Rossiter on the look for a new rider

BELLE VUE skipper Hans Andersen says there is far more to come from the new-look Aces after they secured a 47-43 win over Wolverhampton in their first home Elite League fixture.

Andersen said: “I didn’t score as many points as I would have hoped after winning my first race so it was nice to see that there were other riders in the team who could go out and win races instead. It is an enjoyable team to be in.

“The team will get a lot better as the new boys learn the best way round and also as the new pairings of riders learn how to race together.”

COVENTRY boss Alun Rossiter is looking at potential targets after winter signing Christian Hefenbrock was ruled out for around three weeks with ankle ligament damage.

Rossiter said: “I spent the weekend looking at options after Christian’s crash, as it’s clear to me that we aren’t strong enough to use rider replacement throughout the busy period we have coming up.

“I have a few irons in the fire and I’m hoping to get one of them concluded shortly to come in as an injury replacement for Christian, and then we’ll look at things again when he’s fit.”

EASTBOURNE boss Trevor Geer was a frustrated man after seeing his side drop more home points with a draw against Lakeside.

Geer said: “We were lucky to get a draw in the end, I couldn’t see us getting back into it at one stage. We’re chucking too many points away and we’ve got to stop it.

“We were relieved to get a draw, but the way Dawid (Lampart) is riding, we should be trouncing teams.”

IPSWICH have announced plans to stage the Billy Sanders Memorial meeting at Foxhall on Thursday April 29.

The meeting will take the form of a Best Pairs event with three pairs of Australian riders and three British pairs with a number of the sport’s rising stars involved.

A host of Sanders’ contemporaries, including Tony ‘Shrimp’ Davey, Colin Cooke, Mick Lanham, Preben Eriksen and Kevin Jolly, will be invited to attend.

LAKESIDE picked up two points for a hard-fought draw at Eastbourne on Good Friday and now re-launch their home programme against Coventry this week.

Hammers duo Krzysztof Kasprzak and Adam Shields both overtook Eagles skipper Cameron Woodward in Heat 15 of the Arlington encounter to make sure of the 45-45 outcome.

PETERBOROUGH No.8 Joel Parsons made a stunning debut for the club with paid-nine in the Good Friday home win over Coventry, and the Australian has now been handed another booking in Wednesday’s trip to title favourites Poole.

Parsons said: “I want to do as many meetings as I can. It’s brilliant to start the season with an Elite League club rather than coming in half way through the season. It gives me chance to gel with everyone early on and get to know everyone.

“I will never say no to Peterborough when they want me, as long as my Scunthorpe commitments allow. I want to keep it rolling and take on every meeting I can. The more meetings the better!”

POOLE face home and away clashes with Peterborough this week - with the two sides the most hotly-tipped by the pundits at this stage for success this season.

The Pirates go into the meetings after an emphatic 57-35 victory over reigning champions Wolverhampton on Easter Sunday.

Boss Neil Middleditch said: “As a group the boys had precious little time on the newly laid circuit because of the weather, but none of them disappointed and it was a very positive performance. But things don’t get any easier and the visit of Peterborough will be tough, that is for sure.”

SWINDON have been amongst the clubs hit the worst by the poor early season weather, with both of their Easter fixtures against Ipswich abandoned. Robins convincingly led the home match and were very much in contention at Foxhall before a halt was called.

Manager Ronnie Russell said: “It had got too dangerous at that stage, so it’s all to do again. There’s no plusses and no minuses and there’s certainly no winners. The public are the losers on both sides.

“I thought we could have had three wins from three and we’ve now not got that luxury. That would have been a wonderful position to be in.”

WOLVERHAMPTON secured the first three-point haul of their title defence by overcoming Belle Vue 50-43 at Monmore Green on Tuesday.

Aussie youngster Ty Proctor was the star of the show as he shared in no fewer than four 5-1 race results, and No.1 Fredrik Lindgren dropped his only points in the last race when the result was already safe.

Lindgren said: “It was a tough meeting, especially when they got that 8-1, but we’re pleased to get all three points and it’s a good way to open our league campaign.”