Wasps 45 Rye House 45

NEWPORT Wasps were handed a British Premier Trophy South qualifying point in controversial circumstances at Hayley Stadium yesterday.

The vast majority of the paying public had left thinking the visitors had secured a quick-fire double having demolished the Wasps 67-25 at home the previous night.

However, as they were filing out of the stadium, word came through from the pits that Wasps’ management had protested that Swedish ace Linus Sundstrom had ridden an illegal bike in the final heat in which he had finished second behind Wasp Craig Watson.

With home skipper Leigh Lanham coming home third and Rye House’s other Swedish rider, Stefan Ekberg finishing last, the 4-2 heat success mean the visitors had won the meeting 46-44 – or so it seemed.

Soon Solihull-based match referee Chris Burne was frantically making telephone calls to league officials and after a 35-minute wait he decided to exclude Sundstrom for not using a rear wheel disc.

Rye House’ skipper Chris Neath was far from happy with the situation and at one stage could be heard calling out: “We beat you fair and square – and now this.”

The muddled events did nothing for the sport’s image and certainly clarification on how appeals should be considered must be addressed.

Mr Burne did his level best to discover what had happened, but at times members of both camps put undue pressure on him to make a quick decision.

In the end, he made the correct one – even showing me a copy of the sport’s rules and regulations which clearly indicated that the visiting rider was in the wrong.

Earlier the Wasps had looked in good condition to finish off the visitors after former Wasp Jordan Frampton had withdrawn because of injury.

They led 37-35 with just there heats remaining, but managed to lose all three – well until the successful appeals changed all that.

Newport Wasps 45 (number of rides in brackets): 1 – Leigh Lanham (c) 12(5); 2 – Craig Watson 10+3(5); 3 – Anders Mellgren 6+2(4): 4 – Kyle Legault 6(4): 5 – Kim Nilsson 7(4); 6 – Tim Webster 2+1(4); 7 - Todd Kurtz 2+2(4).

Rye House Rockets 45: 1 - Chris Neath (c) 4(4); 2 - Stefan Ekberg 8(5); 3 – Jordan Frampton 3(3); 4 - Luke Bowen 5(4); 5 - Linus Sundstrom 12(5); 6 - Kurt Shields 4+1(4); 7 - Kyle Hughes 9+1(5)..

Newport Wasps (at Rye House on Saturday) 25: 1 – Leigh Lanham (c) 7(6); 2 – Craig Watson 3+1(4); 3 – Anders Mellgren 1(3): 4 – Kyle Legault 4(4): 5 – Kim Nilsson 5(5); 6 – Tim Webster 2(4); 7 - Todd Kurtz 3+1(4).

l The Wasps continue their Premier Trophy South campaign at Somerset Rebels on Friday before they host the same opponents at Hayley Stadium on Sunday – tapes up at 2.30pm.