Double defeat on the road for makeshift Bandits

Berwick suffered two league defeats on the road at the weekend, losing at Peterborough and Rye House.
Berwick Bandits SpeedwayBerwick Bandits Speedway
Berwick Bandits Speedway

The Bandits went down 51-39 to the Panthers at the East of England Showground on Friday before a makeshift side were beaten 52-40 at Hoddesdon on Sunday.

The Bandits were without the injured duo of Claus Vissing and Hynek Stichauer. But to complicate matters further Thomas Jorgensen missed the Peterborough meeting as he was racing in Denmark, whilst at Rye House, Ben Barker was forced to withdraw from the side due to illness’

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The improving Richard Hall, who had crashed out two days earlier, was also unavailable as he was suffering from concussion.

PETERBOROUGH 51

BERWICK 39

Berwick used former Peterborough rider Ryan Fisher, along with Jan Graversen as guests, and in the early part of the meeting made an impression with Ben Barker, Kevin Doolan and Richard Hall all winning their first races.

Hall also won his second race, which saw the Bandits hit the front.

But then Hall crashed out and was withdrawn from the meeting with concussion.

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This proved to be a major turning point as the Panthers started to turn the screw with Ulrich Ostergaard, Robert Lambert and Lasse Bjerre all prominent in their scoring chart.

Fisher and Alex Edberg were away for a Bandits’ max in nine until Ostergaard swooped past both at the end of the first lap with Edberg succumbing to Palm Toft as well half a lap later with Peterborough taking charge of proceedings at 30-24.

Two more 3-3s followed, with Berwick still trailing by six with four races to go, but in the end the Borderers just ran out of steam.

Barker won again in 13, but by then Peterborough knew they had the league points in the bag.

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Berwick scorers: Barker 11, Doolan 10+1, Hall 8, Edberg 4+2, Fisher 3+1, Graversen 3+1, Jorgensen rider replacement.

RYE HOUSE 52

BERWICK 40

Bandits were down to the bare bones for this meeting with Claus Vissing, Hynek Stichauer, Richard Hall and Ben Barker all missing.

Peterborough’s Michael Palm Toft was drafted in as a guest, and what a replacement he proved to be, storming his way to a superb 17 paid 18 maximum, going unbeaten by a home rider in his six starts.

Kevin Doolan was Bandits’ only other race winner in a meeting in which the Rockets led throughout after taking five heat advantages from the first six races.

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Berwick offered some respite with a 5-1 from Doolan and Palm Toft in heat three and a 1-7 from the same pair in heat seven.

But with ex-Bandits Edward Kennett and Robin Aspegren always in the points, and reserve Kasper Lykke Nielsen scoring heavily at reserve (14+4), the Bandits struggled to prevent the Rockets taking the victory.

Berwick scorers: Palm Toft 17+1 (paid max), Doolan 11, Jorgensen 5, Branford 4, Graversen 2, Edberg 1+1, Barker - rider replacement.

* This weekend Berwick take a break from racing. A meeting had been planned against Sheffield on Saturday (June 6), but this has now been put back to August.

Bandit’s next action is away to Redcar on Thursday, June 11, with a trip to Plymouth to take on the Devils on Friday 12.

Plymouth are the next visitors to Shielfield on Saturday, June 20.

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