Team-mates Jamie Robertson and skipper Richard Juul were at loggerheads again at Brough Park last night, the teenager landing two punches on the Dane after the finish of heat 15.
The pair had a spat seven weeks ago at Byker after a racing incident and Robertson was furious again when he fell while he and Juul were trying to catch the Exeter duo in the final race, though the match had already been comfortably won by the Diamonds.
Robertson felt Juul was the cause of his downfall and landed two blows in the pits immediately afterwards, though the Dane was still wearing his crash helmet!
Earlier, both had played a big part in the eventual 49-45 win for the Diamonds, who, after starting the match without Jesper Olsen, were down to just four fit men at the end.
Kevin Little injured an ankle in heat five when Exeter's Mark Lemon dropped off in front of him.
The Scot gamely completed his other programmed rides but was unable to take one of Olsen's in heat 13.
Lee Dicken, having produced a tremendous pass of Seemond Stephens to win heat six, fell two heats later and was ruled out with a badly cut wrist which may even be broken.
Seventeen-year-old reserves Robertson and William Lawson took 13 rides between them filling the gaps and finished with seven points apiece.
Jason Lyons was his usual brilliant self and even found time to shepherd Robertson round to victory in heat seven as the Diamonds opened up a 12-point advantage over the Falcons.
Former top man at Exeter, Stephens found his touch after the interval and rattled off three wins in fence-scraping style, beating Juul on each occasion, but the Diamonds' captain stuck to his task and deservedly bagged nine (paid 12) points for his night's work.
The visitors took the Premier League bonus point on aggregate - 109-81 - but Newcastle stay three points ahead of bottom club Newport even though the Welshmen defeated Glasgow 53-39.
NEWCASTLE: Jason Lyons 14; Richard Juul 9; Kevin Little 8; Jamie Robertson 7; William Lawson 7; Lee Dicken 4.
EXETER: Seemond Stephens 12; Graeme Gordon 10; Mark Lemon 10; Mark Symonds 7; Michael Coles 6; Nick Symons 0.
NIN the Conference League match that followed, Newcastle Ultrafast Gems completed a double over Stoke Spitfires, winning 50-43 on the night and 101-84 on aggregate.
Both Robertson and David Meldrum notched paid maximums while John Branney dropped only one point in his five outings when beaten by Justin Elkins in heat five.
The edge was taken off the victory, however, when Gems' South African Byron Bekker left the track in an ambulance after hurtling into the fence at high speed in heat eight.
It was learned later Bekker's back protector had saved him from serious injury and he had suffered bruising to the base of his spine.
NEWCASTLE: John Branney 14; Jamie Robertson 11; David Meldrum 11; Paul Sharples 6; Carl Downs 4; Byron Bekker 3; Mike Pickering 1.
STOKE: Jack Hargreaves 16; Justin Elkins 7; Tom Brown 7; Rob Grant 5; Darren Andrews 5; Michael Mitchell 3.
