Report
Monmore GreenSutherland Ave, Wolverhampton, WV2 2JJ
Details
| Date | Tapes Up | Competition | Season | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, April 10, 2023 | 8:00 pm | Premiership KO Cup, Quarter-Final, 1st Leg | 2023 | Abandoned after 11 Heats (Rain) – RESULT STANDS |
Report
WOLVERHAMPTON ran up a 26-point lead over Belle Vue in the space of just eleven races to take control of their Premiership KO Cup tie.
With the earlier meeting in Manchester having been postponed, Wolves staged the first leg at Monmore although that too was weather affected with a halt having to be called four races short.
But the action which was possible saw Wolves deliver a superb performance with Steve Worrall, Sam Masters, Ryan Douglas and guest Chris Harris all unbeaten by an opponent, as they secured six 5-1s and won every heat, for a 46-20 result.
Worrall said: “Belle Vue have been tipped as one of the favourites coming into the season as reigning Premiership champions.
“So to be able to put on a performance like we did against them sends out a bit of a warning to everyone else in the league as well I guess.
“In those four races that didn’t happen, they could’ve fought back a little bit or we could’ve stretched our lead further – based on our performance leading up to that point, you would say it was more likely that we’d have stretched our legs even more.
“So maybe they got off lightly a little bit because we definitely feel like we would’ve gone on to build up an even bigger lead.”
Belle Vue’s Charles Wright said: “I think we were running engines that were too powerful and too strong for the track conditions but it’s a lesson to take away from this, but now we must move on.
“Anything can happen in speedway. We know Wolverhampton are good around our track and the second leg will be a challenge to pull back 26 points, but nothing is impossible.”
Harris guested for the home side as they reverted to their original team declaration including the injured Luke Becker, as short-term signing Scott Nicholls suffered an ankle injury in Poland on Saturday.
WOLVERHAMPTON 46: Steve Worrall 10+2, Chris Harris 9, Sam Masters 8+1, Ryan Douglas 8+1, Zach Cook 5+1, Rory Schlein 4, Leon Flint 2+1.
BELLE VUE 20: Tom Brennan 4+1, Brady Kurtz 4, Charles Wright 3+1, Anders Rowe 3+1, Dan Bewley 3, Jaimon Lidsey 2, Norick Blodorn 1+1.
Abandoned after 11 Heats (Rain) – RESULT STANDS
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Photo credit: STEVE FEENEY