Bandits pipped right at death

Redcar Bears       47

R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS      43

Jason Edwards was a controversial match-winner as the Bandits failed to bag their first away points of the season despite trailing for the first time on the night after heat 14.

Referee Chris Gay generously invited all four riders back for the third running of what became, for both sets of fans, a nail-biting heat 15 despite replays showing that Nick Morris made no contact as the Bear crashed heavily into the air fence.

Edwards – who has history for this sort of thing against the Bandits – dusted himself down and took the chequered flag at the third attempt despite the best efforts of Peter Kildemand.

The referee had already used the livestream third eye to spot Charles Wright touching the tapes in the first running of the race, cancelling out Morris’ rather heavier charge into the ribbons.

But the Australian missed the break at the third attempt and even Kildemand found himself passed by both Edwards and Jody Scott before going wider than anyone had attempted all night in a vain effort to find grip. He passed Scott but time ran out on his hunt down of Edwards.

It will go down as a win that slipped away – the Bandits leading for ten of the opening 11 heats, forcing Redcar to use a heat seven tactical substitute in the process. All this despite managing only five race wins between them – two apiece for Kildemand and Etheridge and one for the hard-working Reid Battye.

Indeed the Bears took the lead for the first time in the penultimate heat, guest Ryan Ingram ignoring two earlier distant lasts to become only the second home rider to defeat Jye Etheridge on the night with Edwards fending off Battye to claim the vital third place.

Etheridge is enjoying a purple patch and has made a habit of winning the opening heat on the road taking his tally to three in a row with Kildemand tucked comfortably behind and Wright nowhere to be seen.

Jody Scott and Battye clashed for what would not be the first time in heat two, the Australian getting off the deck to record a good second place with Jack Smith a solid third.

Victor Palovaara’s worrying dip in form continued as Jake Mulford and Edwards levelled the scores with as easy a 5-1 as you will see.

Instead of folding as they have done so many times on the road this year the Bandits instead replied in kind as Battye blocked the run of Scott to the first bend and rounded Jake Allen at the same time Morris cut up the inside of the former Scunthorpe man.

Etheridge was again gone and unstoppable in four, Edwards fending off Kildemand in a dress rehearsal for 15, the Dane looking fast but searching in vain for the grip to round the Brit.

After a shared heat Bears’ team manager Gavin Parr played his tactical card to perfection, Wright and Allen taking maximum points and closing the gap to just a couple of points.

Video evidence was used to exclude Scott who lifted from the start and then fell on bend one, staying down until the red lights finally came on. He felt Battye was the cause of the fall, referee Gay ruled that he wasn’t much to the dismay of rider and home fans. In the rerun Etheridge team rode to perfection with Battye to snuff out the early challenge from Simon Lambert and we began to dream again.

Morris became a victim of the lack of grip out wide again in nine, Edwards taking advantage as he went wide off the second bend looking for grip that wasn’t there but with Smith again picking up a solid third the damage was negligible.

Scott replaced the toothless Lambert and again gated well, Battye unable to keep a charging Wirght behind him and suddenly the gap was two points.

Kildemand produced a trademark cutback to haul in Allen and win 11, the pair taking  their conversation into the pits after some post-flag shale flicking but more importantly with Etheridge in third the lead doubled to four points.

Which disappeared along with the fuel to Battye’s engine, a tap in the wrong position meaning he barely left the start in heat 12 after replacing Palovaara, handing Scott and Mulford a 5-1, although Smith gamely kept the home reserve at bay until being passed down the back straight on the last lap.

Redcar were suddenly on level terms for the first time since heat three.

Heat 13 was a cracker. Kildemand gating but Morris was pushed wide and to the back only to quickly find a way past Allen. Unfortunately for Bandits’ fans at the same moment Wright mirrored the move to win the battle of the number ones.

Suddenly the Bears had momentum and hey went on, with some assistance from officialdom, to complete their comeback.

Bears: Charles Wright 12+1, Simon Lambert 1, Jake Mulford 5+1, Jason Edwards 12, Jake Allen 6, Ryan Ingram 3, Jody Scott 8+2

Bandits: Peter Kildemand 11, Jye Etheridge 11+1, Victor Palovaara 1, R/R for Jordan Jenkins, Nick Morris 7+2, Jack Smith 4+3, Reid Battye 9+1