Speedway: Top-gun Henry is a winner

May 28 2007 By The Evening Chronicle

Newcastle Diamonds produced a real Jekyll and Hyde performance last night before snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against Wasps.

The Diamonds overcame a spirited Newport outfit 50-40 in a Premier League match at the Byker track.

Skipper Christian Henry recorded his first maximum of the season in a brilliant display, and his heat 15 victory won him the Bruce Hiscock Memorial Trophy.

Jonas Raun was beaten only once by a Newport rider when, during a very poor Newcastle spell in the early stages, he was headed home by former Berwick man Chris Schramm.

The Diamonds got off to a dream start when Henry and Carl Wilkinson romped away to take a 5-1 in the opening race.

But the dream soon turned into a nightmare as the Wasps hammered home two 5-1s and a 4-2 in the next three races to lead the sluggish Diamonds 15-9.

Josef Franc, after coming last in his first race, quickly got his act together and was not beaten again in his three other rides and provided main support for Henry and Raun.

But the Diamonds went further behind in a controversial heat 8 when former Newport rider Carl Wilkinson was taken so wide on the first bend by Michal Rajkowski that he ran out of track and could do nothing else but fall.

Amazingly, the referee let the race continue as an incensed Wilkinson stood on the centre green waiting to have words with the Pole once Newport had completed their third 5-1.

Wilkinson's body language was clearly observed by others and officials shielded Rajkowski and restrained the Newcastle man as the riders returned to the pits.

Whether that incident lit the fuse is debatable but, trailing 28-20, the Diamonds nibbled away at the deficit so effectively they were only two points down 37-35 with three heats left.

A terrific piece of cornering by Raun in heat 13 took him to the front and with Henry tucked in behind, the Diamonds left Schramm and Rajkowski trailing in their wake to put Newcastle ahead for the first time since the opening race.

The outcome was still on a knife-edge as Newcastle duo Ross Brady and Sean Stoddart, who had scored only five points between them, came out to face Newport captain Tony Atkin and Rajkowski in the next race.

But, to the great delight of the home fans, the hitherto struggling Diamonds made a decent start for once and held off the visiting pair to clinch a Newcastle win.

Team boss George English said: "That was a match of two halves if ever there was one.

"The Newport riders were rubbing their hands with glee when they saw the track and said it reminded them so much of their own place, so we knew it would be tough.

"However, we dug deep and got the result that looked beyond us at one stage."

NEWCASTLE: Christian Henry 14, Jonas Raun 13, Josef Franc 9, Ross Brady 6, Sean Stoddart 4, Carl Wilkinson 3, Ashley Johnson 1.

NEWPORT: Phil Morris 9, Chris Schramm 8, Michal Rajkowski 8, Tony Atkin 4, Tom Hedley 4, Nick Simmons 4, Barry Burchatt 3.

* Newcastle's Academy side won the first leg of their Knockout Cup match against Workington Northside 25-11.

The return leg is at Derwent Park tonight, with the winners facing either Birmingham or Poole in the next round.