/fourth bend and are very lucky to emerge from the meeting with no serious injuries.
Mikael: Way off the pace all night – very disappointing.
David: Showed that he still knows the way round the East of England Showground track.
Sam: Fell heavily in heat 3 and this could have affected his performance although he did win next time out. Brought in as a tac sub in heat 9 and then taken out and replaced by a tac sub in heat 12 – how often does that happen?
Adam: Excellent! He just needed a little more power to have blown them away. He showed a great understanding of the quickest lines around the track. He deserved double the points he actually scored.
Peter: A great night’s work. He was only really beaten by the superb Sullivan ( and the bump in the last heat). Captain’s performance/
Chris: Only met Bjerre once and beat him - tried hard. Perhaps not the track for him.
Oliver: Looked impressive but the opposition was just too much. Good win in the reserves race.
Other Team Comments
Peterborough rode with determination and seemed accustomed to the track and able to commit fully. They will be hard to beat at home on this sort of form. Sullivan was exceptional but I also saw a very different, and more confident version of both Havelock and Parker.
A very solid team performance.
Five Star Ratings/Comments
Weather: *** Chuffing cold on the back straight! Mist descended at the end of the meeting.
Track Conditions: ** Well prepared in all areas apart from the mine shaft on the 3rd/4th bend.
Attendance: *** Didn’t seem to be that many there – certainly not on the back straight.
Entertainment Value: **** Some good moments despite getting stuffed.
Wolves Performance: ** Poor. This track always brings out the worst in Wolves and yet we have three ex-Panthers riders in the team now.
Man of the Match: For Wolves – Adam Skornicki. For Peterborough – Ryan Sullivan.
Referee: *** All decisions were easy to make. Should have done something about the track surface as a matter of rider safety.
Hopefully we will reverse the scoreline and gain the bonus point at Monmore Green on Monday. Historically they ride our track just about as badly as we do theirs. Here’s to history…!!
Mark Lawton
Postscript
Forget what I said about Wolves luckily emerging from the meeting without serious injury. It has been reported that David Howe has a suspected broken wrist after he hit the third bend bump and fell in heat 14 last night.