Swindon v Eagles Thursday 2nd April

ComeOnYouSpurs · Swindon v Eagles Thursday 2nd April

So what do we reckon about this one....

An humiliating defeat?
A brave but ultimately unsuccessful effort?
A nip and tuck affair that brings us the 1 point for a close loss or 2 for a draw?
Or....
A glorious victory?

What should our riding order be?

Anyone going?

ray

david's most unfavourite track . been seriously injured there at least twice , including the last time . Sad

Tweagle · Not expecting very much

I fear we might get a bit of a whipping. Sad

Swindon will have had a real wake up call after last nights very poor show at Poole.
Pavlic is likely to have his ears still ringing after yesterday. He was shocking. Embarassed

Fisher being absent must help us a bit, but not much.
Lewis, Cameron and Simon didn't exactly tear the place up last year, and Floppy cannot be expected to score many. Looks as if we will need a huge night from Davey and Lukas to keep it respectable.
I can't see us getting more than about 36 points. Crying or Very sad

Really hope I am wrong. If it is close then we can really look forward to a play off place imo. Razz

Riding Order I favour for this one is -

Davey
Floppy
Lewis
Cam
Lukas
Ricky
Simon

ComeOnYouSpurs

Like your thinking regarding the riding order Tweagle....

Part of the reason for Lukas being brought in was for his ability on the bigger tracks so he should therefore be able to cope with the no.5 berth at places like Swindon.

I'm a bit more hopeful about the result and reckon we might just about hold onto the point for losing by 6 or less if we can score as follows:

Davey/Lewis/Lukas - 26 between them.
Simon/Ricky - 10 between them (we should have the stronger reserves)
Floppy/Cameron - 6 between them.

I'm thinking about going and paying my Mum (who lives 15 minutes from the track) a visit after the meeting.

Anyone else thinking of making the trip?

nug

Just been on swindons website as ours has nothing on this fixture yet with it only 2 days away i find it a joke but back to what i found on there. They have the riding order down with cam and bridger swaping and that being the only change. I was thinking of going but feel if its right in what there saying then we have not got a chance of even picking up a point. It would be criminal to have lewis at number 2 and to keep norris at 5 on current form

parker

Can't see us being within 8pts of them, quite happy to be proved wrong. I thought Swindon gave good account of themselves away against Poole last night, got a dodgy referee decision on a re run as well. I'd also go with Tweagles line up for Thursday.

ray

if only the management thought more , as we do , formation of team , info on match , some enthusiasm , stating possiblities of coach travel to away matches ---- if only Sad

good selection tweagle , really concerned over david riding there again . if the team sheet was as tweagle suggests at least david would not be so exposed .he really needs help and thoughtfulness , but we are the only ones that even realise this . they are more concerneed over collecting the £ 1 for the grandstand . well let us not give it to them , they don't deserve it Sad

ComeOnYouSpurs

sussexbulldog

This is what I found on the Swindon site :-

After collecting their first 2009 Elite league point of the season on Monday night at Poole, the Robins' will be targetting their first victory of the league campaign.

Eastbourne have made an impressive start to the new season and gained victory over Poole in the Elite shield. Their 2009 squad is Captained by experienced Australian Davey Watt who is joined in the heat leader role by Lewis Bridger and Lukas Dryml.

Australian youngster Cameron Woodward fills a second string berth along with David Norris who has returned to the sport from retirement.

Elsewhere, the Swedish duo of Ricky Kling and Simon Gustafsson fill the reserve slots.

For Swindon, Cory Gathercole slots into the number seven berth and will therefore make his first appearance for the club in 2009. Elsewhere the squad remains unchanged.

Thursday 2nd April, Tapes Up 7.30pm
Swindon Robins vs Eastbourne Eagles
Referee: B Horley
Meeting Sponsor: Advane Insurance

Squads:
Swindon:
Leigh Adams, Troy Batchelor, Simon Stead, Travis McGowan, Jurica Pavlic, Krzysztof Stojanowski, Cory Gathercole.
Team manager: Alun Rossiter

Eastbourne
Davey Watt, Lewis Bridger, Lukas Dryml, Cameron Woodward, David Norris, Ricky Kling, Simon Gustafsson
Team Manager: Trevor Geer

I could be wrong but I think they are naming the squad not the riding order. After all they do not want us printing programs do they Laughing

ray

printing programmes ?who us ?? Wink

never surely --- well maybe just home matches---- Laughing

that's another £2 they won't get . they'll be searching us at the gate and wanting a surcharge on our own chairs Shocked

will forgive them to an extent though if floppy is riding 2 or 4 , otherwise i am with cous [ well i usually am anyway ] Razz

speedy dan boy · Re: Not expecting very much

DubaiJon

I think we have the edge at reserve so it really depends how Simon goes for the whole of the meeting. Floppy can only get better, even though he doesn't like the track and I think Lukas and Lewis will pick up some points and of course Davie is at the top his game.

That said we couldn't have had a much harder match to start with and if I'm being honest think we will probably lose by 12 to 14 points?

sussexbulldog

Report from the Argus is on the front page and they have changed the riding order :

1. Davey
2. Floppy
3. Lewis
4. Cam
5. Lukas
6. Ricky
7. Simon

Click on the link in the signature.

ray

looks like trevor has been listening Very Happy

ComeOnYouSpurs

Good news about the line-up.

