Reasons to be cheerful despite disappointing loss

They might have been defeated, but Panthers were far from disgraced as their SGB Championship winning streak came to an end on Saturday night.

A 10-point loss at Ashfield Stadium, a Scottish stronghold where the title-chasing Tigers are unbeaten this term, was pretty respectable in the circumstances.

Panthers went into the meeting without a number one due to Chris Harris’ international duty with Great Britain at the World Cup Final in Poland and chosen guest Ben Barker’s ‘illness’, but they kept their hosts honest despite a rare poor night for Jack Holder.

The Australian points machine could only contribute seven from his five rides – failing to hit the front all night as he proved he is human after all! He’s never won a race at Glasgow.

Paul Starke and returning skipper Ulrich Ostergaard did deliver double-figures efforts while Tom Bacon rode smartly at reserve for paid eight.

Starke and Ostergaard were responsible for all three of Panthers’ heat wins between them and at least one of them featured in all four of the race advantages.

They teamed up for a 5-1 in heat three and Starke then inspired a 4-2 a couple of races later as an early six-point deficit was wiped out.

But Glasgow then delivered two 5-1s and a 4-2 in the space of five races to ease into a 10-point cushion.

It was briefly threatened when Starke took second spot in a tactical ride in heat 12, but a 5-1 for top Tigers pair Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson in the next race settled the contest.

Ostergaard triumphed in a 4-2 in the penultimate race to give Panthers hope of snatching a consolation point in the finale, but Glasgow skipper Summers completed a full, 15-point maximum to thwart them.

Panthers boss carl Johnson said: “We made a poor start, but put it right to get ourselves back level.

“The key spell was between heat six and heat 10 and that’s where the meeting got away from us

“We kept going and Glasgow knew they had been in a meeting, but it’s very tough to come back from a big deficit against a team who are so strong at home. There positives were ‘Starkey’ flying and Ulrich back in great form.”