Last night’s semifinal first leg matches in Västervik and Eskilstuna left everything to play for in next week’s concluding game before the finals start on 24 September.
Västervik Speedway v Målilla Dackarna
Last year’s finalists Dackarna came to Västervik as favourites with the home team weakened by an injury to their top rider, Nicki Pedersen.
So, as expected, the visitors took the match to the home team winning 8 of the first 10 heats with only Australian, Jack Holder able to salvage two heat wins for the host team.
After Heat 10 the score stood at a convincing 23:37 to the team from Målilla. But instead of capitulating, the home side launches a remarkable comeback to keep their final chances alive.
The east coast team won the last four heats and took three 5:1 heats as Australian Holder (14), Swedish Peter Ljung (11+4) and the young Pole Bartosz Smektala (11) dominated proceedings.
The visitors’ collapse was perhaps due to the thought they had the match won, or maybe that their top riders Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek were tired after an intensive weekend with SGP and Polish semi finals. Whatever the reason, they lacked the killer touch when it counted and let a 15 point lead slip to just two, so that match finished 44:46.
Dackarna will still be favourites to win on their home track in Målilla but they have received a major warning - do not to take Västervik likely if you want to make it to their second Elitserien final in a row.
Eskilstuna Smederna v Vetlanda Speedway
Rain delayed the start by over an hour, but when it was finally underway fans were treated to a tight speedway match. As soon as one squad appeared to take the lead the other countered, so that at the end of heats 5, 6, 13 and 14 the teams were equal on total points.
We’ve waited all season for it, but for the first time this year, Vetlanda’s Bartosz Zmarzlik scored 0 in a heat, when he was disqualified from Heat 4 as both wheels were judged to have crossed the inside line. But otherwise it was business as usual for the joint SGP leader as he dropped only one point in his next four heats finishing with 11.
Eskilstuna can thank a great Heat 15 performance from Russian Gleb Chugenov and Polish Piotr Pawlicki which saw them take a 4:2 win that gives them a two point advantage going into the return match next week. Otherwise the team’s top performance was the Latvian Andzejs Lebedevs who had a great night scoring 12+2 (he is pictured, above, racing against Vetanda’s Dominik Kubera in last night’s match).
Vetlanda may have the mental edge going into next week’s home fixture, but you would be foolish to count out Smederna, who will be looking to secrete their third ESS final in a row.
