ISLANDERS LET LEAD SLIP AWAY

By Bryn Williams - Monday, April 7, 2008
WIGHTLINK Islanders slipped to a 47-42 defeat at Newport, South Wales, yesterday (Sunday) afternoon in their latest Premier Trophy group match.
The Islanders, operating the rider replacement regulations to cover for injured Polish star Kryzsztof Stojanowski, led by 36 points to 29 after 11 of the 15 heats, but the match slipped away from them after the interval with the home side claiming three maximum 5-1 advantages in three of the last four races, with the other one shared.
There were no excuses from team manager David Croucher, who said: "When you look at it objectively, we should have won and while we had some bike problems, I'm not going to use that as an excuse.
"It's still very early in the season, though, and these Premier Trophy matches are the vehicle to be used to sort out, and hopefully cure, any such problems in readiness for the league season ahead.
"As I said, it was disappointing to have lost but we will get things together."
Islanders scorers (in riding order): Jason Bunyan 5, Cory Gathercole 8, Krzysztof Stojanowski (rider replacement), Paul Fry 7, Glen Phillips 9, James Holder 6, Andrew Bargh 7.
The next home meeting will be tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7.30pm, when Somerset Rebels visit the Island for another Premier Trophy match.
• Stojanowski was expected to be out of action for at least ten days, after damaging a wrist in his opening ride at Somerset.
X-rays at St Mary's Hospital, Newport, revealed he had sustained a cracked left wrist.
It seems likely that, as well as tomorrow's meeting at Smallbrook when Somerset Rebels visit, he will probably also miss the away matches at Rye House on April 14 and Reading on April 16.
In these matches, Islanders are forced to use the rider replacement regulations to cover for his absence which, in essence, means his rides are shared among the other team members, with everyone eligible to take at least one of his rides.

ISLANDERS LET LEAD SLIP AWAY

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