Bears bounce back
REDCAR BEARS 53 GLASGOW TIGERS 37
IF some of Redcar’s few failings this season have been put down to the tail “not wagging”, it was swinging ferociously in all directions when high-flying Glasgow came to town in the first leg of the Championship Knock-out Cup Quarter Final.
Memories of the massive disappointment of crashing out of the BSN Series through an emphatic semi-final defeat the previous weekend were swept away by a dramatic turnaround of fortunes, led by firedup ex-Tigers’ riders Connor Bailey and Danyon Hume, predictably backed up with titanic performances from Bears’ former British champions Charles Wright and Danny King.
It seems almost unfair to highlight individual displays on a night when the hosts got it together at their Achilles heel – the starts – and each of their seven riders won or was paid for victory in at least one race.
Ironically it didn’t start well, with the Scottish side, so dominant in most of their matches this year, taking a 4-2 in the opening race but, even then a battling second place from Hume, behind former Ecco Arena track record holder Chris Harris, signalled an upturn in fortunes.
Scores were level just a race later when teenager Jake Mulford claimed his first ever heat win at this level at the circuit.
And fans were jubilant when Wright and Bailey teamed up the first of a brace of early 5-1s – relegating hitherto top of the league averages Benjamin Basso to the back in – which helped the Bears to a 23-13 lead after just six races.
Glasgow frequently hit back with stirring showings from spectacular 21-year old Dane Basso, Tom Brennan, and young Ace Pijper, just 16, to the fore, but the Bears refused to wind back the throttle and two further 5-1s in the final three heats left Redcar with an unexpectedly healthy 16-point advantage to take to Scotland next Tuesday for the second leg.
Wright suffered just one defeat, to Basso in heat 12, while brilliantly shepherding Bailey home to victory in heat five.
Bailey totalled a season’s best at Championship level nine plus one as he was paid for three wins, while King was repeatedly spectacular, both in victory and defeat for his nine-point contribution.
Ecstatic manager Gavin Parr enthused: “I’m absolutely over the moon because it’s been a tough week after the defeat (Redcar’s biggest at home since 2018) against Poole.
“I would have taken any win beforehand against a team as strong as Glasgow but the boys came out firing from the off and never relented.
“I honestly believe that Jake’s victory in heat two lifted everyone’s confidence – they all thought if Jake can win a race like that, and it was comfortably by the end, then let’s see what we can do?!”
I’m absolutely over the moon because it’s been
a tough week
Bears manager
Gavin Parr
AGILIA BEARS 53 (Charles Wright 13+1, Connor Bailey 9+1, Danny King 9, Steve Worrall (guest) 8+1, Danyon Hume 7, Jake Mulford 4+1, Jason Edwards 3+1)
GLASGOW TIGERS 37 (Tom Brennan 10, Benjamin Basso 9+1, Marcin Nowak 5+1, Chris Harris 5, Ace Pijper 4, Claus Vissing 2, Lee Complin 2)