Fourentee

Good analysis, IMHO. Would be happy with any kind of a home win. Looking forward to the match.

Yes, I take the points. But I also wonder if having what looks a strong pairing for the opening race is designed to ease any heat two pressure on what is a relatively inexperienced reserve pairing. As you say, we should find out soon enough!

Nothing at all, for me!

FWIW I'm happy as it is; I like the Morris/Douglas engine room and putting Worrall at five is like a vote of confidence in him, which should help at a new club. I think the change of track will do him good; it's no reflection on Belle Vue but sometimes a long relationship can go stale and it may suit both parties to split.

CVS mentioned that there are to be no more drawn matches, at the behest of TV (apologies if this is already in the public domain; it was new to me). Drawn match to be settled by a heat 16 with the 4-3-2-0 scoring (or they could be there all night!). Wolves voted against but lost the day; Peter Adams looked particularly miffed (as the architect of the previous system) but said he bowed to a democratic majority.

I believe state top four suffices.

Congratulations to Peterborough, a side which has comfortably exceeded most people's expectations (mine included) over the course of the season. Honestly thought Belle Vue would turn them over during the course of the two legs; the rally from 10 down at the NSS appeared pivotal at the time and probably gave them the confidence to push on tonight. Commiserations to Belle Vue, who must be heartily sick of these near-misses.

Congratulations to Peterborough on their victory. Panthers v (in all probability) Aces has the potential to be a really good final for the neutral, given that both sides go well on each others' circuits. Disappointing for Wolves but, hey, that's sport and we go again.

Surely you can use the outcome of previous matches to take a form line going forward? Otherwise Peterborough would, presumably, have picked Sheffield!

I would never applaud the loss of a track, but I do hope this move does not rebound on Rob Grant. Decisions made in the grip of strong emotion are frequently not wise ones. But, good news for the sport in general and the Diamonds fans in particular. Fingers crossed.

By that logic you'd be overwhelming favourites against Belle Vue in the final, then? No, thought not...

And had the home leg first each time, I believe.

No point. Different track prep only unsettles the home side. Look at all the consternation over the surface for P'boro v Sheffield.

Think the Alwalton leg might be fairly tight, actually, but only if Wolves can carry some sort of lead into the match. They only lost there by eight in the second league encounter and that was after dropping a last-heat 5-1. Their problem, ironically, may well be in trying to establish any kind of advantage from the home leg. Harris at No.2 worked like a dream in the second Monmore match and you can bet your last penny that he'll be in the same slot on Monday (I'm assuming Ostergaard still tops the averages?). If Peterborough don't have many to make up, leg two could be a long old night for Wolves. But if they could somehow dig out an unlikely 10-point home win and keep it tight away early on, then we could have an interesting tie on our hands. But, overall, you'd have to make Peterborough favourites -- not overwhelmingly, but certainly 60-40% or thereabouts.

I don't blame them!

Yes, presumably Sheffield have influenced the thinking, but I reckon Belle Vue fans have perked up with this news!

Can't get my head round this at all. Makes little sense for Peterborough (Wolves, IMHO, being the team most likely to eliminate the Panthers' biggest problem, Belle Vue) and no sense at all for Wolves. One of the biggest pluses for Wolves this season has been the form of Sam Masters at No.1, but arguably his one awkward track is the Showground. Conversely, who would entertain the possibility of picking a Monmore date against a side featuring track specialists such as Andersen and Harris? PS: Could this now be Belle Vue's year?!

Interesting result and gives Peterborough something to think about once they have beaten King’s Lynn, which I would expect them to do. If they regard the track condition tonight as something of a one-off and also feel happy reverting to R/R, I suppose they may yet take Sheffield in the semi in the hope of Wolves eliminating Belle Vue. Picking Wolves is likely, on the face of it, to see the Aces in the final. Either way, it looks a trickier decision now than it did earlier this evening. From a Wolves perspective I hope they take Belle Vue, but don’t anticipate getting that lucky! And that remark shouldn’t be interpreted as taking anything away from Sheffield’s performance tonight.

OK you beat me in the run-in to the line on that one!

No, because Schlein was third in the averages.

Well said.

Indeed, but they also started the season at three and four.

Actually, I'd forgotten that. Maybe my subconscious has chosen to obliterate the pain!

Good move, as I posted before the match. Always a pleasure to watch Harris round Monmore.

Sure. But then you're breaking the strong Morris/Douglas partnership so on the one hand, on the other hand etc! But, yes, that's the easy fix.