Post by Pieman on Jul 26, 2005 11:01:48 GMT
WOLVES 39 BELLE VUE 51, ELITE LEAGUE B, MONDAY 25TH JULY
Parry’s International Wolves:
Charlie Gjedde (g) 2 2 2 0 =6
Ronnie Correy 1* 1* 2 0 =4+2
Steve Johnston 2* 2* 1* 1 0 =6+3
David Howe 3 3 2 R =8
Fredrik Lindgren 0 3 1 1 1 =6
James Grieves 1* 1* 2 =4+2
Krzysztof Pecyna 2 1 2* X X =5+1
FoneStyle UK Aces:
Kenneth Bjerre 3 1 2* 2* 2* =10+3
Andy Smith 0 R 0 =0
Joe Screen 1 1 3 2* =7+1
Jason Lyons R R 1 =1
Jason Crump 3 3 3 3 3 =15 (max)
Rusty Harrison 0 0 0 M =0
Simon Stead 3 2* 3 1 3 3 3 =18+1
No-one expected us to win this one, but when we were eight points up after nine heats some thought we were in with a chance. However, you can never trust Wolves to do what you want them to do, and we slipped away over the last five heats despite some good effort being put in from all the riders. Simon Stead was clearly the difference for the Aces, with an amazing paid 19 from reserve. The fact that three visiting riders scored just one point between them shows how Wolves failed to pull together as a team, but after the past week’s events the spirit in the home pits must have been low.
Despite the Sky cameras being in town, the meeting did not begin until 8.30pm. The reason? Apparently Jason Crump was not happy with the track conditions, despite it looking better than it had for a long time from the terraces! Initially, the riders refused to race and the meeting appeared in doubt, but after Crump had walked a lap of the track (met by plenty of abusive comments) the meeting was declared on. Perhaps the visitors were frightened of the sight of so much dirt?
Wolves won the toss and took gates one and three for heat one.
Heat 1: Bjerre, Gjedde, Correy, Smith, 59.30. 3-3, 3-3.
From the first turn, with Spud slowing on the third lap. The slow time showed that the riders were a little reluctant to push hard on the deep track.
Heat 2: Stead, Pecyna, Grieves, Harrison, 58.37. 3-3, 6-6.
From the gate again, with Stead winning with a time a full second faster than Bjerre!
Heat 3: Howe, Johnston, Screen, Lyons (ret), 58.61. 5-1, 11-7.
The Wolves led from the start this time, with David winning as Johno got out of shape on lap three allowing Screen to close in, but Johno just held on at the line. Lyons slowed up early, the track clearly giving the visitors trouble.
Heat 4: Crump, Stead, Pecyna, Lindgren, 59.27. 1-5, 12-12.
Stead stuffed Freddie wide on the first turn, but the race continued with Crump leading all the way (not sure what he was complaining about then!). Krys tried the inside line on Stead a couple of times, but he held on and the scores were level once again.
Heat 5: Howe, Johnston, Bjerre, Smith (ret), 58.18. 5-1, 17-13.
Bjerre gated but went wide allowing both Wolves up the inside for another 5-1. Spud pulled off on lap three.
Heat 6: Crump, Gjedde, Correy, Harrison, 57.44. 3-3, 20-16.
Charlie gated but Crump took the lead, while Charlie’s bike seemed to slow on lap three and he was almost collected by Ronnie.
Heat 7: Lindgren, Pecyna, Screen, Lyons (ret), 58.23. 5-1, 25-17.
Krys blasted around the outside of both Aces on turn two to take second behind Freddie, while former master of Monmore Lyons pulled off on lap three as the Wolves went eight points clear.
Heat 8: Stead, Correy, Grieves, Smith, 58.47. 3-3, 28-20.
Ronnie gated but tried to change line into turn one, allowing Stead into the lead.
Heat 9 (re-run): Crump, Howe, Johnston, Harrison, 58.09. 3-3, 31-23.
Crump put David on the floor going into the first turn, with the race strangely being re-run with all four back. Crump led from the start in the rerun.
Heat 10: Screen, Gjedde, Stead, Correy,58.76. 2-4, 33-27.
Ronnie initially held second behind Screen, but went into turn three way too fast and almost came down, dropping to the back. The Wolves really lost out from this point on, only once beating an opponent in the last five heats.
Heat 11 (re-run): Stead, Bjerre, Lindgren (f.rem), Pecyna (f.exc), 58.57. 1-5, 34-32.
Stead led the first start from Freddie and Krys, but ending lap two Krys lost it and high-sided onto the track for a stoppage. Krys was excluded from the rerun, but was unhurt despite looking decidedly Pzysztof with himself. The restart saw Stead exit a tight first turn in the lead, with Freddie throwing everything at him until the last turn, when he pushed just too hard and came down.
