Post by Genghis on Sept 27, 2007 20:12:27 GMT
Friday, September 21, 2007
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 51 OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 41
(Conference League)
A dreadful start to this meeting proved costly for the Cheetahs, as they slipped to only their third Conference League defeat of the season.
Plymouth were planning to use rider replacement for the injured Jamie Westacott for this fixture, but he is not one of Plymouth's three heat-leaders (who are Seemond Stephens, Tom Brown and Nicki Glanz) and referee Graham Flint rightly prevented the Devils from using the facility. Plymouth had no time to find a replacement (the elusive Bob Charles was in the stadium, but without a bike!), and had to go into three races with one rider only.
Glanz and Stephens slammed in an opening 5-1 over Lee Smethills & Kyle Hughes in Heat 1 (5-1).
Ben Hopwood gated in Heat 2, but came under early pressure from Alex McLeod. McLeod went wide on the fourth bend and slipped from second to fourth, and then Johnson started to bear down on the Plymouth pair. However, Johnson lost a chain and spun around onto the centre green on the opening bends of lap 3, leaving the Devils to take a maximum heat advantage (10-2).
There was movement at the tapes in Heat 3, and after an uneven break, the riders were brought back for another go. In the re-run, Rob Smith and Tom Brown were first away, and resisted early pressure from Andrew Bargh - and things had started disastrously for the Cheetahs (15-3).
With only three riders at the tapes for Heat 4, Johnson was left on the staring line after more problems with his chain. Hopwood led, but Danny Betson drilled underneath him in determined fashion on the third and fourth bends of the second lap, to become the first Cheetahs to head home a Devil (17-6).
Smethills and Hughes were quick away in Heat 5, and Hughes resisted pressure from Brown as the Cheetahs hit back with a 5-1 (18-11).
Betson again showed real determination in Heat 6, coming out on top in a tussle with Stephens around the opening bends, to head home Stephens and Glanz in a shared race (21-14).
Bargh showed first in Heat 7, but Hopwood came under him on the second bend to take the lead, with Martin being pushed wide on this corner and slipping to fourth place behind Pickard. Second-placed Bargh locked up slightly on the second bend of lap 2, and Pickard fell off behind him. The race was stopped, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to put FX by Pickard's name, but incredibly referee Flint excluded Bargh as the cause of the accident. A decision that completely mystified the Oxford contingent. In the re-run, Hopwood resisted pressure from Martin to win the race, as the Devils took a 4-2 (25-16).
Hughes showed his liking of the tight St. Bonniface Arena track, with a fine outside pass on Hopwood as the first lap was completed to win Heat 8, while poor Johnson was a non-finisher after his woe with chains continued (28-19).
Betson won a shared Heat 9 (31-22), while Heat 10 was halted for an unsatisfactory start. In the re-run, Glanz and Stephens took a 5-1, while Bargh pulled up from last place on the final lap, and Bargh then withdrew from the meeting, his ankle giving him discomfort (36-23).
Heat 11 was an ideal opportunity for team manager Allen Trump to use Smethills as a tactical ride, and Smethills and Hughes duly delivered with an 8-1 over sole Plymouth representative Pickard, as the gap closed to six points (37-31).
Brown & Hopwood were leading Heat 12, when McLeod took a crunching fall into the fence on the first bend of lap 2. The race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Devils, while McLeod looked eventually got to his feet, and walked off the track, looking very second hand (42-32).
Stephens is easily beaten when he doesn't gate, and this proved to be the case in Heat 13, as Smethills and Betson took a 5-1. Betson suffered a puncture at the end of the race, but still comfortably took second place (43-37).
The Devils clinched the match with a 4-2 in Heat 14, with Martin pressuring race-leader Hopwood, but Hopwood holding on, while Smith finished third (47-39).
Glanz took advantage of the inside gate to lead Heat 15, but Betson set off in hot pursuit. However, Betson suffered a second puncture, and was forced out of the race on the third lap. Betson couldn't hide his annoyance as his chances of a paid maximum disappeared, and the Devils ended the night with a fortuitous 4-2, with Glanz heading home Smethills and Brown (51-41).
So, a slightly disappointing night for the Cheetahs, but one which was offset by excellent performances by Smethils, Betson and Hughes - these three riders seemed to have mastered the tricky St. Bonniface Arena track and that bodes well for the play-offs.
And there's a quick chance for revenge, with Sunday's visit of the Devils to Oxford.
