PETERBOROUGH captain Ulrich Ostergaard insists his sights are still set on the SGB Championship play-offs – after leading the club to their latest triumph against big rivals Redcar on Sunday.
Ostergaard starred with a paid 13-point haul as the ‘T Balfe Construction’ Panthers eased to a 53-39 success against the Bears at the East of England Arena.
A blistering start – which featured a 5-0 and three 5-1s in the opening six races – put Peterborough in control and they retained a double-figures advantage throughout to stretch their unbeaten run against Redcar to six meetings in 2017.
Five of those have ended in victories with the latest one arguably being the most emphatic. It was sealed when guest number one Rory Schlein’s third race triumph inspired a 4-2 in heat 13 and a fine tapes-to-flag success from back-on-song reserve Simon Lambert in the penultimate contest ensured the Bears again left Alwalton empty-handed.
“It was an excellent performance and an important result,” said delighted skipper Ostergaard. “To come through six meetings against a team as strong as Redcar and not be beaten is a great effort.
“We know we were probably a bit unlucky not to have got the win up there last Thursday, but we have to keep looking forward, not back.
“We can’t change the results that we have already had, but we can give everything until the end of the season and hope that gets us into the play-offs.
“It’s going to be tough as there are a lot of good teams in the league, but we’ll do all we can to get there and hope a few others slip up.”
An Ellis Perks retirement and a Jason Garrity crash on the opening lap of heat one gifted Schlein and Bradley Wilson-Dean a 5-0 to start and Panthers quickly slammed in more advantages.
Lambert began the meeting as he ended it – in winning style – when leading home Tom Bacon for a 5-1 in heat two and another swiftly followed courtesy of Paul Starke and skipper Ostergaard.
Further gains in heats four (when Chris Harris triumphed in a 4-2) and six (as Schlein and Wilson-Dean roared clear for a 5-1) left Panthers in possession of a 19-point advantage with little more than a third of contest complete.
A run of three advantages in four races – which featured a successful Ben Barker tactical outing in heat seven – allowed the Bears to slash their deficit to 10 points, but that was as close as they ever came to their hosts.
Peterborough now sit seven points off the play-off spots, but don’t race in the SGB Championship again until going to Edinburgh on August 11 for the first of three away meetings in as many days.
The club stage the annual SGB Championship Fours event at the East of England Arena on August 6.
SCORES PETERBOROUGH: Ulrich Ostergaard 12+1, Rory Schlein (guest) 9, Chris Harris 8+2, Simon Lambert 8, Bradley Wilson-Dean 7+2, Paul Starke 5, Tom Bacon 4+2.
REDCAR: Ben Barker 16, Charles Wright 7, Jonas B. Andersen 5+1, Ellis Perks 5, Jason Garrity 4+1, Danny Ayres 2, Tobias Busch 0.
