Speedway: Tigers lose out to Berwick

Jun 24 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

JAMES Grieves was in sparkling form against Berwick, but Tigers lost the weekend Premier League match 48-42.

The Elderslie biker racked up four race wins in a top-scoring 13-point haul, but the battling Bandits proved too hot for the Ashfield side to handle.

Grieves, 34, dropped his only points in a disastrous heat 11, when he was up against the top Berwick pairing of Michal Makovsky and William Lawson.

The Czech Republic star tried to anticipate the start, moved his bike a matter of inches, and Grieves shot through the tapes.

The Tigers favourite was handicapped 15 metres as a result and failed to make up ground on the fast-starting duo.

Grieves said: “I’m an anticipator at the starting tapes, and it has been working well for me recently.

“As soon as Michal moved though, I motored instinctively and was penalised. The handicap proved too great and that scuppered my maximum hopes.

“He apologised to me after the match, which was a nice touch, but by then it was too late.”

It was more of a shock that Tigers lost the match, but Grieves knows exactly why the points ended up heading back down the A1.

He said: “Berwick were thrashed by Kings Lynn at home the previous night and Lawson scored just one point. He chipped in with 14 at Ashfield.

“And our rider Lee Dicken was in stunning form against Newport last Sunday, scoring 16 points, but managed just four against the Bandits.

“I know the management team are desperate to strengthen the side but there is a shortage of good riders out there and they might just have to take who they can get.

“Ross Brady has been missing for months now with a broken wrist, while it’s still a few weeks till young Josh Grajczonek recovers from his broken ankle.

“We should still have been good enough to overcome Berwick. It was disappointing to lose yet another home league match.”