Redcar Bears       58

R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS      31

Our hopes of reaching a second final hang by the slenderest of threads after a chastening evening in Cleveland.

Three race wins, three heat advantages, five 5-1s conceded, not a shared heat in sight – the contrast to the previous week’s Knockout Cup semi-final at Poole could not have been more marked.

Berwick struggled to find their way off the start line all night and when they did all bar the struggling Simon Lambert and unfortunate Jake Mulford were able to pick them off relatively easily. Peter Kildemand was the one Berwick rider to trouble the Bears but even he had to do all his work from the back.

A large travelling support must have thought “here we go again” as Jye Etheridge led heat one tapes to flag, Kildemand picked off Simon Lambert to follow Nikolai Klindt home in heat one.

4-2, an excellent start but high hopes soon turned to horror as Redcar went on a scoring spree as they slammed in nine successive heat advantages.

It all began to go wrong in heat two with both Berwick reserves struggling with conditions, Jack Smith eventually falling but Ace Pijper and Jody Scott were already well gone.

Jordan Jenkins suffered a nightmare return to the Ecco Arena, left on the line as the tapes rose but Berwick had a huge stroke of luck when Jake Mulford lost power going into the second bend, handing Victor Palovaara second place behind Jason Edwards having comfortably picked off the Swede.

Nick Morris literally got off to a flyer in four, lucky not to see the referee put on the red lights immediately. They did eventually come on but only after Battye slid off trying to round Scott. Morris had just re-passed Jake Allen, rather comically warned for moving at the start, after going too wide on the fourth bend but was left floundering in the rerun as the Bears hit a second 5-1.

Kildemand again trailed from the tapes, passing Mulford and setting off in chase of Edwards but again, although he looked fast, the stylish Dane couldn’t find a way past the Bear.

Morris found himself clamped on the white line by Lambert but forced his way through to split the Bears who continued to send the scoreboard spinning as Palovaara again started well but was easily picked off by Pijper who joined temporary skipper Allen for a second 5-1 which extended the lead to 15 points.

Etheridge managed to cut back inside Lambert to limit the heat eight damage but the hits kept coming on the Bandits as Morris’ clutch gave out just as the riders came under starters’ orders in nine and sent him into the tapes.

Mounted on Jenkins’ machine Morris made little impact starting the rerun off 15 metres, Smith briefly troubling Edwards but unable to prevent yet another home 5-1.

But it did warm the bike up for Jenkins who got the better of Scott after an entertaining four lap battle, restricting the damage to another 4-2.

Finally Redcar’s run of heat advantages was broken as the Bandits’ heat one heroes did it again. Kildemand decided that the fence was the place to be as he bounced off the bottom of the air bags to first pass and then keep Allen at bay, Etheridge picking up third place.

Palovaara took note from his number one’s success, headed out towards Redcar beach and was rewarded with a first race win of the night, Smith bagging a vital third place to clip two more points back.

But despite an animated interval pep talk from team manager Stewart Dickson there was to be no late rally from the visitors.

Kildemand again battled hard for second behind Klindt in 13 but Morris could not find a way past Allen. Then Jenkins’ miserable return to Cleveland continued as he gated well in the penultimate heat but was soon hauled in by Edwards and, after fending off a couple of challenges, finally had to cede second place to Pijper as Berwick haemorrhaged their fifth 5-1 of the night.

Kildemand was ruthless as he shut the door on Edwards’ run towards a paid maximum coming off the last bend in heat 15 but was unable to catch Klindt while Palovaara was trailed off at the back to end another horror road show.

Now the focus shifts to the league with the Bandits entertaining another side on the end of a hammering on Friday, Oxford, who lost 43-23 in a rain curtailed clash at Glasgow, the meeting abandoned after heat 11. Buy tickets here

They will be looking to take their frustrations out on the Cheetahs and have two weeks to get back to fitness and form before attempting mission almost impossible on July 18, when Shielfield Park stages the second leg.

Bears: Nikolai Klindt 14, Simon Lambert 2, Jake Mulford 4, Jason Edwards 12+1, Jake Allen 8+1, Ace Pijper 8+1, Jody Scott 10+2

Bandits: Peter Kildemand 10, Jye Etheridge 6, Victor Palovaara 6, Jordan Jenkins 3, Nick Morris 3, Jack Smith 2, Reid Battye 1

Pictures: Keith Hamblin