Speedway: Aiming for a double

May 19 2007 By Barry Wallace, The Evening Chronicle

Newcastle Diamonds will be among the pace-setters at the top of the Premier League if they pull off back-to-back wins at Mildenhall tonight and at home to Isle of Wight tomorrow, (6.30).

After blasting Berwick to defeat 58-34 last Sunday, there is strong belief in the Diamonds' camp they can do it.

Ross Brady, outstanding against the Bandits when he dropped just one point to an opposing rider, said: "If everyone rides the way they did against Berwick, we have a good chance of winning both matches.

"Mildenhall might be the smallest track in the league but it is a good racing track and we can do well there."

Brady speaks from experience as he rode for the Fen Tigers as a 17-year-old in the Conference League before moving up into the Premier.

Diamonds' team boss George English also feels his side can spring a surprise tonight despite the fact Mildenhall won at Stoke last Saturday, a place where Newcastle crumbled to defeat two weeks earlier.

English said: "We might well have won at Mildenhall last year but for the brilliance of our former star Jason Lyons and their high-scoring reserve Jon Armstrong.

"Both those riders are now at Birmingham so we don't have them to worry about this time."

One man who might just be a thorn in the flesh of the Warburtons-backed Newcastle side, however, is Czech rider Mario Jirout, whose Tyneside career ended after just five disappointing matches in 2004 when he was shown the door.

Jirout notched 11 points for Mildenhall at Stoke, winning three of his five races.

Tomorrow night's opposition the Isle of Wight finished runners-up in the southern group of the Premier Trophy competition and will present a tough challenge for the Diamonds.

English added: "The Islanders usually come to us just once a year and always do well, which is a bit strange considering their home track is the biggest in the league and not at all like ours."

The Islanders side includes two fast-rising stars from Down Under, Chris Holder and Corey Gathercole, as well as spectacular Pole, Krzysztof Stojanowski.