Morris is star as Diamonds maul Tigers

A truly outstanding performance by Newcastle reserve Ashley Morris helped the BTS Diamonds produce the shock result of the season so far at Byker last night when they gave reigning league champions Sheffield Tigers a right walloping, 53–37, in a Championship Shield clash.

Taking to the track six times, Morris won three races and followed partners Tero Aarnio and guest Lewis Kerr home in two others to finish with a superb 14 (paid 16) points tally.

But it wasn’t just the Ashley Morris show, as all seven Diamonds had at least one race win to their name by the end of a terrific display against a side that currently tops the northern group in the Championship Shield competition.

The visitors arrived without captain Kyle Howarth, who has a thigh injury, but brought in as a guest Jason Garrity of Scunthorpe, the top point-scorer for the Scorpions when they were narrowly beaten at Byker a fortnight ago.

And, once again, Garrity was in fine form, winning three races and recording the fastest time of the season, 63.1 seconds, when winning the fifth heat.

The Diamonds started off in rip-roaring fashion, winning the first four races by a 4-2 margin to lead, 16-8.

But the Tigers quickly hit back to show just why they are topping the group table, Garrity’s first win in a 4-2 with Todd Kurtz being immediately followed by a maximum 5-1 by Garrity again together with reserve James Shanes, meaning Newcastle led by just two, 19-17.

However, that was the end of any Sheffield revival as the Diamonds stormed to two more maximum race wins and a 4-2 in the next three races to build up a 12-point advantage, 33-21.

In that spell there were victories for Aarnio, Kerr and a 5-1 from Matthew Wethers and the other Diamonds’ guest Dane Michael Palm Toft.

It was a great Diamonds’ performance enjoyed by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Mrs Linda Wright and her party.

NEWCASTLE (53): Ashley Morris 14, Lewis Kerr 9, Michael Palm Toft 7, Carl Wilkinson 7, Tero Aarnio 6, Ludvig Lindgren 5, Matthew Wethers 5. SHEFFIELD (37): Charles Wright 13, Jason Garrity 12, James Shanes 8, Todd Kurtz 4, Jack Smith 0, Lasse Bjerre 0.