Glasgow went joint top of the Premier League after a comfortable win in an entertaining match against their far travelled visitors in front of a large Monday night crowd.
With Tigers tracking two new signings and a guest against a side who had shocked title chasing Somerset at home on Friday, this looked like being a tricky match.
The meeting got off to a bizarre start with James Sarjeant falling on the first bend, in what looked like a classic case of first bend bunching. Unfortunately the referee didn’t see it that way, nor did he stop the race when the riders rode around James on lap 2 but he then stopped it at the start of lap 3 when he was off the track!!
Ritchie Worrall eventually won that opening race as did Victor Palovaara in heat 2.
Tigers took the lead with a 5-1 in heat 3, with Kauko Niemenen blasting around the Devils on the opening bends and then spent the rest of the race fending them off, never looking totally in control!!
After a home 4-2 in heat 4, Nemo was out again and he flew around Theo Pijper on the 4th bend to take the win in heat 5. Aaron Summers was all over Pijper’s back wheel for three laps before slowing.
James Sarjeant then beat Ryan Fisher before a 4-2 and a 5-1 in successive heats took Tigers 30-18 up.
Fisher donned the black/white helmet in heat 9 and Summers and Nieminen had no answer when Simota gated with the American, for an 8-1 to the Devils.
Heat 10 then saw the race of the season !!
James Sarjeant made the start with Jack Holder second, Worrall third and Morten Risager last. Risager passed Worrall at the end of the opening lap, with Worrall returning the favour on lap 2. He then passed Holder on the outside going into lap 3 but the slower Sarjeant blocked him and allowed Holder to pass Worrall at the end of the lap. Worrall then passed Holder again on the outside on the second bend before blocking the inside to secure the heat win, on the line for a 5-1.
A routine 3-3 and 4-2 followed, putting Tigers 11 up and within sight of victory.
Heat 13 was another cracking race, with again Worrall doing all the hard work. He got past Pijper going into lap 2, almost getting Fisher at the same time before failing on an outside attempt at the end of lap 3, effectively ending his challenge.
Heat 14 saw Plymouth get their second heat advantage with a 4-2 after Risager pipped Hynek Stichauer on the line after a 4 lap chase, with the final heat shared and an eleven point victory.
Plymouth were spirited visitors but lacked heat winners to back Fisher up, although Holder improved in every outing.
For Tigers, Richard Lawson top scored, dropping one point and James Sarjeant made a welcome return to form.
Of the new boys, Kauko Nieminen had two great opening rides, while Hynek Stichauer rode better than his score suggested.
Glasgow tracked 7 riders for the first time in almost two months and showed that they’ll be one of the teams to beat as they chase a semi final spot in the play-offs.
Glasgow Tigers 52 Plymouth Devils 41 Premier League 03/08/2015 Glasgow Tigers Ritchie Worrall 3 R 3 1 7 James Sarjeant Fx 3 2* 2* 0 7 + 2 Aaron Summers 3 1 1 3 8 Kauko Nieminen 2* 3 0 2 7 + 1 Richard Lawson 2 3 3 3 3 14 Victor Palovaara 3 1* 3 1 8 + 1 Hynek Stichauer 0 1 0 0 1 Plymouth Devils Theo Pijper 2 2 1* 0 5 + 1 James Wright 1* R 0 1 + 1 Jack Holder F 2 1 2 2 7 Morten Risager 1 0 0 1 2 Ryan Fisher 3 2 6^ 2 1* 14 + 1 Sam Simota 1* 1* 2* 2 0 6 + 3 Todd Kurtz 2 0 1 3 6 Heat 1 - (re-run) Ritchie Worrall ; Theo Pijper ; James Wright ; James Sarjeant(Fx) ; 57.7 (3-3)(3-3) Heat 2 - Victor Palovaara ; Todd Kurtz ; Sam Simota ; Hynek Stichauer ; 57.7 (3-3)(6-6) Heat 3 - (re-run)Aaron Summers ; Kauko Nieminen ; Morten Risager ; Jack Holder(F) ; 57.9 (5-1)(11-7) Heat 4 - Ryan Fisher ; Richard Lawson ; Victor Palovaara ; Todd Kurtz ; 58.2 (3-3)(14-10) Heat 5 - Kauko Nieminen ; Theo Pijper ; Aaron Summers ; James Wright(R) ; 58.7 (4-2)(18-12) Heat 6 - James Sarjeant ; Ryan Fisher ; Sam Simota ; Ritchie Worrall(R) ; 58.5 (3-3)(21-15) Heat 7 - Richard Lawson ; Jack Holder ; Hynek Stichauer ; Morten Risager ; 57.4 (4-2)(25-17) Heat 8 - Victor Palovaara ; James Sarjeant ; Todd Kurtz ; James Wright ; 58.3 (5-1)(30-18) Heat 9 - Ryan Fisher (TR) ; Sam Simota ; Aaron Summers ; Kauko Nieminen ; 59.3 (1-8)(31-26) Heat 10 - Ritchie Worrall ; James Sarjeant ; Jack Holder ; Morten Risager ; 59.5 (5-1)(36-27) Heat 11 - Richard Lawson ; Sam Simota ; Theo Pijper ; Hynek Stichauer ; 58.5 (3-3)(39-30) Heat 12 - Aaron Summers ; Jack Holder ; Victor Palovaara ; Sam Simota ; 58.2 (4-2)(43-32) Heat 13 - Richard Lawson ; Ryan Fisher ; Ritchie Worrall ; Theo Pijper ; 58.9 (4-2)(47-34) Heat 14 - Todd Kurtz ; Kauko Nieminen ; Morten Risager ; Hynek Stichauer ; 59.3 (2-4)(49-38) Heat 15 - Richard Lawson ; Jack Holder ; Ryan Fisher ; James Sarjeant ; 58.3 (3-3)(52-41)