Bears beaten by gritty Glasgow
Redcar’s torrid play-off campaign came to an end with a 51-39 home defeat to Glasgow. Despite defeat, the Bears had a couple of positives to look at with Jason Edwards starring with a top score of 12 whilst Erik Riss also performed well with paid 11. Redcar’s play-off campaign was summed up with guest Justin Sedgmen crashing out in his first ride with the Australian subsequently having to withdraw from the meeting whilst Connor Bailey’s tough night was down to a bent bike which was found after his heat 12 tumble. The visitors rode well after a slow start with 3 riders hitting double figures as Chris Harris top scored with 12 for the Tigers.
The “Agilia” Bears started in electrifying fashion with an opening heat 5-1 as Danny King and Danyon Hume flew from the tapes and left the Tigers in their wake to give Redcar the ideal start. Redcar’s superb start continued in heat 2 as man of the match Jason Edwards cantered to a comfortable win whilst Luke Harrison claimed another scalp as he rode well to hold off Lee Complin to send Redcar into a 10-2 lead at the ECCO Arena.
The turning point came on the opening bends of heat 3 as with Bailey looking likely to fly around the outside for the lead and Sedgmen in a points scoring position, the Bears guest clattered into his teammate with Sedgmen excluded and unable to take any further part in the meeting. The re-run saw the Tigers gate to record a 5-1 and halve the deficit. Riss started his night superbly with a heat 4 win over Vadim Tarasenko but with Harrison coming to grief on lap 1, the gap remained at 4.
Harris responded from his opening heat last to win heat 5 but the Bears ceded a heat advantage as Bailey fell whilst in 3rd which gave Brennan the point in an awarded heat as Glasgow edged within 2 points of Redcar. After Tarasenko took his first chequered flag of the night in a shared heat 6, Glasgow drew level with in heat 7 as Ben Basso won but the Dane could not protect his partner Smith as Edwards passed the Glasgow asset to ensure Redcar did not fall behind.
The tenacious Tigers then took the lead for the first time in heat 8 as Brennan passed Hume in the early stages to win, and with Complin also passing Hume on the penultimate lap, the Tigers had a 26-22 lead on Teesside. Heat 9 saw Tarasenko pass Riss for the win and with Complin holding off Bailey, Glasgow’s lead stretched to 6.
After Basso won a shared heat 10, Gain Parr played his tactical substitute in the shape of King. However, despite Riss taking the lead, Harris passed the German on lap 2 to take the win, and with King sliding off whilst chasing for 3rd, Redcar’s task became even harder as they found themselves 8 down with only 4 heats remaining.
Bailey’s torrid evening ended with a heat 12 fall whilst in 3rd but the story of the race saw Edwards produce one of the best rides of his career to hold off the all-action Ben Basso for the win! However, Glasgow secured the match with a heat thirteen 4-2 as Harris reeled off another win, and with his partner Tarasenko in 3rd, the Tigers took another step to the Grand Final.
Heat 14 saw Edwards throw everything at Brennan but the Glasgow number 2 held on to win, and with Smith in 3rd, Glasgow’s lead was extended to 12. Heat 15 saw Harris win yet again but despite Basso’s best efforts, he had no answer for the superb Jason Edwards and the improving Erik Riss. Nevertheless, the Tigers did the required overall job and gained 3 play-off points in the process.
Redcar Bears = 39
1. Danny King = 7
2. Danyon Hume = 7+3
3. Connor Bailey = 1
4. Justin Sedgmen (G) = 0 WITHDRAWN
5. Erik Riss = 10+1
6. Jason Edwards = 12
7. Luke Harrison (G) = 2+1
Glasgow Tigers = 51
1. Chris Harris = 12
2. Tom Brennan = 9
3. Benjamin Basso = 11
4. Claus Vissing R/R
5. Vadim Tarasenko = 11+1
6. Lee Complin = 5+1
7. Jack Smith (G) = 3+1