Heat 12 (awarded): Stead, Screen, Johnston, Pecyna (f.exc), Harrison (exc, 2 mins) no time. 1-5, 35-37.
Harrison did not appear to attempt to leave the pits and was excluded, allowing the Belle Vue management to bring in Stead (it would be interesting to know what the rulebook says about this). When the race got underway the Aces led from the start, while last-placed Krys fell in the same place as the previous heat on lap two, with the red lights instantly coming on. Krys was excluded again, and unlike heat 11 the race was awarded.
Heat 13: Crump, Bjerre, Lindgren, Gjedde, 58.37. 1-5, 36-42.
From the gate.
Heat 14: Stead, Grieves, Lyons, Howe (ret), 58.14. 2-4, 38-46.
David’s bike failed on the first turn, which just about summed up the meeting for Wolves.
Heat 15: Crump, Bjerre, Lindgren, Johnston, 58.13. 1-5, 39-51.
Freddie gated but the visitors were quickly through, with Crump completing a faultless 15-point maximum on a track he had earlier refused to ride on – explain that one! Freddie almost came down on the last turn, but still finished ahead of Johno.
Five star ratings:
Weather: ** Light drizzle in the air throughout.
Track conditions: ** Tough one to decide. The top layer of dirt was very clumpy, but underneath was very slippery. Maybe if the track staff had more time to prepare prior to 7.30 it would be more consistent.
Attendance: **** Surprisingly good for a Sky meeting.
Wolves’ performance: ** Not good enough once again, although it was not through lack of trying.
Entertainment value: *** Some races were processional, but the controversy livened it up.
Man of the Match: Hard to decide, but it goes to David Howe for his good early form.
Referee (Mick Posselwhite): ** Inconsistent with heats 11 and 12.
Rider ratings:
Charlie Gjedde: ** Not nearly the rider we usually see at Monmore.
Ronnie Correy: *** Better than last week.
Steve Johnston: *** Also better than last week.
David Howe: **** Unlucky in heat 14.
Fredrik Lindgren: *** Lower score than normal, but not for lack of trying. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him once again.
James Grieves: *** Steady if unspectacular.
Krzysztof Pecyna: *** Some good racing early on.
A trip to Oxford awaits the Wolves this Thursday, to face a team that has used more riders this season than I’ve eaten pies. If we don’t run them close, then something is clearly wrong.
Once a Wolf, always a Wolf
Dave Goddard a.k.a. Pieman.
Parry’s International Wolves:
Charlie Gjedde (g) 2 2 2 0 =6
Ronnie Correy 1* 1* 2 0 =4+2
Steve Johnston 2* 2* 1* 1 0 =6+3
David Howe 3 3 2 R =8
Fredrik Lindgren 0 3 1 1 1 =6
James Grieves 1* 1* 2 =4+2
Krzysztof Pecyna 2 1 2* X X =5+1
FoneStyle UK Aces:
Kenneth Bjerre 3 1 2* 2* 2* =10+3
Andy Smith 0 R 0 =0
Joe Screen 1 1 3 2* =7+1
Jason Lyons R R 1 =1
Jason Crump 3 3 3 3 3 =15 (max)
Rusty Harrison 0 0 0 M =0
Simon Stead 3 2* 3 1 3 3 3 =18+1
No-one expected us to win this one, but when we were eight points up after nine heats some thought we were in with a chance. However, you can never trust Wolves to do what you want them to do, and we slipped away over the last five heats despite some good effort being put in from all the riders. Simon Stead was clearly the difference for the Aces, with an amazing paid 19 from reserve. The fact that three visiting riders scored just one point between them shows how Wolves failed to pull together as a team, but after the past week’s events the spirit in the home pits must have been low.
Despite the Sky cameras being in town, the meeting did not begin until 8.30pm. The reason? Apparently Jason Crump was not happy with the track conditions, despite it looking better than it had for a long time from the terraces! Initially, the riders refused to race and the meeting appeared in doubt, but after Crump had walked a lap of the track (met by plenty of abusive comments) the meeting was declared on. Perhaps the visitors were frightened of the sight of so much dirt?
Wolves won the toss and took gates one and three for heat one.
Heat 1: Bjerre, Gjedde, Correy, Smith, 59.30. 3-3, 3-3.
From the first turn, with Spud slowing on the third lap. The slow time showed that the riders were a little reluctant to push hard on the deep track.
Heat 2: Stead, Pecyna, Grieves, Harrison, 58.37. 3-3, 6-6.
From the gate again, with Stead winning with a time a full second faster than Bjerre!
Heat 3: Howe, Johnston, Screen, Lyons (ret), 58.61. 5-1, 11-7.
The Wolves led from the start this time, with David winning as Johno got out of shape on lap three allowing Screen to close in, but Johno just held on at the line. Lyons slowed up early, the track clearly giving the visitors trouble.
Heat 4: Crump, Stead, Pecyna, Lindgren, 59.27. 1-5, 12-12.
Stead stuffed Freddie wide on the first turn, but the race continued with Crump leading all the way (not sure what he was complaining about then!). Krys tried the inside line on Stead a couple of times, but he held on and the scores were level once again.
Heat 5: Howe, Johnston, Bjerre, Smith (ret), 58.18. 5-1, 17-13.
Bjerre gated but went wide allowing both Wolves up the inside for another 5-1. Spud pulled off on lap three.
Heat 6: Crump, Gjedde, Correy, Harrison, 57.44. 3-3, 20-16.
Charlie gated but Crump took the lead, while Charlie’s bike seemed to slow on lap three and he was almost collected by Ronnie.
Heat 7: Lindgren, Pecyna, Screen, Lyons (ret), 58.23. 5-1, 25-17.
Krys blasted around the outside of both Aces on turn two to take second behind Freddie, while former master of Monmore Lyons pulled off on lap three as the Wolves went eight points clear.
Heat 8: Stead, Correy, Grieves, Smith, 58.47. 3-3, 28-20.
Ronnie gated but tried to change line into turn one, allowing Stead into the lead.
Heat 9 (re-run): Crump, Howe, Johnston, Harrison, 58.09. 3-3, 31-23.
Crump put David on the floor going into the first turn, with the race strangely being re-run with all four back. Crump led from the start in the rerun.
Heat 10: Screen, Gjedde, Stead, Correy,58.76. 2-4, 33-27.
Ronnie initially held second behind Screen, but went into turn three way too fast and almost came down, dropping to the back. The Wolves really lost out from this point on, only once beating an opponent in the last five heats.
Heat 11 (re-run): Stead, Bjerre, Lindgren (f.rem), Pecyna (f.exc), 58.57. 1-5, 34-32.
Stead led the first start from Freddie and Krys, but ending lap two Krys lost it and high-sided onto the track for a stoppage. Krys was excluded from the rerun, but was unhurt despite looking decidedly Pzysztof with himself. The restart saw Stead exit a tight first turn in the lead, with Freddie throwing everything at him until the last turn, when he pushed just too hard and came down.
Heat 12 (awarded): Stead, Screen, Johnston, Pecyna (f.exc), Harrison (exc, 2 mins) no time. 1-5, 35-37.
Harrison did not appear to attempt to leave the pits and was excluded, allowing the Belle Vue management to bring in Stead (it would be interesting to know what the rulebook says about this). When the race got underway the Aces led from the start, while last-placed Krys fell in the same place as the previous heat on lap two, with the red lights instantly coming on. Krys was excluded again, and unlike heat 11 the race was awarded.
Heat 13: Crump, Bjerre, Lindgren, Gjedde, 58.37. 1-5, 36-42.
From the gate.
Heat 14: Stead, Grieves, Lyons, Howe (ret), 58.14. 2-4, 38-46.
David’s bike failed on the first turn, which just about summed up the meeting for Wolves.
Heat 15: Crump, Bjerre, Lindgren, Johnston, 58.13. 1-5, 39-51.
Freddie gated but the visitors were quickly through, with Crump completing a faultless 15-point maximum on a track he had earlier refused to ride on – explain that one! Freddie almost came down on the last turn, but still finished ahead of Johno.
Five star ratings:
Weather: ** Light drizzle in the air throughout.
Track conditions: ** Tough one to decide. The top layer of dirt was very clumpy, but underneath was very slippery. Maybe if the track staff had more time to prepare prior to 7.30 it would be more consistent.
Attendance: **** Surprisingly good for a Sky meeting.
Wolves’ performance: ** Not good enough once again, although it was not through lack of trying.
Entertainment value: *** Some races were processional, but the controversy livened it up.
Man of the Match: Hard to decide, but it goes to David Howe for his good early form.
Referee (Mick Posselwhite): ** Inconsistent with heats 11 and 12.
Rider ratings:
Charlie Gjedde: ** Not nearly the rider we usually see at Monmore.
Ronnie Correy: *** Better than last week.
Steve Johnston: *** Also better than last week.
David Howe: **** Unlucky in heat 14.
Fredrik Lindgren: *** Lower score than normal, but not for lack of trying. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him once again.
James Grieves: *** Steady if unspectacular.
Krzysztof Pecyna: *** Some good racing early on.
A trip to Oxford awaits the Wolves this Thursday, to face a team that has used more riders this season than I’ve eaten pies. If we don’t run them close, then something is clearly wrong.
Once a Wolf, always a Wolf
Dave Goddard a.k.a. Pieman.
;D
