Four matches in Sweden tonight and in all four games it was decided in the last heat with no more than six points separating the teams.
PIRATERNA 43: 47 SMEDERNA (click for official highlights video)
With Gleb Chugunov injured yesterday in Poland, Smederna had to use Rider Replacement when they travelled to Motala tonight.
For the home team it was the first time that Danish rider, Thomas Jörgensen was in the team for 2021 after a successful 2020 season with the club in Sweden.
In the first three heats we saw three 3:3s, giving us a hint that the match was going to be close.
And it was the visitors who were the first to take a heat advantage as Michael Jepsen Jepsen took the checkered flag and Kacper Woryna picked up third place in Heat 4.
Smederna held that two points lead until Piraterna took their second 5:1 of the night. Oskar Fajfer was involved in both wins, the second of which was in Heat 10 alongside Polish teammate, Jakub Jamrog. That gave Motala the lead for he first time in the match, 31:29.
But the home fans were denied their first win of the season when Smederna took the last two heats with 2:4 heat advantages. Woryna chose the right time to get his first heat win of the night in Heat 14, supported by Andzej Lebedevs.
That led to 41:43 and a final heat decider.
And despite the range of foreign talent in both teams, it was Swedish rider, Pontus Aspgren (15+1, pictured) who won the heat and match for Smederna as well as being top scorer on the night.
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ROSPIGGARNA 48: 42 DACKARNA (click for official highlights video)
Dackarna travelled to Hallstavik without SGP star, Maciej Janowski, who was injured last week in Sweden. But at the last minute they also had to use Rider’s Replacement for Swedish champion, Jacob Thorssell who reported in sick with a high temperature.
That meant they had to rely on their inexperienced Swedish riders, Avon Van Dyck (18 yrs) and Max Bogdanowicz (23 yrs) who both have a 0.500 average.
The home team also were without their top Polish rider, Zielona Gora’s Patryk Dudek. But were still able to put out a strong team with two other SEC riders, Kai Huckenbeck and Timo Lahti in their side.
Even so, Dackarna led after in the first four heats, in part thanks to Australian SGP rider, Jason Doyle who won his first two heats of the night on his way 14+1, the highest scoring rider from Målilla today.
But in the end the home fans were treated to a close fought victory with 5:1s in Heat 12 and 15 won by the pairing of Lahti and Huckenbeck. In fact, the German scored a 15-point maximum on the night as his team beat the Målilla side.
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LEJONEN 46:44 VÄSTERVIK (click for official highlights video)
In Gislaved the home team led from the first heat as Robert Lambert and Mattias Thörnblom brought home a 4:2 victory.
And Lejonen would hold a two-point advantage all the way to Heat 12. But that heat was the first three 5:1 heats in a row as the match swung wildly as both Västervik and Lejonen fought to takehome the tie.
But in the end it was heat wins for the hosts through Thörnblom (Heat 13) and Lambert (Heat 15) that meant that Lejonen ran out winners 46:44.
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VETLANDA 43: 47 INDIANERNA
Vetlanda came to this match having won both their games this season and Indianerna lost their first two matches.
So, whilst the home team were favourites in many people’s eyes before the start, they were without the double World Champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik. And the visitors from Kumla were determined to take full advantage of the fact that Vetlanda were missing their star rider.
By Heat 7 they had won four heat advantages and were leading by 16:26 with Danes, Andreas Lyager and Jonas Jeppesen alongside Australian, Chris Holder doing the damage.
But the home side began to try to fight their way back into the tie, and it was Rune Holta who would lead Vetlanda’s attack. He won four of five heats and was just two points from a maximum on his home track for 2021. That included the final heat, but by that stage it was too late and Indianerna surprised everyone with a 43:47 victory away from home, their first in Vetlanda for eight years.
You can find individual scores for each match at Speedway Nyheter