If I was being picky I think I'd put Cam at no.3 and Lewis at no.4.

This would give us a strong finish with Davey/Lukas in heat 13 and Lewis/Simon in heat 14. Useful if we needed a late tactical ride.

ray

am quite nervous , but so relieved that floppy out of the front line there of all places. is'nt it nice to be able to congratulate the team manager . Very Happy

Eagle1971

Eagle1971

So near a point and very unlucky tonight. When the averages change and Simon is no longer a reserve bit worried that we might be a little weaker though?
Dave found some form again at two.

ComeOnYouSpurs

So back to my original posting on this thread....

It turned out to be a brave but ultimately unsuccessful effort.

So close yet so far.

Decent performances by most, particularly Lewis and Simon, and great to see Floppy getting among the points on one of his less favourite tracks. Hope he has no ill effects from his crash.

Ricky is still not coming up to expectations and his place must be under threat if and when Denis becomes available.

But my major disappointment has been with Camerons efforts so far this season, particularly away from Arlington where I think so far he's managed 8 or 9 points from 12 rides over 3 meetings.

At this stage of his career thats not really good enough and an extra few points at both Lakeside (where he managed 1) and tonight (where he scored 2) could have made meaningful differences.

And lets face it, he hasn't exactly been riding in the tougher parts of the line up has he.

As I've said on other threads, with our line up as it is we can't afford to have anyone significantly under performing this season and I'm afraid that is what Cameron is doing on the away tracks.

So come on Cam.... sort it out.

sussexbulldog

Full report is on the front page.

Click on the link below.

Kevin54

All things considered a good result, if you can call a defeat a good result Exclamation

Watt had an off night, otherwise who can say what might have happened.

Lewis and Simon very good.
Floppy steady score.
Dryml yet again improving.
Kling, not sure.
Cameron proving to be an enigma, he's a better rider than his scores, so what is missing Question

All things considered a decent confidence booster, if we can get this score at the "Title Favourites" with our number 1 having a nightmare, then wait till we are ALL on song Exclamation

ray

we'll join in the chorus kevin Smile

Tweagle

I watched the heats emerge on Live updates and although before the meeting a 49-41 defeat would have seemed a very respectable score, I think it was a real opportunity missed.
Crying or Very sad

Davey was clearly poor on the night which was disappointing as he had done so well in our previous four outings. 4 points from your number 1 isn't whats required when your number 7 scores 10.
Cameron is a real worry to me. By all reports he is trying really hard but just isn't getting the points his effort deserves. So far he hasn't had a good meeting this season and frankly on his current form is likely to soon be demoted to a reserve berth. Sad

. I know it's very early days and according to reports he didn't have as good a winter as he had hoped in Aussie, but he seems to be stuck in a rut - form wise. Hopefully Belle View will be easier pickings and he will get back some confidence and form.
The remainder of the team obviously did a super job,with Lewis and Simon absolutely excellent apparently, and Lukas, Floppy and Ricky chipping in a decent contribution. Razz

The rearranged line up seems to have been beneficial as well. Cool

Clearly the 2009 Eagles can potentially finish in the play offs even on this form, but if only everyone can be consistant we could shock the Speedway world with a top 3 finish.
To lose out on an away point in the final heat against the title favourities, can only be described as a missed opportunity in my opinion. Crying or Very sad

ray

fair comment tweagle , but it has given us all heart . thank goodness they re-arranged the line up . as for play offs , it's the top 6 this year . i still remember us losing out to wolves when we were hit by injuries , especially floppy in the first leg . lakeside performed miracles with their list of injuries last year . with both these matches it was on the night , not on the season , the champions were crowned . the peterboro / reading was probably the most exciting , and last year the finalists tied on league points , wonder what difference there was in the season's match points. i know sky and the fans of the top 2 fans love it , BD says rightly no point in reaching play-offs unless you finish 1st or 2nd , which for once most of us agree with him .but are there play-offs on the relegation issue again . it would be farcical , 8 of the 9 teams in play offs Shocked

DubaiJon

Logged in for live updates from Dubai and thought we had a chance halfway through. Ironically Floppy and Dryml scored more than I thought but Davie had a nightmare. Cameron was poor and the previous posts are correct scores of 2 or 3 are no good away from home. He needs to be scoring 8 around Arlington and 5 or 6 away from home if we are to have a good season. If Floppy is on the up as is Dryml things are looking good if Cameron sorts himself out. Might need to give Kling more time?

ray

welcome DJ, well i still am pleased overall . will be better than 9th . even if there is a play-off this year iro relegation [ is there ?]didn't check that out , confident then , and now , we will not be involved . really looking forward to tomorrow , starting in the pits . Very Happy

just wish there wasn't this feeling between the management and those of us concerned with BD's reactions Sad

Bazra

Despite losing & picking up no points I have to say this was a good performance. Was expecting to come away with about a thirty point loss.

Aussie2

According to today's Argus Davey Watt was suffering back trouble, he has been having treatment and should be for for todays match. Does anybody know where he hurt his back.

parker

Swindon v Eagles Thursday 2nd April

Not expecting very much

Re: Not expecting very much