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 51
Seemond Stephens 2* 1* 2* 1 (6+3)
Nicki Glanz 3 2 1* 3 3 (12+1)
Tom Brown 2* 1 2 3 1 (9+1)
Rob Smith 3 0 1* 1 (5+1)
Jamie Westacott - did not ride
Jaimie Pickard 2* 1 1 (4+1)
Ben Hopwood 3 2 3 2 2* 3 (15+1)
Team manager: David Short
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 41
Lee Smethills 1 3 6! 3 2 (15)
Kyle Hughes 0 2* 3 2* (7+2)
Andrew Bargh 1 X R (1)
Sam Martin 0 2 1 2 (5)
Danny Betson 3 3 3 2* R (11+1)
Alex McLeod 1 0 0 FX (1)
Brendan Johnson R R R 1 0 (1)
Team manager: Allen Trump
Referee: Graham Flint
! = tactical ride
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Glanz (P), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Hughes (O), 52.22 (5-1).
2: Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), McLeod (O), Johnson (O) (ret), 55.50 (10-2).
3: (Re-run) Smith (P), Brown (P), Bargh (O), Martin (O), 53.69 (15-3).
4: Betson (O), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O) (ret), three riders only, 53.35 (17-6).
5: Smethills (O), Hughes (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), 52.88 (18-11).
6: Betson (O), Glanz (P), Stephens (P), McLeod (O), 52.72 (21-14).
7: (Re-run) Hopwood (P), Martin (O), Pickard (P), Bargh (O) (excluded, cause of stoppage), 53.53 (25-16).
8: Hughes (O), Hopwood (P), Glanz (P), Johnson (O) (ret), 52.72 (28-19).
9: Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), McLeod (O), 53.40 (31-22).
10: (Re-run) Glanz (P), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Bargh (O) (ret), 53.06 (36-23).
11: Smethills (O) (tactical ride), Hughes (O), Pickard (P), three riders only, 53.93 (37-31).
12: Brown (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), McLeod (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (42-32).
13: Smethills (O), Betson (O), Stephens (P), three riders only, 52.28 (43-37).
14: Hopwood (P), Martin (O), Smith (P), Johnson (O), 53.72 (47-39).
15: Glanz (P), Smethills (O), Brown (P), Betson (O) (ret), 52.84 (51-41).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 51 OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 41
(Conference League)
A dreadful start to this meeting proved costly for the Cheetahs, as they slipped to only their third Conference League defeat of the season.
Plymouth were planning to use rider replacement for the injured Jamie Westacott for this fixture, but he is not one of Plymouth's three heat-leaders (who are Seemond Stephens, Tom Brown and Nicki Glanz) and referee Graham Flint rightly prevented the Devils from using the facility. Plymouth had no time to find a replacement (the elusive Bob Charles was in the stadium, but without a bike!), and had to go into three races with one rider only.
Glanz and Stephens slammed in an opening 5-1 over Lee Smethills & Kyle Hughes in Heat 1 (5-1).
Ben Hopwood gated in Heat 2, but came under early pressure from Alex McLeod. McLeod went wide on the fourth bend and slipped from second to fourth, and then Johnson started to bear down on the Plymouth pair. However, Johnson lost a chain and spun around onto the centre green on the opening bends of lap 3, leaving the Devils to take a maximum heat advantage (10-2).
There was movement at the tapes in Heat 3, and after an uneven break, the riders were brought back for another go. In the re-run, Rob Smith and Tom Brown were first away, and resisted early pressure from Andrew Bargh - and things had started disastrously for the Cheetahs (15-3).
With only three riders at the tapes for Heat 4, Johnson was left on the staring line after more problems with his chain. Hopwood led, but Danny Betson drilled underneath him in determined fashion on the third and fourth bends of the second lap, to become the first Cheetahs to head home a Devil (17-6).
Smethills and Hughes were quick away in Heat 5, and Hughes resisted pressure from Brown as the Cheetahs hit back with a 5-1 (18-11).
Betson again showed real determination in Heat 6, coming out on top in a tussle with Stephens around the opening bends, to head home Stephens and Glanz in a shared race (21-14).
Bargh showed first in Heat 7, but Hopwood came under him on the second bend to take the lead, with Martin being pushed wide on this corner and slipping to fourth place behind Pickard. Second-placed Bargh locked up slightly on the second bend of lap 2, and Pickard fell off behind him. The race was stopped, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to put FX by Pickard's name, but incredibly referee Flint excluded Bargh as the cause of the accident. A decision that completely mystified the Oxford contingent. In the re-run, Hopwood resisted pressure from Martin to win the race, as the Devils took a 4-2 (25-16).
