NEWCASTLE’S hopes of getting revenge over Redcar in last night’s Premier League match on Teesside were virtually killed off in only the fifth race. Skipper Christian Henry suffered an injury to his left knee and had to withdraw from the rest of the meeting. Sure enough, the home side went on to win 53-40, and also bagged the extra point for an aggregate 108-78 victory to move immediately above Newcastle in the table. The Diamonds were just two points down, 13-11, when disaster struck Henry on the first bend of heat five when, after starting from the outside gate, the Australian was taken wider and wider by Redcar’s Chris Kerr, until he ran out of room on the track and fell. Diamonds’ team manager George English said: “Christian appears to have suffered ligament damage to his knee and, if that is the case, his season could be over. “I have already started looking for guest riders to put on standby for the two weekend matches against Rye House in case the worst comes to the worst.” To their credit, the Diamonds kept battling away, and once again reserve Sean Stoddart took the honours with a courageous 12-point (paid 14) haul, including a terrific win over former Newcastle skipper James Grieves, which ruined the Redcar man’s maximum. Carl Wilkinson, a faller first time out when leading in heat four, was the only other Newcastle race winner, scoring double points in heat 13 when, with Stoddart in support, the Diamonds notched an 8-1 to make the scoreline more respectable. Though he didn’t manage to win a race, Josef Franc tried very hard for his nine-point (paid 10) return, while Jonas Raun appeared to be the victim of a poor decision in heat eight when the referee decided Redcar’s Josh Auty had pipped him on the line. Henry’s knee will be examined at a hospital in Newcastle today and, with their place in the Young Shield still far from certain, the entire Diamonds’ camp is hoping the injury is not as bad as first feared. Redcar: James Grieves 14, Josh Auty 12, Chris Kerr 11, Daniel Giffard 9, Gary Havelock 5, Jack Hargreaves 2. Newcastle: Sean Stoddart 12, Josef Franc 9, Carl Wilkinson 9, Jonas Raun 5, Christian Henry 2, Paul Clews 2, Sam Dore 1. | 
