Speedway: Glasgow Tigers win last heat decider to advance to Knockout Cup Quarter-Final

May 28 2012

The Tigers lined up for this match with the same riding order that beat Redcar last week and the Plymouth side had Great Britain international Ben Barker and former Monarch number one Ryan Fisher as their spearhead.

Tigers went into the match attempting to overcome a 14 point first leg deficit after a 38-52 defeat at Plymouth last Friday night.

Skipper Joe Screen made a fast start to win the opening heat but with both Plymouth riders finished ahead of Chris Mills the heat was shared.

The next two heats were also shared.

The next four heats were all 4-2 to Glasgow with two race wins for James Grieves and one each for Joe Screen and Grajczonekto reduce overall deficit to just six points.

Chris Mills recorded his first every Tigers heat win in heat but with Campton retiring with bike problems the heat was shared.

In the first running of heat 9 Cory Gathercole was disqualified for a starting offence and elected to start of a 15 metre penalty.

In the rerun Sitera gated but unfortunately in a tight first bend his partner Josh Grajczonek ran into the back of him causing both riders to fall, Sitera was excluded for being the primary cause of the stoppage.

After some medical treatment Josh Grajczonek was able to win the second rerun to ensure a shared heat.

The fast starting Fisher won heat ten to inflict skipper Joe Screen only defeat of the meeting in another shared heat.

Ben Barker won his only heat in heat 11 but again the tiger’s duo managed to share the race.

After heat 12 was also shared Tigers were six points down with only three heats left.

A 4-2 from Joe Screen and James Grieves then cut the deficit to four points.

A magnificent 5-1 for the Tigers in heat 14 from Filip Sitera and the fast improving Jayden O’Malley levelled the scores on aggregate setting up a last heat decider.

Joe Screen and James Grieves sped from the gate from a 5-1 to ensure overall victory for Tiger and set up a quarter-final match with arch rivals Edinburgh Monarchs.