Speedway: Redcar Bears take the North East Trophy from the Diamonds

Redcar Bears v Newcastle Diamonds

Thu 14 Apr 2011:  South Tees Motor Park,  North East Challenge

by Lawrence Heppell

The Newcastle Sapphire Engineering Diamonds left themselves a tough task to win the 2011 North East Challenge Trophy, only taking a one point lead (45-44), but again found themselves in a match, tight and hard fought, early on before the Bears took control.

With both teams using Rider replacement (Rene Bach out for Newcastle and Matej Kus for Redcar) it gave home reserve Adam Roynon the chance to shine early one winning both heats one and two, managing to beat the powerful Aussie Mark Lemon in a shock opening race.

After a shared Heat Four, won by a revitalised Lemon, Newcastle trailed 15-9, and were five behind on aggregate, but an excellent win from stand-in skipper Derek Sneddon over former World Champion Gary Havelock in the fifth and a well held third from Lubos Tomicek over Peter Juul, the Diamonds pulled two back.

Lemon and Sneddon took another win each in the next three races, all shared 3-3s, with Newcastle still four down, 26-22 (70-67 overall) veteran Bear Aussie Jason Lyons and Aaron Summers hammered home a solid 5-1 over Diamonds Stuart Robson and a retired Tomicek in Heat 10 to go further ahead 35-25, and take an aggregate lead of nine as things looked bleak for the Tynesiders trophy chances.

Ten down and Newcastle could use a tactical ride for double points, and placed the in-form skipper Sneddon in the black and white helmet, but in a breath-taking race, closely run with amazing passes, Sneddon ended up at the back for a zero return in the Bears 4-2, who now moved on to 39-27 leaders on the night.

Juul and Robert Branford took Newcastles Adam McKinna and Tomicek to the cleaners in a devastating Heat 12 with a 5-1 to effectively win the match and the trophy in one fell swoop, with the score on the night now 44-28, and overall 88-73 with three races left.

With the Bears on a roll, Summers and Lyons hit another maximum past Lemon and Sneddon as Newcastle's last chance saloon called time on the Trophy which ended up in a Teesside cabinet.

Team manager George English said: "This was a match I felt we could have done an awful lot better in, but tonight it really was not to be, but at least this was only a challenge match and not a League meeting. Rest assured we will have a lot more fire power when we do return in the official competitions later in the season.