Tigers play off hopes took a dent when championship rivals Somerset won, an at times, controversial clash at Ashfield.
The match got off to a good start for the home men, quickly opening up a 6 point lead in the opening two races.
Then the first controversial incident took place in heat 3. Both Richie Worrall and Charles Wright made the start, with Aaron Summers passing Wright at the start of lap 2. He then chased after Worrall and drove inside him down the back straight of the last lap. Worrall appeared to turn into him after being passed, which resulted in him falling off. The referee saw nothing wrong but Worrall thought otherwise, throwing punches at the Glasgow captain along with
a mechanic. The 3-2 put Glasgow 7 up (Victor Palovaara had pulled out the race).
The teams then traded 4-2s in the next two, leaving Glasgow still 7 up.
Heats 6 and 7 proved to be the turning point in the meeting.
In heat 6 Nick Morris just got the better of Josh Grajczonek on the first bend and was easily winning the race when he caught the air fence on the last lap, causing him to fall, with Oliver Greenwood also coming down. That resulted in a 1-5. Then in heat 7, Richard Lawson, in a similar incident to heat 3, drove up the inside of both Rebels down the back straight, with Charles Wright coming off. This time the referee excluded the home man. The Rebels taking an easy 5-1 in the re-run and the lead, which they never surrendered. In fact they took successive 5-1s in heats 9 and 10 which looked like it would take them to an easy victory.
However back came the Tigers, Lawson and Palovaara taking a 5-1 over a disappointing Brady Kurtz and then Summers passing Wright on the last lap, for a 4-2 in heat 12. Unfortunately the come back ended there, Grajczonek easily won heat 13, with Morris falling again. Then in heat 14, after Worrall had tried to exact some revenge by wiping out both Paul Starke and Summers on the first bend, Summers stopped at the end of the third lap in the re-run, having miscounted, handing victory to the Rebels.
The conditions seemed to suit the visitors who were sharper out the starts, it was noticeable that they started to ride well in the middle part of the meeting when the track had dried out due to a number of re-runs and delays for medical staff to treat riders and fans.
The main damage seemed to be Nick Morris falling in heat 6, as he didnt beat an opponent in the rest of the meeting and the decision in heat 7 to exclude Richard Lawson, which seemed to be a bit inconsistent with the earlier incident with Worrall and Summers. In saying that, Glasgow didn’t win enough races and Somerset took full advantage although may regret not taking all 4 points. Rider replacement also didn’t work but since the visitors were missing a rider as well, that can’t be used as an excuse.
Glasgow will hope to avoid Somerset in the play-offs, having not beaten them since 2011, although on this showing the league title may need to wait another season.
The cup is up next for Glasgow and if the match against Newcastle needed any more spice, it was announced at Brough Park tonight that the Diamonds guest will be…….Richie Worrall!!!
Glasgow Tigers 42
Somerset Rebels 47
Premier League
23.08.2015
Glasgow Tigers
Nick Morris 3 Fx 1 FX 4
James Sarjeant 1 1 1 2 0 5
Aaron Summers 3 3 3 1 1* 1* 12 +2
Kauko Nieminen R/R 0 1 0 1* (2 + 1)
Richard Lawson 2 X 2* 2 2 8 + 1
Victor Palovaara 2* R 1 1* 3 1 2 10 + 2
Hynek Stichauer 3 0 0 3
Somerset Rebels
Brady Kurtz 2 2 1 1 6
Keiran Douglas 0 0 0 0
Charles Wright 2 2* 2* 2 8 + 2
Richie Worrall F 3 3 X 0 6
Josh Grajczonek 3 3 2* 3 3 14+1
Paul Starke 1 1 3 3 0 3 11
Oliver Greenwood Fx 2* Frmt 2 + 1
Heat 1 -(re-run) Nick Morris ; Brady Kurtz ; James Sarjeant ; Keiran Douglas ; (4-2)(4-2)
Heat 2 -(2 re-runs) Hynek Stichauer ; Victor Palovaara ; Paul Starke ; Oliver Greenwood(Fx) ; (5-1)(9-3)
Heat 3 – Aaron Summers ; Charles Wright ; Victor Palovaara(R) ; Richie Worrall(F) ; (3-2)(12-5)
Heat 4 – Josh Grajczonek ; Richard Lawson ; Paul Starke ; Hynek Stichauer ; (2-4)(14-9)
Heat 5 – Aaron Summers ; Brady Kurtz ; James Sarjeant ; Keiran Douglas ; (4-2)(18-11)
Heat 6 – Josh Grajczonek ; Oliver Greenwood ; James Sarjeant ; Nick Morris(Fx) ; (1-5)(19-16)
Heat 7 – (re-run)Richie Worrall ; Charles Wright ; Victor Palovaara ; Richard Lawson(X) ; (1-5)(20-21)
Heat 8 – Paul Starke ; James Sarjeant ; Victor Palovaara ; Oliver Greenwood(frmt) ; (3-3)(23-24)
Heat 9 – Paul Starke ; Josh Grajczonek ; Aaron Summers ; Hynek Stichauer ; (1-5)(24-29)
Heat 10 – Richie Worrall ; Charles Wright ; Nick Morris ; James Sarjeant ; (1-5)(25-34)
Heat 11 – Victor Palovaara ; Richard Lawson ; Brady Kurtz ; Keiran Douglas ; (5-1)(30-35)
Heat 12 – Aaron Summers ; Charles Wright ; Victor Palovaara ; Paul Starke ; (4-2)(34-37)
Heat 13 – (awarded)Josh Grajczonek ; Richard Lawson ; Brady Kurtz ; Nick Morris(Fx) ; (2-4)(36-41)
Heat 14 – (re-run)Paul Starke ; Victor Palovaara ; Aaron Summers ; Richie Worrall(x); (3-3)(39-44)
Heat 15 – Josh Grajczonek ; Richard Lawson ; Aaron Summers ; Richie Worrall ; (3-3)(42-47)