Elite League
Coventry Speedway: Bees win on the road
By Nick
May 6, 2008, 21:46

Elite League: WOLVERHAMPTON 44 BUILDBASE BEES 45

THE Buildbase Bees delighted their travelling army of supporters with their first away win of the season in a thrilling, and at times controversial local derby.

Skipper Chris Harris saw them home with second place in the last race behind opposite number Fredrik Lindgren, but crucially ahead of Wolves' Niels-Kristian Iversen at the end of a meeting which Bees had led almost all the way.

Harris rode superbly and was well backed by solid showings from Simon Stead and Billy Janniro, whilst Rory Schlein suffered the major misfortune of two highly contentious refereeing decisions.

Schlein was thrown out of Heat 5 for causing Iversen to fall, although Bees felt that Schlein had already made a clear passing move - and they were incredulous when Schlein's exclusion light shone again in Heat 11 when Wolves riders David Howe and Christian Hefenbrock collided behind him.

Schlein had made a slight error on the second bend to move off the racing line, but the Wolves riders were considerably behind him and their own collision was a totally unrelated incident.

However, Bees responded to the setback in positive fashion, and produced race wins in three of the next four heats, including superb rides by Harris in Heat 12 to pass Iversen, and by Janniro in Heat 14 to go around both home riders on the fourth bend.

And although he failed to score in that race, Stan Burza made another vital contribution at reserve with some super-fast starting - whilst youngster Ben Barker's paid win in Heat 2 was also of real significance to the result.

Manager Peter Oakes said: "At times throughout the meeting we felt we were actually racing against eight men rather than seven, but we kept at it and certainly the second refereeing decision galvanised us.

"We had a get-together and said that the easiest way to answer decisions like that is to go and win, and that's what we did. It was nail-biting but in the end I don't think anyone could say we didn't deserve it.

"You could see on Friday night when we got into the Craven Shield Final that everyone got an enormous lift, and tonight we were fighting, battling and determined to win."

WOLVES: Fredrik Lindgren 13, Niels-Kristian Iversen 7, Kenneth Hansen 7, Nicolai Klindt 6+2, Ales Dryml 6, David Howe 3, Christian Hefenbrock 2+1.

BUILDBASE BEES: Chris Harris 13, Simon Stead 9+1, Stan Burza 9, Billy Janniro 8+2, Rory Schlein 4, Ben Barker 2+1, Olly Allen R/R.