Speedway: Glasgow Tigers battle back to snatch dramatic draw with Workington Comets

Jun 18 2012

UNDER-STRENGTH Glasgow Tigers dug deep to hold Workington Comets in an action-packed meeting at Ashfield on Sunday.

Glasgow were forced to make two changes to their starting line-up with Somerset’s James Wright guesting to replace Josh Grajczoncek who was injured in the league match at Somerset last Friday.

Tigers operated rider replacement for Filip Sitera was racing in a World Championship qualifier in Hungary.

Despite missing two of their heat leaders Glasgow battled hard to claim a shares of the points thanks to a last heat 5-1 from old warriors James Grieves and Joe Screen.

Ashfield track record Richard Lawson sped to victory in heat one but Tigers packed the minor places to share the heat.

The reserves race was also shared with Workington guest Joe Haines winning. Tigers guest Wright gated, but Adam Roynon was all over him for four laps but could not find a way past in another shared race.

Workington took the lead for the first time with a 5-1 in heat four before Lawson won heat five in a time only 0.1sec outside of his own track record of 58 seconds flat.

Tigers levelled the score with a 5-1 in heat six after Rusty Harrison had been excluded for tape touching.

Another Workington rider Rene Bach was excluded for tape touching in the next heat but managed to pass O’Malley after starting from a 15 metre handicap to share the heat.

Workington took the lead again with a 4-2 in heat 10 then further extended the lead with a 5-1 and a 4-2 in the next two heats.

Both Tigers gated in heat 13 but Richard Lawson made a brilliant cut back to squeeze between both Tigers to take the lead and win the heat.

Tigers were now eight points down with just two heats to go. But Chris Mills and Mason Campton raced to a great 5-1 in heat 14 to set up a last heat decider.

And Glasgow's top two of Grieves and Screen completed the dramatic comeback to snatch a point as they raced to a brilliant 5-1 over the previously unbeaten Richard Lawson to snatch a draw.

Glasgow 45
Joe Screen 10+2 Chris Mills 6+3 James Wright (guest) 4+1 Filip Sitera R/R James Grieves 10 Jayden O’Malley 2 Mason Campton 13+1

Workington 45
Richard Lawson 13 Kenny Ingalls 4+1 Rene Bach 6+2 Adam Roynon 8 Rusty Harrison 6 Gary Irving 2 Joe Haines (guest) 6+1