COVENTRY 55 PETERBOROUGH 37
COVENTRY: PETERBOROUGH:
B.Hamill 3 2 3 3 3 14 J.Crump 2 N N 2
St.Robson Rider Replacement N.Sadler 1'2 1'1 2 7(2)
B.Andersen 3 3 2 1 9 S.Tesar 2 0 2 1 3 0 8
A.Jonsson 1 1 0 1'3 6(1) D.Howe 0 1'0 1(1)
J.Screen 3 3 3 2'1 12(1) R.Sullivan 2 3 4 3 1 2 15
Sc.Robson 0 2'X 2' 4(2) J.Andersen 1 0 0 2' 3(1)
S.Tacey 3 1 1'3 2'0 E 10(2) M.Jirout E 0 1' 1(1)
HEAT DETAILS:
Ht 1:Hamill, Crump, Sadler, Robson, 63.0 3-3 3-3
Ht 2:Tacey, Robson, J.Andersen, Jirout(ef), 64.8 5-1 8-4
Ht 3:B.Andersen, Tesar, Jonsson, Howe, 63.1 4-2 12-6
Ht 4:Screen, Sullivan(15m), Tacey, Jirout, 63.0 4-2 16-8
Ht 5:B.Andersen, Sadler, Jonsson, Tesar, 62.1 4-2 20-10
Ht 6:Sullivan, Hamill, Tacey, J.Andersen, 61.6 3-3 23-13
Ht 7:Screen, Tesar, Howe, Robson(f,exc), 61.8 3-3 26-16
Ht 8:Tacey, Sullivan(gd), Sadler, Jonsson, 62.7 3-5 29-21
Ht 9:Sullivan, B.Andersen, Jonsson, J.Andersen, 60.8 3-3 32-24
Ht10:Hamill, Tacey, Tesar, Howe, 61.2 5-1 37-25
Ht11:Screen, Robson, Sadler, Crump(ns), 62.6 5-1 42-26
Ht12:Tesar, J.Andersen, B.Andersen, Tacey, 61.6 1-5 43-31
Ht13:Hamill, Screen, Sullivan, Crump(ns), 61.1 5-1 48-32
Ht14:Jonsson, Sadler, Jirout, Tacey(ef), 60.9 3-3 51-35
Ht15:Hamill, Sullivan, Screen, Tesar, 92.1 4-2 55-37
FOR ONCE IN 1999, FORTUNE favoured Coventry, and they took full advantage to build up a convincing first-leg lead in their bid to reclaim the Craven Shield.
Bees have struggled in the past on a wet track, but their determination was clearly evident in this match, and they would surely have won even had Panthers not lost the services of Jason Crump with illness after just one race. Having said that, of course, the final margin would have been much closer and given Bees a much tougher job to do at the Showground.
The first signs that all was not well with Crump came on the practise laps, with the Aussie coasting round still wearing his anorak, but he was his normal electric self off the start-line in Heat 1, beating Billy Hamill to the first bend, and most attention switched to the battle at the back with Scott Robson fighting Nigel Sadler for third place - but on the last lap, Crump drifted wide and Hamill shot through to win for Bees.
Robson made a much better job of the first bend in Heat 2 to link up with Tacey, and things became very straightforward with both Mario Jirout and Jan Andersen having engine problems. Andersen made it home for third place, but Bees had taken maximum points out of a race that had looked like it could favour the Panthers.
A quality first turn from Brian Andersen was enough to win Heat 3 as, having been outgated by Sam Tesar, he nicely cut inside and took the lead up the back straight. Further back, the enigmatic Andreas Jonsson had his hands full in fending off David Howe - but he managed it, and Bees were six points up.
By this stage, there was already the feeling going round that this could be a special night, and this intensified when Sullivan lurched into the tapes at the start of Heat 4. Coupled with the announcement of Crump's withdrawal, and it was clear that Peterborough had severe problems for the first time this season. Sullivan fought hard from the handicap and managed to pass Tacey, but there was no catching Coventry guest Joe Screen.
Due to Crump retiring from the meeting with a non-speedway injury, Panthers would only be able to bring in a replacement to one of his rides (so that Crump effectively had three rides) and they did this in Heat 5 by using Tesar as a tactical substitute. But the move backfired as he was on the end of a tough first corner from Andersen which not only took the Dane into the lead, but also allowed Jonsson to move into third place ahead of Tesar.
Sullivan finally won a race for Peterborough in Heat 6, coming off best in a competitive battle with Hamill, and Heat 7 was also destined to be shared, although not without some spectacular first-bend action as, with Screen leading, Robson went flying across the track and clipped Tesar before falling. Tesar kept going before collapsing in pain on the back straight, although after treatment he was able to continue. Robson was correctly excluded and Screen executed another decisive first bend to maintain Coventry's ten-point lead.
Panthers simply had to gamble in Heat 8, and it was no surprise when Sullivan was introduced as a Golden Double. What they really needed was for Sadler to make a good start, but it was Tacey and Jonsson who led away, only for Jonsson to make an horrendous error on the second bend to let everyone else through. Sadler and Sullivan swapped places at the end of the second lap, but Tacey rode a perfect race to always stay just too far in front and Bees escaped with a 3-5.
A pattern of Sullivan winning when he started alongside the other riders was developing, and he duly took Heat 9 from Andersen, but it was the action at the back which was more interesting, as Jonsson decided after three laps to take an interest in the meeting and grabbed a handful round the outside of Jan Andersen to pip him on the line.
Bees were still eight points up, but they really needed to push on in the closing stages, and they did just that in Heats 10 and 11. Heat 10 saw an extremely determined ride from Tacey who made the worst start but thrust his way into second place, with Tesar again singled out for rough treatment. With Hamill up front, that was the lead up to twelve, and it became sixteen in Heat 11. With Panthers only able to field Sadler, a Bees 4-2 had been hoped for, but the Peterborough man in fact made the gate. Screen moved through on the inside on the first lap, and then Sadler went too wide again allowing Robson through, the Coventry reserve riding an excellent race to stay in second place.
There had to be a setback, of course, and it came in Heat 12 when Andersen just missed the gate and was pushed into Tacey. That effectively knocked Tacey out of the race, and Andersen couldn't get a challenging blow in on his brother, who held on behind Tesar to cut the gap back to twelve points - and if Peterborough could have held it at that, they would have surely been satisfied.
To do that, Sullivan had to carry them through the closing stages, and, racing on his own, he made the best start in Heat 13. But Hamill was in determined mood and held an excellent line on the third and fourth bends to blast into the lead. That was good, but it got even better next time around as the battling Screen also picked off Sullivan to give Bees a very important 5-1.
Tacey's form earned him an extra ride in Heat 14, although there was some debate on the terraces as to who deserved to be replaced - Jonsson or Robson. Predictably, Tacey replaced Robson, but only travelled a few yards before having bike problems. Jonsson, however, indicated his ability to all by making a flying start and winning by a huge distance in 60.9. He quite clearly has all the talent necessary to get to the very top, but somewhere, something just isn't quite right.
51-35 going into the last race, then, and it appeared to be set up for another battle between Hamill, Screen and Sullivan. Sullivan again gated, but Screen, who was on a maximum, made a very poor start and found himself behind Tesar. It took him too long to get through to third to be able to challenge at the front, but as they completed four laps Sullivan suddenly slowed and Hamill shot through into the lead round the outside, with Screen's last-lap charge only just failing to take second place. So a 4-2 in the end, and Bees with a handy 18-point lead.
It was a great team performance from the Bees, with Hamill and Screen - again a superb guest - leading from the front and Tacey doing an excellent job as well. Andersen, bar the one blip, was in good form, and Robson scored some important points. That just leaves Jonsson, and if he'd hit form in his first three and a half rides, the Final would certainly be beyond Peterborough. As it is, they still have a faint hope as certain riders who didn't perform on Saturday are very different at their home track. But Bees should still be confident of defending an 18-point lead and lifting their second Shield in three years.