Bandits see it slip away at Ashfield

Glasgow Tigers    51

R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS     39

Any hopes of making a dream start to the campaign became bogged down in the Ashfield mud on Friday night.

The Bandits kept it tight in the opening stages, trailing  by just four points after nine heats, but another heavy shower seemed to knock them out of their stride and allowed the home side to pull clear. In the end the lack of track time told on a number of the Bandits who will have to regroup quickly before the sides meet at Shielfield Park again tomorrow night.

The evening began dramatically with Glasgow’s German signing Mario Hausl suffering bike problems and being beaten by the two minute warning.

Skipper Jye Etheridge made a cracking start when the race finally got underway but was soon passed by both Chris Harris and Peter Kildemand who passed and repassed before the home skipper crossed the line a wheel in front.

Reid Battye made a dream start to his British career as he raced clear of heat two only for ex-Bandit Freddy Hodder to fall on the third bend. Sam Hagon took advantage to win the rerun for the first of three shared heats.

Victor Palovaara won four and then Nick Morris and Battye packed in behind Kyle Howarth. But a sluggish start left Kildemand with a huge amount of ground to make up on countryman Kevin Juhl Pedersen and Leon Flint. Try as he might there was no way past either, Kildemand again less than a wheel adrift at the chequered flag but this time relegated to third.

Harris used all his track knowledge to hug the white line and pick off first Morris and then Jack Smith, although Hausl almost pipped the Englishman on the line. As rain fell again the track became one-line, Etheridge finding the sweet spot to slip inside a floundering Hagon and become only the third heat winner for the visitors in eight, again the points shared.

Morris used the wide line to win nine but a promising start to ten saw first Lasse Fredriksen and then Palovaara picked off by Harris who was revelling in the testing conditions, Hausl earning the cheers from the home fans as he caught our Norwegian right on the line.

Another tight finish saw Etheridge edged out by Hagon to allow Glasgow to extend their lead, Kildemand having to give second best after a great battle with Howarth.

Flint was the next home rider to have the crowd on its feet as he brushed the fence to find a way past both Palovaara and tactical substitute Morris, Kildemand splitting the home big guns in 13 but Morris trailed at the back.

A stroke of luck for the visitors saw Juhl Pedersen stranded on the line in the penultimate heat, Fredriksen taking advantage to end a disappointing night for him on a high.

The last race was run in dreadful conditions with visibility virtually zero. It looked good when Palovaara trapped but the home pair revelled in the slop as Harris and Howarth squelched their way to the front for a 5-1, the Glasgow skipper adding yet another maximum – paid this time – to his haul.

Having gone into the meeting with hopes high, Bandits will be a little disappointed by the final score. But they will have been encouraged by the showing of Battye in particular which puts them in a positive frame of mind for the reverse fixture. Tickets for Saturday night’s meeting are on sale here.

Tigers: Chris Harris 14+1, Mario Hausl 3, Leon Flint 9+1, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 5+2, Kyle Howarth 13, Sam Hagon 5+1, Freddy Hodder 2

Bandits: Peter Kildemand 7, Jye Etheridge 4+1, Victor Palovaara 9+1, Lasse Fredriksen 4+1, Nick Morris 9, Jack Smith 3+1, Reid Battye 3+2

Pictures: Taylor Lanning