PETERBOROUGH produced a pleasing return to winning ways - by sinking regular rivals Redcar for the fourth time this season!
The 'T Balfe Construction' Panthers triumphed 51-42 in an SGB Championship clash at the East of England Arena yesterday (Sunday).
Top duo Chris Harris and Jack Holder both delivered double-figures displays to spearhead their side, while Paul Starke, Ulrich Ostergaard, Bradley Wilson-Dean and the returning Simon Lambert also provided winning rides.
It means Peterborough have now claimed home and away league triumphs against the Bears after winning both legs of a KO Cup tie earlier in the season.
“It was great to be able to start the meeting with our full one to seven – and also finish it with everyone okay,” said Harris.
“Losing at home to Sheffield again on Friday was a big disappointment and we knew we needed to bounce back.
“Redcar are a strong side and they made it tough for us – just as we knew they would – but we got ourselves ahead and managed to stay there.
“It was really important to get a result for the fans. They turned out in force on Friday night to see us get beaten and they were back again in big numbers to support us against Redcar.”
Peterborough looked set to get off to the perfect start with Bradley Wilson-Dean in tow behind Holder in the opening, but the New Zealand champion lifted leaving the second bend on lap two and hit the deck.
He quickly cleared the track to leave his partner to take victory in the first of five shared races to open the contest.
Lambert made a fine return to action following wrist surgery when stalking long-time leader Coty Garcia before easing to the front through the final bend of heat two, before the home duos packed the minor places in the next three races as Redcar riders triumphed.
But Peterborough hit the front when Wilson-Dean and Holder’s second outing went perfectly to plan with a 5-1 in heat six before Harris inspired a 4-2 when beating Redcar captain Ben Barker in the next race.
The advantage grew again when Paul Starke took the flag in a 4-2 in heat nine and it reached double-figures when Harris blazed clear in the 11th instalment and Lambert pounced on a Jonas B. Andersen error to snatch third spot.
That allowed the visitors to deploy skipper Barker on a tactical ride and he made no mistake as they halved their arrears courtesy of a 7-2.
But any fears of a Bears fightback were quickly dispelled as Holder and Harris charged to a victory-clinching 5-1 before Ostergaard’s triumphed in a shared penultimate race ensured Redcar left empty-handed.
It meant the finale was largely meaningless, but that didn’t stop both bosses sending our their highest-scoring riders, who served up one of the most thrilling races of the 2017 season.
And while Barker, who so controversially pulled out of a recent Peterborough guest booking, took the flag in a 4-2 for Redcar, it was Panthers who pocketed three valuable league points.
The two teams meet again on Thursday (7.30pm) at Redcar ahead of another clash at the East of England Arena on Sunday, 5pm.
SCORES
PETERBOROUGH: Chris Harris 12+1, Jack Holder 11+1, Paul Starke 8+1, Ulrich Ostergaard 7+1, Bradley Wilson-Dean 6, Simon Lambert 5, Tom Bacon 2+1.
REDCAR: Ben Barker 15+1, Charles Wright 8, Jason Garrity 6+1, Danny Ayres 5+2, Jonas B. Andersen 4, Ellis Perks 2, Coty Garcia 2.