Newport v Workington (Premier League)

Newport 'Darlows' Wasps v Workington 'Thomas Armstrong' Comets
Sunday May 30th at 2.30pm
Premier League

Waspland Whisperings

Joint team manager Kevin Brown has made a public apology on behalf of the club for the performance against Birmingham last Sunday which I endorse.  After seven heats it looked like we were heading for a remarkably heavy home defeat.  The tide turned somewhat when Craig Watson pulled off a very determined move from the back in heat eight to provide our first individual heat winner.  Thank goodness for that Leigh, Anders, Kyle and Kim all followed Wato's example subsequently.  There is no doubt that Birmingham will continue to run big scores up home and away but the fact that other teams have been on the receiving end is only a small comfort.  We are consistent in our belief that the Wasps are a decent team but we must reinforce that this afternoon against Workington.  

Meanwhile our concern over attendances continues.  Last Sunday we had some extra bodies here courtesy of the travelling support for the Brummies but there were still nothing like the number of home supporters that we need.  It was not only the Somerton Parks days of yore that saw Newport as one of the best attended tracks in the sport but here at Queensway Meadows from 1997 when the sport was revived after a 20 year absence.

When my family re-opened the doors in 2009 we invested heavily both on track with respect to the circuit and for an air fence coupled with radically improving changing and medical facilities behind the scenes.  We suffered the instant misfortune of losing Wato for the entire season on day one plus team changes we made in mid-season did not turn results around but they did bring Leigh Lanham to the club and later we introduced Kim Nilsson with Todd Kurtz also having spent some time with us as a Hornet.  So this season we have had a new look team with plenty of emerging talent and if we can sustain speedway here then it should be upward and onward with the likes of Kim, Anders, Todd and Alex as they mature and improve.  Trouble is that we cannot afford to carry on as we are unless together we can convince the former fans to get down here and show there is still demand for us in the city.  The family will be monitoring the gate today and tomorrow when the successful Newport Hornets face the Dudley Heathens and we face a difficult decision about our own continuity.

As I say -  we need your help to get the turnstiles ticking again otherwise speedway will be just a memory.

Meanwhile, it is time to knock the Workington Comets out of their orbit.  So - on with the racing.

Steve


Newport 37

1.  Leigh Lanham (C) [7.16]  3, 2', Fx, 2, 0 = 7+1
2.  Craig Watson [6.38]  2', 3, 3, 1, 3 = 12+1
3.  Anders Mellgren [7.00*] 1, 2, 1, 0 = 4
4.  Tim Webster [3.00] 0, 0, 0 = 0
    Replaced Brent Werner
5.  Kim Nilsson [7.00*] 2, 3, 3, 0 = 8
6.  Alex Davies [5.00*] 1', Fx, 0, 2 = 3+1
7.  Todd Kurtz [3.00*] 2, 0, 0, 0, 1 = 3

Workington 59

1.  Andre Compton (C) [7.35]  0, 3, 1', 3 = 7+1
2.  John Branney  [5.85] 1, 1, 1', 2 = 5+1
3.  Chris Schramm [6.62] 2', 1, 3, 2', 1' = 9+4
4.  Craig Cook [6.71] 3, 2, 2', 1 = 9+1
5.  Peter Kildemand [7.00] 3, FX, 2', 1, 2 = 8+1
6.  Richard Lawson [4.68] 0, FX, 3, 3 = 6
7.  Rusty Harrison [5.45] 3, 1, 2, 3 = 9

Heat 1: 59.19  Lanham, Watson, Branney, Compton (5+1) 5-1
Heat 2: 59.96  Harrison, Kurtz, Davies, Lawson (3-3) 8-4
Heat 3: 60.21  Cook, Schramm, Mellgren, Webster (1-5) 9-9
Heat 4: 59.06  Kildemand, Nilsson, Harrison, Kurtz (2-4) 11-13
Heat 5: 60.00  Compton, Mellgren, Branney, Webster (2-4) 13-17
Heat 6: Awarded  Watson, Lanham, Kildemand (FX), Lawson (FX) (5-0) 18-17
Heat 7: 59.76  Nilsson, Cook, Schramm, Davies (FX) (3-3) 21-20
Heat 8: 59.69  Watson, Harrison, Branney, Kurtz (3-3) 24-23
Heat 9: 60.14  Lawson, Kildemand, Mellgren, Davies (r/c) (1-5) 25-28
Heat 10: 60.74 Schramm, Cook, Watson, Lanham (FX) (1-5) 26-33
Heat 11:  60.80 Nilsson, Branney, Compton, Kurtz (r/c) (3-3) 29-36
Heat 12:  62.06 Lawson, Schramm, Kurtz, Mellgren (1-5) 30-41
Heat 13: 61.27  Compton, Lanham, Kildemand, Nilsson (Tactical) (2-4) 32-45
Heat 14: 61.38  Harrison, Davies, Cook, Webster (2-4) 34-49
Heat 15: 61.47  Watson, Kildemand, Schramm, Lanham (3-3) 37-59