Hughes showed his liking of the tight St. Bonniface Arena track, with a fine outside pass on Hopwood as the first lap was completed to win Heat 8, while poor Johnson was a non-finisher after his woe with chains continued (28-19).
Betson won a shared Heat 9 (31-22), while Heat 10 was halted for an unsatisfactory start. In the re-run, Glanz and Stephens took a 5-1, while Bargh pulled up from last place on the final lap, and Bargh then withdrew from the meeting, his ankle giving him discomfort (36-23).
Heat 11 was an ideal opportunity for team manager Allen Trump to use Smethills as a tactical ride, and Smethills and Hughes duly delivered with an 8-1 over sole Plymouth representative Pickard, as the gap closed to six points (37-31).
Brown & Hopwood were leading Heat 12, when McLeod took a crunching fall into the fence on the first bend of lap 2. The race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Devils, while McLeod looked eventually got to his feet, and walked off the track, looking very second hand (42-32).
Stephens is easily beaten when he doesn't gate, and this proved to be the case in Heat 13, as Smethills and Betson took a 5-1. Betson suffered a puncture at the end of the race, but still comfortably took second place (43-37).
The Devils clinched the match with a 4-2 in Heat 14, with Martin pressuring race-leader Hopwood, but Hopwood holding on, while Smith finished third (47-39).
Glanz took advantage of the inside gate to lead Heat 15, but Betson set off in hot pursuit. However, Betson suffered a second puncture, and was forced out of the race on the third lap. Betson couldn't hide his annoyance as his chances of a paid maximum disappeared, and the Devils ended the night with a fortuitous 4-2, with Glanz heading home Smethills and Brown (51-41).
So, a slightly disappointing night for the Cheetahs, but one which was offset by excellent performances by Smethils, Betson and Hughes - these three riders seemed to have mastered the tricky St. Bonniface Arena track and that bodes well for the play-offs.
And there's a quick chance for revenge, with Sunday's visit of the Devils to Oxford.
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 51
Seemond Stephens 2* 1* 2* 1 (6+3)
Nicki Glanz 3 2 1* 3 3 (12+1)
Tom Brown 2* 1 2 3 1 (9+1)
Rob Smith 3 0 1* 1 (5+1)
Jamie Westacott - did not ride
Jaimie Pickard 2* 1 1 (4+1)
Ben Hopwood 3 2 3 2 2* 3 (15+1)
Team manager: David Short
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 41
Lee Smethills 1 3 6! 3 2 (15)
Kyle Hughes 0 2* 3 2* (7+2)
Andrew Bargh 1 X R (1)
Sam Martin 0 2 1 2 (5)
Danny Betson 3 3 3 2* R (11+1)
Alex McLeod 1 0 0 FX (1)
Brendan Johnson R R R 1 0 (1)
Team manager: Allen Trump
Referee: Graham Flint
! = tactical ride
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Glanz (P), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Hughes (O), 52.22 (5-1).
2: Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), McLeod (O), Johnson (O) (ret), 55.50 (10-2).
3: (Re-run) Smith (P), Brown (P), Bargh (O), Martin (O), 53.69 (15-3).
4: Betson (O), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O) (ret), three riders only, 53.35 (17-6).
5: Smethills (O), Hughes (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), 52.88 (18-11).
6: Betson (O), Glanz (P), Stephens (P), McLeod (O), 52.72 (21-14).
7: (Re-run) Hopwood (P), Martin (O), Pickard (P), Bargh (O) (excluded, cause of stoppage), 53.53 (25-16).
8: Hughes (O), Hopwood (P), Glanz (P), Johnson (O) (ret), 52.72 (28-19).
9: Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), McLeod (O), 53.40 (31-22).
10: (Re-run) Glanz (P), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Bargh (O) (ret), 53.06 (36-23).
11: Smethills (O) (tactical ride), Hughes (O), Pickard (P), three riders only, 53.93 (37-31).
12: Brown (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), McLeod (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (42-32).
13: Smethills (O), Betson (O), Stephens (P), three riders only, 52.28 (43-37).
14: Hopwood (P), Martin (O), Smith (P), Johnson (O), 53.72 (47-39).
15: Glanz (P), Smethills (O), Brown (P), Betson (O) (ret), 52.84 (51-41).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY