Delighted boss Jitendra Duffill says his Redcar Bears side’s battling qualities can serve them well at Rye House tonight and beyond.
The Ecco Finishing Bears battled back from behind three times to beat Peterborough Panthers 47-43 at home on Thursday.
They were six points down at one stage and trailed by four with just three heats remaining but pulled it out of the bag.
They saved their best until late on too, with Richard Lawson flying past Joe Jacobs while under pressure from Ryan Fisher to partner Aaron Summers to a crucial 5-1 in heat 13 and Carl Wilkinson winning as breath-taking a scrap as you’ll see with ex-Bear Ulrich Ostergaard to take the chequered flag next time out.
Hugh Skidmore was jut a point away from a full maximum too as the Bears took two points from a thrilling Premier League meeting that could have gone either way.
“It was a really hard-fought victory and there was a lot of fighting spirit in the team,” said Duffill.
“I think a lot of people would have given Peterborough a good chance of winning so I’m pleased with all the lads.
“You need that fighting spirit and will to win and we’ve certainly got riders who are battlers.”
With the margin at just two points going into the final race, Peterborough couls still have nicked it but Lawson and the spectacular Carl Wilkinson bagged a vital 4-2 after the impressive Lewis Blackbird was excluded for falling as he looked for a way past the former.
“We showed in heat 15 that we’ve got riders who dcan step it up, when it matters in a high pressure situation,” added Duffill.
“There were three or four riders I could have considered for heat 15 as well.”
The Bears, who were also due to ride at Plymouth last night, are next in action at Rye House tonight (7pm start).
They are demied a reunion with former Bear Mat Tresarrieu, however, as the French ace is away riding in a European Grasstrack Championship round.
As it’s a grass track event the Rockets must rely on a National League guest to plug the gap so they have called up former British Under-16 champion Nathan Greaves who scored paid four for them at Edinburgh last week.
Stefan Nielsen has bbeen struggling with a chest injury sinde a crash at the end of May but the Rockets are hoping he will be fit to ride this evening.
One to watch could be young gun Jason Garrity who really put the cat among the pigeons in the recent British Final at Wolverhampton.
ROCKETS: Luke Bowen, Steve Boxall, Jason Bunyan, Jason Garrity, Nathan Greaves, Edward Kennett, Stefan Nielsen (if fit).
BEARS: Luke Crang, Jan Graversen, Rafal Konopka, Richard Lawson, Hugh Skidmore, Aaron Summers, Carl Wilkinson.
BEARS promoter Brian Havelock has revealed he expects to unveil a new signing, possibly on Monday or maybe even sooner.
The new arrival would slot into the top five, giving the team a sting in the tail again with flying Dane Jan Graversen going back to reverse.
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