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Olympic Edition
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Comment now on the latest news at the Forum MAN DOWN Long Eaton take round one Long Eaton have gone one-up in their cup final double-header with Mansfield by completing victory over the Yorkies in this years Division One Cup decider. The Rifles winning the opening battle of the two east-midlands sides—who will face-off again in next months KO Cup final—by eight on aggregate, to earn victory in the competition for a second time. Only Adam Lucas (9+1) remains from the Long Eaton side that lifted the trophy in SL9, with four competition wins that year it remains the most successful season to date for Martin Smith’s side, they could match that tally in SL17, and are odds-on to do so given their healthy league position and more than winnable finals in the 4TT and KO Cup to come. They’ll certainly fancy their chances in the latter having brushed aside opponents Mansfield in the Division One Cup, Lucas—one of two maximum scorers in the home 16 point first leg success—winning two races and dropping just two points in the Gandor Green return, just two points dropped too for Marek Wieczorek (13)—the other unbeaten rider from leg one—as along with Ethan Robertson (12+2) the visiting heat leaders dominated their opposite numbers to limit their hosts to just an eight point win on the night, with the aggregate success assured with still two heats remaining. With one trophy in the bag, Long Eaton went a long way to securing their second by going on to win at Totton 44-46 in the league, their sixth away victory of the campaign coming somewhat fortuitously after Bradley Turnbull (8) fell after challenging Edvar Medvar (8) for a crucial heat 14 victory, it’s one though that has given them a six point lead at the top of the table with just 12 left to fight for.TODAY: Shorts Belfast (49 points) find themselves as closest challenger’s to Long Eaton (55) in the title race again after leapfrogging Houston (47) into second place in the standings. Long Eaton travel to the latter next before hosting the Sinks in a ‘must-win’ fixture for the northern Irish side if they are to stand any chance of denying the Rifles a fourth league title. Belfast are likely to be gunning for a seventh straight league win with they visit the Perksdome for that crunch fixture, they made it five in a row on their trip to Balham, beating the Bombardiers 44-46, their top four scoring 40 of their points.
A double celebration for Harringay who went on to confirm their promotion to the top flight for the first time after lifting the Division Two Cup. A first win in that competition completed with a 54-35 second leg home win over Stirling in this years final, a heat two 5-0 from their teenage reserve pairing of Jacob Miles (7) and Waclaw Zawadski (6+3) taking them in front in the tie earlier that boss Jonathan Symes could have expected, given his side went into the return six down. A comfortable night ensued for the hosts, who would go on to complete a 13 point aggregate victory, while Julian Harrison (15)—who claimed six wins out of six in the opener—scored his second maximum of the final. Another unbeaten night followed for Harrison (14+1) when Harringay beat East Hull in the league, 48-42, confirming a top three finish for the Hoods with still four meetings left to ride, critically for the Hoods, East Hull (46 points)—who have dropped to fourth—still have to face Bournville (47) in the run-in meaning only one can overhaul the Hoods total. Bradford meanwhile have given themselves a boost in the division two title race with a first away victory in six, Ross Nicholls scoring an 18 point maximum in the 44-46 victory at Wavendon which helps the Speedsters close back to within three points of the second tier leaders.
Third tier pacesetters Barnsley have claimed part-one of their aimed for silverware double by winning the Division Three Cup. Matt Akers side limited second leg hosts Southend to a 46-44 win in the final of the competition this week, a result which gave the Bears a 22 point aggregate success. 17 year old recent £20,000 signing at second string, Petri Couri (7+1), was amongst the heat winners for the visitors.
Petri Couri (10) was one of two Barnsley riders to finish in the top four of the WU19 Final in Oslo this week. Neither of them won it however, although Jan Vogel (12) would have but for an engine blow up in heat four. The German—who scored a maximum to win his semi-final—won his remaining four heats to finish runner-up on the night to Abdy’s Tyler Needleman (13), Joshua Hay (11) finished as the top Brit in third.
Durko Karban (12) has recovered from his slow start to the series to go top of the World Championship standings with a third straight podium finish. A second win in fact for the SL11 and 12 Champion, with the 33 year old Gyor and Slovakian number one winning three heats in a row to finish a point clear of Kenn Balle (11) in the Danish GP, opening round winner Lewis Adkins (10) was third. Karban leads Marcin Jawoski (9) in the overall standings on count-back.
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