Speedway: Glasgow Tigers return to the top as Somerset Rebels fall at Ashfield

Jul 11 2011

Nick Morris

Glasgow Tigers 56 Somerset Rebels 39

RUTHLESS reserves Michal Rajkowski and Nick Morris helped Glasgow Tigers blitz Somerset Rebels and move back to the top of the Premier League table.

The youthful double-act were in top form as Stewart Dickson's side maintained their 100 per cent home record - sending out another stark warning to the title pretenders.

The 56-39 victory moves the Ashfield outfit two points clear of second-placed Sheffield Tigers with an amazing SIX matches in hand over the English club.

The most likely challengers, Workington Comets, are six points behind Glasgow, having raced the same number of fixtures.

Captain Joe Screen led from the front with an immaculate 12-point maximum but star of the show was Polish reserve Rajkowski with a superb haul of 16+1 from six rides.

Fellow reserve Morris weighed in with 10+2 from five outings and Christian Henry continued his comeback from a troublesome shoulder injury with a solid 9+2 from his five rides.

Those contributions more than offset the below-par scores from James Grieves, who tumbled in his first race and struggled a little thereafter, Richard Sweetman, who couldnt repeat his high scoring debut from last week and Theo Pijper, who only arrived at the track in time for his last two races, having suffered all manner of travel delays journeying back from racing in Finland.

Dickson beamed afterwards: "I suspect this was our toughest home fixture to date and to be able to overcome them by a comfortable margin bodes well for the rest of our fixtures.  

"I said last week that we must continue to uphold our home form and that suggests the lads are well up for it. Screenie made a fantastic return while the two reserves were sensational.  
 
"It is great to hit the top of the table but we are well aware that we are not even at the halfway stage so there is a long way to go and nobody here is taking anything for granted.  

"We do need to keep up the momentum so this coming week should be very interesting with three meetings in four days. I can't wait!"