Many thanks to Pete Ballinger for the report
Panthers win Craven Shield 92-90 on aggregate
Peterborough - 55
Crump 3 3 3 2 2 13
Sadler 1 1 3 2+ 7+1
Tesar 3 2 3 3 0 11
Howe 2+ 1+ 2+ 0 5+3
Sullivan F 3 3 1+ 7+1
Andersen R R 3 3
Jirout 3 2 2+ 0 2+ 9+2
Coventry - 35
Hamill 2 3 3 1 2 3 3 17
Corbett 0 0 0 0
Andersen 1 2 1+ 1 R 1 6+1
Jonsson R 2 1 1+ 2 1 7+1
R/R [Hancock] (6 points)
Sc Robson 1+ 0 F 1+1
Tacey 2 1 0 0 1+ 4+1
With an 18 point lead to defend from the first leg, Bees should have wrapped up the 1999 season with overall victory in the Craven Shield.
However, the 5-1 to Peterborough in Heat 12 in the first leg had had a real sense of expense about it at the time, and despite the best efforts of a 'back to his best' Billy Hamill in the second leg at the East of England Showground, the remainder of the side failed to live with a Panthers side, who persistently gave them a lesson in speedway racing, and who appeared confident of acheiving an overall points victory.
It was quite apparent from the off that Panthers were determined to go out and complete a memborable treble winning season, as Jason Crump stormed into the lead in Heat 1, his partner Nigel Sadler cutting back on the first corner to chop Billy Hamill's nose off, the American having to throttle back to avoid a collision with the fence. However, this only served to fire Hamill up, as he gave chase from 50 yards back, firstly getting past Premier League Guest Gary Corbett, and then reeling Sadler back in, an expert lunge on the final corner taking him under Sadler, who did well not to come off himself, such was the ferocity of Hamill's blast.
Superb trapping from the Panthers pairing of Jan Andersen and Mario Jirout in Heat 2, and the omens looked bad for Bees, however a third lap engine failure for Andersen gave some luck back to Bees, and the heat was shared.
Once again in the third, Panthers were fast out of the start, Bees' Andreas Jonsson soon retiring with bike problems, however it took some expert riding from the young David Howe to repel every challenge of the Coventry Captain, Brian Andersen. Try as he might Howe would not be moved off his line, and the Panthers extended their lead to 6 points, thus cutting the aggregate score to 12 points behind.
Bees team manger Colin Pratt introduced Hamill for his rider replacement ride in Heat 4, and the Bees No.1 responded with a superb outside blast around Ryan Sullivan, and with Shaun Tacey inside him, it led to an uncomfotable run for the Panthers captain, that resulted in him sliding off on the fourth bend of lap 1. The 4-2 to Bees returned the aggregate to 14, and things were looking better.
Another fast start from Sam Tesar in Heat 5 looked like instantly reversing the advantage gained, but once more Hamill was fast enough to chase, trying inside and outside lines before blasting around the Czech on lap 3. A quite superb move worthy of any World Class performer.
Brian Andersen took the rider replacement ride in Heat 6, which in the opinion of this scribe was a wrong move. The confidence should have been in Jonsson to go out and beat Sadler, it would have been expecting too much than anything better than a 4-2 against, although Bees were fortunate when Sadler messed up the second bend, Andersen needing no second invitation to go underneath, a move that even an out of form Jonsson could have performed.
After his earlier fall, Sullivan stormed off to an easy win in Heat 7, although Bees were content to pack the places for a 3-3, as it kept the gap to six points and not unexpectantly allowed the introduction of a tactical substitution in Heat 8.
A Heat 8 that began to turn the tables the Panthers way. Billy Hamill came out for his fourth ride of the night, and he seemed to make a good start from Gate 3. However, a fantastic blast from Sadler around the oustide was coupled with a impudent inside cut on the second lap from Jirout to give the Panthers a vital 5-1, to cut the aggregate down to only 8 points.
Colin Pratt had to therefore cover Heat 9 with a further tactical substition, the inclusion of Brian Andersen, that could have been just a rider replacement ride had Heat 6 been more wisely planned. However, it was all in vain as in a repeat of Heat 3, Andersen could not live with either Tesar or Howe as they combined to yet another 5-1, the gap down to 4.
The salt continued to be rubbed into a now open haemorraging wound, as Crump and Sadler easily despatched of an over worked Andersen and Jonsson in Heat 10 the level the scores, really putting the Panthers in the driving seat.
The interval followed, and some serious track work took place, that included what looked like the Eastbourne trick of filling in gates 2 and 4, which just happened to be the gates Bees would be starting off in Heat 11.
Colin Pratt decided to pull Gary Corbett out of Heat 11, to introduce Jonsson for a tactical substition ride, thus meaning Corbett would have to take his third ride in any one of the next 3 heats, Panthers responding by replacing Jan Andersen with Jirout.
Bees were surely hoping of at least a 4-2 in this heat, Hamill to go out and defeat Sullivan, Jonsson to beat Jirout, but Sullivan made an excellent start to race off into the lead, the Bees just happy to keep Jirout at the back.
Surely, using Tacey here would have made better sense as he had at least been mixing it on the first corner, which would have saved Jonsson for Heat 12 ?
However, the death march began for Bees in the next as Tesar and Jirout combined for yet another 5-1 over Brian Andersen and Shaun Tacey, and the Panthers were ahead for the first time overall.
The pressure was most definately now on Heat 14, as Jonsson and Tacey would have to get a 5-1 in that for the Bees to stand any chance.
Before that however, Hamill had to go out in Heat 13 and defeat Crump and Sullivan, Gary Corbett being offered as a sacrificial lamb. Hamill repsonded to the challenge with an excellent first corner, Crump trying everything he could to get past the American, however some fantastic blocking moves gave Hamill the win by only a few yards. A crucial victory for Hamill, as it gave Bees a lifeline and also ruled Sullivan out of Heat 15.
And so onto Heat 14, the race that could finally wrap things up should the Panthers have obtained a heat advantage. Jan Andersen came out on Sullivan's bike to storm into the lead from the inside, however Jonsson and Tacey messed up David Howe's run to settle into second and third, until lap 3 when Jonsson decided to give chase to Andersen.
The speed shown by the Swede when he is determined enough was once again evident as he took yards off Andersen over the closing stages, an outside blast on the final corner was repelled only for Jonsson to switch back on the final run in, Andersen just getting the verdict from referee Tony Steele.
And so onto the final heat of the 20th century, and for the third time this season Panthers chances of success had gone to a last heat decider.
Crump and Tesar were chosen for the Panthers, Hamill and Jonsson for the Bees, who needed nothing less than a 5-1 to force a run off (or a replay). Naturally it was going to prove difficult over 6 laps, and with the Panthers having the inside gates.
Hamill blasted into the lead, Crump giving chase for a couple of laps until setting into the 3-3 situation that was of course sufficient for victory. Jonsson, however, earned some merit for never giving up on Tesar, and in exorcising the ghost of the Elite League match injury, took Tesar on the line to give Bees a 4-2, and to leave them just short on the overall score.
A terribly disappointing end to a yet again injury ravaged season, who knows with a little more luck and a little more astute team management, Bees could have gotten something out of 1999.