Frustration for Berwick Bandits speedway both away and at home

It was a weekend of frustration for Berwick Bandits with an eight point defeat at Redcar on Friday followed by a home draw against defending champions Poole at Shielfield on Saturday.
By Keith Hamblin
Published 11th Jul 2022, 09:39 BST
Updated 11th Jul 2022, 09:39 BST
Berwick’s Jye Etheridge and Poole’s Ben Cook mixing it on the first bend during the meeting at Shielfield on Saturday.Berwick’s Jye Etheridge and Poole’s Ben Cook mixing it on the first bend during the meeting at Shielfield on Saturday.
Berwick’s Jye Etheridge and Poole’s Ben Cook mixing it on the first bend during the meeting at Shielfield on Saturday.

Berwick went down 49-41 at Redcar in the league, leaving them still looking for their first bonus point of the season.

Then against the Pirates, they surrendered an early eight point lead, before going into heat 15 four points up at 44-40, courtesy of a 5-1 from Ricky Wells and new boy Jonas Knudsen in heat 14.

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But again luck deserted them as the visitors salvaged a 45-45 draw in the last race.

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Bandits skipper Chris Harris, who was unbeaten going into the race, looked to have done enough to see his side to a win when he split Richard Lawson and Danny King on the third lap.

But Harris then suffered clutch failure enabling King, who suffered a puncture on the last lap, to pass him and deny Bandits the victory.

Harris (11+1) and Ricky Wells (11) were top scorers for the Bandits, whilst King collected 13+1 and Richard Lawson 10 for the Pirates.

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Berwick boss Gary Flint said: “We haven’t had much luck this season, and most of it has been bad.

“Bomber was absolutely brilliant all night and we knew that the destination of the points couldn’t have been in better hands. Unfortunately, his bikes had other ideas.

“It was good to see Ricky and Theo back among the points after, by their standards, pretty barren runs.”

King said: “I actually messed up a bit as I caught Richard up too much mid-corner so had to come off the gas and I could hear Bomber coming. You know when he’s coming, he is coming! So I tucked in and tried to repay the move.

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“Obviously I did get underneath him, but his bike gave up at the same time, I think. Then I got lucky myself because I got a puncture on the last bend!”

Flint added: “Naturally the lads are disappointed at not winning the meeting, but I have told them to get their heads up. We have another meeting at Oxford (on Wednesday) and then we take on Redcar again at home in the KO Cup quarter-finals, when we have to try and claw back a 12-point deficit from the first leg.”

*Berwick Bulets lost narrowly 46-44 at Kent Royals on Sunday.

Related topics:Chris Harris