Speedway: Glasgow Tigers too strong for Redcar Bears as Joe Screen claims maximum

May 21 2012 By Fraser Wilson

NEW-LOOK Glasgow Tigers put their first league points of the season on the board with a 49-41 victory over much-fancied Redcar Bears.

Glasgow lined-up with new signings Chris Mills and Filip Sitera, pictured, in the team and young Aussie duo Jayden O'Malley and Mason Campton dropping to reserve.

And the balance of Stewart Dickson's side immediately looked better as they withheld a strong challenge from the Bears to claim all three points in an entertaining encounter.

Captain Joe Screen once again led the way with a fantastic maximum, despite suffering from a painful ankle injury picked up at Plymouth on Friday.

And he was ably backed-up by James Grieves and Josh Grajczonek who both posted 11 points.

Dickson was also impressed with his new duo with Mills in particular only being denied a seven-point tally by two cruel twists of fate.

The delighted Glasgow manager said afterwards: "That was an excellent outcome because Redcar are a strong side.

"We had to make changes because the results weren't good enough and I think we showed today that there's a stronger balance through the side.

"We have brought Chris and Filip in because they are both steady riders who should score five or six points every race and they more or less did that today.

"Hopefully the side will settle down now and we can begin to climb the table."

Skipper Screen got the ball rolling in the opening heat when he made an excellent pass on the fast-starting Aaron Summers to win and, with Mills scoring his first home point, the Tigers led 4-2.

The Redcar reserves then scored a 5-1 in the second heat after tigers reserve Mason Campton fell on the fourth bend on lap three causing the race to be stopped and the result awarded.

The socres were level again after the third heat with Sitera securing his first home point behind Josh Grajczonek in a 4-2 win.

James Grieves and Mason Campton then scored a 5-1 in heat four after Matej Kus had retire from the race with bike problems and the Tigers looked set for a second 5-1 in heat six as Screen and Mills streaked away from Kus and Mark Jones.

However, with just half a lap to go, Mills shed a chain and had to watch in frustration as Kus shot by him to claim second. With Jones having already retired from race Mills was at least able to coast home for a point.   

Heat seven had to be re-run three times after two unsatisfactory starts and a Redcar 5-1 from Aaron Summers and Justin Sedgmen from Grieves and O'Malley again levelled the match.

The teams then exchanged 5-1 in the next two heats with Mills again suffering misfortune as his bike spun after the third bend in heat eight with him clear in second, leaving him with no points as Max Dilger and Mason Campton passed.

However, skipper Joe Screen's victory in heat 10 put Tigers back in front and they never looked back.

The next two heats were shared before a Glasgow 5-1 in heat 13 from Screen and Grieves opened up a six point gap. And with heat 14 shared Tigers required a heat advantage from the last heat to secure all three league points.

Screen blitzed home from the gate to complete his paid maximum and with James Grieves third Tigers secured all three points.

Glasgow Tigers 49
Joe Screen 14+1 Chris Mills 3 Josh Grajczonek 11 Filip Sitera 5+1 James Grieves 11 Jaden O`Malley 1 Mason Campton 4+2

Redcar Bears 41
Aaron Summers 11+2 Carl Wilkinson 6 Justin Sedgmen 11+1 Matej Kus 2 Mark Jones 5+1 Max Dilger 6+1 Ulrich Ostergaard R/R