Hammers draw in Manchester

The Vortex Lakeside Hammers left Manchester with 2 Elite league points this evening following a 45-45 draw against the Belle Vue Aces.

The Hammers got off to a flying start after Matej Zagar demolished the tapes in the first race, with Davey Watt leading home former Hammer Stuart Robson, guesting for Richard Lawson. The reserves race saw Nielson lead from the tapes, as did Peter Karlsson for a second shared race in heat 3, with Bech pushed to the rear on the back straight.

Hammer asset Robson secured another heat victory for the Hammers in the following race, with Ellis losing his shape at the back to avoid Nielsen. Bech made amends for his first outing in heat 5, leading Zagar throughout, with Rory Schlein, guesting in place of Lewis Bridger for the Hammers, finishing third to give the Hammers a further heat advantage.

Karlsson reeled off another victory in another shared heat in the 6th, before the Hammers looked to be increasing their lead further in the re-run of the 7th, with Schlein comfortably in front before hitting unexpected drive on the second bend of the final lap, a mistake resulting in a 4-2 in the Aces favour.

Mikkel Bech was then disqualified in the following race, after being adjudged to cause Simon Stead to crash on the third bend of the first lap, following a close tussle with Nicholls.  The re-run saw Robson hold off the charging Nicholls as the Aces secured a heat advantage.

The Hammers returned the favour in the 9th, when Nielson suffered an engine failure whilst chasing Ellis, before Zagar got the better of the fast gating Bech in the next race, executing a pass around the third bend of the first lap. Schlein led home for a  further shared heat in the 10th, after Nicholls cut across Watt on the second lap.

Ellis and Robson packed in behind Michael Palm Toft in the 12th, leaving the Hammers four points to the good. Zagar and Nicholls immediately reduced this lead in heat thirteen, team riding to keep Watt behind them.

Things looked to have gone further downhill for The Hammers in heat fourteen, when both of the Aces gated, however Hammers guest Schlein, first cut past Neilsen, and then wound it on superbly around Stead to take the Aces guest on the line.

With the meeting down to a last heat decider, Nicholls then touched the tapes, starting from 15 metres in the re-run. Despite Schlein and Karlsson gating, both were picked off by the Aces Number 1, Zagar on the first lap, to finish the meeting with all square and The Hammers possibly thinking what could have been, after leading for a majority of the match.

Scores and heat results.

Belle Vue Aces = 45

1. Matej Zagar – 1, 2, 3, 3, 3 = 12
2. Michael Palm Toft – 0, 1′, 3, 0, 3 = 7+1
3. Scott Nicholls – 2, 2, 1, 1′, 2′, 0 = 8+2
4. Simon Stead (G) – 2, 1′, 3, 2, 2 = 10+1
5. Craig Cook R/R (MPT 1′, StN 0, SS 2, ScN 2′)
6. Stefan Nielsen – 3, 1′, 0, R, 1′ = 5+2
7. Lee Payne – 0, 1, 2, 0 = 3

Lakeside Hammers = 45

1. Davey Watt – 3, 0, 0, 1 = 4
2. Stuart Robson (G) – 2′, 3, 2, 1′ = 8+2
3. Mikkel Bech – 0, 3, X, 2 = 5
4. Rory Schlein (G) – 1, F, 3, 3, 1′ = 8+1
5. Peter Karlsson – 3, 3, 1′, 0, 2 = 9+1
6. Ben Morley – 2, 2, 1 = 5
7. Adam Ellis – 1′, 0, 3, 2, 0 = 6+1

Heat Results

Heat 01 (Re-Run): Watt, Robson, Zagar, Palm Toft. 1-5
Heat 02 (Re-Run): Nielsen, Ellis, Morley, Payne. (3-3)…4-8
Heat 03: Karlsson, Nicholls, Palm Toft, Bech. (3-3)…7-11
Heat 04: Robson, Stead, Nielsen, Ellis. (3-3)…10-14
Heat 05: Bech, Zagar, Schlein, Nielsen. (2-4)…12-18
Heat 06: Karlsson, Nicholls, Stead, Watt. (3-3)…15-21
Heat 07 (Re-Run): Palm Toft, Morley, Payne, Schlein (Fell). (4-2)…19-23
Heat 08: Stead, Robson, Nicholls. (4-2)…23-25
Heat 09: Ellis, Payne, Morley, Nielsen (EF). (2-4)…25-29
Heat 10: Zagar, Bech, Karlsson, Palm Toft. (3-3)…28-32
Heat 11: Schlein, Stead, Nicholls, Watt. (3-3)…31-35
Heat 12: Palm Toft, Ellis, Robson, Payne. (3-3)…34-38
Heat 13: Zagar, Nicholls, Watt, Karlsson. (5-1)…39-39
Heat 14: Schlein, Stead, Nielsen, Ellis. (3-3)…42-42
Heat 15 (Re-Run): Zagar, Karlsson, Schlein, Nicholls. (3-3)…45-45

Courtest of @speedwayupdates.

Image: Heat 1: Peter Karlsson (red) and Dakota North (yellow) – Lakeside Hammers vs Swindon Robins, Elite League Speedway at the Arena Essex Raceway,CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO