Elite League
Coventry Speedway: Bees snatch sensational win
By Nick
May 3, 2008, 11:23

THE Buildbase Bees are through to the Craven Shield Final after a night of astonishing drama at Brandon on Friday.

Few present would have given Coventry any chance of overturning the 24-point deficit they faced after their first-leg disaster at Wimborne Road - but it was a different Bees side on track in the return, and it was the Pirates who sank at the crucial stage.

Skipper Chris Harris revelled in the grippy track conditions as he recorded a brilliant paid maximum, a score matched by Simon Stead - although Stead was in full agreement that a fired-up Billy Janniro should go into the decisive Heat 15 to complete the comeback of all comebacks.

The early stages gave little hint of the drama that was to follow, with Bees gradually putting themselves in position to win on the night and restore some pride.

The meeting transformed completely when Poole captain Bjarne Pedersen, riding for double points in Heat 11, caught the rear mudguard of team-mate Adam Skornicki and crashed heavily. It turned a Poole 8-1 - which would have killed the tie - into a Bees 4-2, and Pedersen was ruled out of the rest of the meeting with a wrist injury.

Bees sensed their opportunity but still required three 5-1s in the last three heats, and after Harris and Stead secured the desired result in Heat 13, Stan Burza came up with a dream start in Heat 14 to combine with Janniro to cut the aggregate gap to just two points.

Poole's impressive Chris Holder was the danger-man in Heat 15 but he was slow from the start as Harris and Janniro took control to complete what had looked to be virtually mission impossible.

It was a team effort from all six Buildbase Bees riders, using rider replacement for broken hand victim Olly Allen, and with youngster Ben Barker scoring a crucial point as replacement for the injured Andreas Messing.

Manager Peter Oakes said: "We thought it was going to be tough to win the match, let alone go through to the Final, but it was a magnificent performance from everybody.

"Stan produced a terrific race in Heat 14, and I must pay credit to Simon Stead because we talked about Heat 15 and he felt Billy would be the man to go with. That's been the secret of our success in the past - every rider puts the team before individual glory.

"It's great to see the crowd on their feet again, to hear the roars because we're into a Final. We had one or two pieces of luck go our way and we're sorry to see Bjarne crash out, but we've had those strokes of luck against us so far, and we were still without two of our own riders.

"The track had the sort of grip that our riders need because we have a team of racers, and anyone can ride a slick track - if you make the start, it's awfully difficult to pass."

Bees will face Lakeside in the Final with dates to be determined in the near future, although the Hammers are the Bees' next Brandon opponents in the Elite League a week on Monday.

BUILDBASE BEES 58: Billy Janniro 14+3, Chris Harris 14+1, Simon Stead 14+1, Stan Burza 9, Rory Schlein 6, Ben Barker 1, Olly Allen r/r.

POOLE 32: Chris Holder 8, Adam Skornicki 8, Davey Watt 5+1, Freddie Eriksson 5, Bjarne Pedersen 4, Craig Watson 2, Karol Zabik r/r.