NEWCASTLE Diamonds kept alive their Young Shield qualification hopes by staging an amazing recovery to beat title-chasers Rye House Rockets 47-43 at Byker last night. In a hugely entertaining contest, the Diamonds, having been slaughtered 65-26 by the same opponents around their tiny Hertfordshire track 24 hours earlier, found themselves 27-21 down at the halfway stage and looked a beaten side. But stand-in skipper Josef Franc sparked a remarkable fight-back by defeating the previously unbeaten Steve Boxall in heat nine after almost being speared by the other Rye House rider in the race, Luke Bowen, who later came to grief. Guest George Stancl, who had earlier suffered a fall when his bike stopped suddenly after the primary chain snapped, and Jonas Raun collected the first 5-1 in an incident-packed heat 10, which was re-run after Rockets whiz-kid Tai Woffinden came a cropper. Two heats later, Franc and lively reserve Sean Stoddart took the only other 5-1 of a highly competitive match by holding off ex-Newcastle Gem Adam Roynon and a subdued Woffinden to put the Diamonds 38-34 ahead. Rockets skipper Chris Neath shot to the front in the next race, but splendid teamwork by Carl Wilkinson and Stancl shut out Boxall to maintain the Diamonds’ four-point advantage. Newcastle’s lead looked likely to be cut to only two points when Roynon and Bowen held a 4-2 for most of heat 14, but new boy Paul Clews took a huge handful of throttle on the last lap and thrillingly blasted past Bowen to grab a vital third place on the line. Needing just a second-placed finisher in the last race to win the match, there was a shock for Newcastle when Franc suffered a rare tumble on the second lap, but out in front the spectacular Wilkinson kept a cool head to come home in fine style. Newcastle boss George English said: “That was an excellent victory against an excellent side very much up for it to try to achieve their aim of reaching the play-offs.” LAST NIGHT – NEWCASTLE: Josef Franc 11, Carl Wilkinson 10, Jonas Raun 8, Sean Stoddart 8, George Stancl 7, Paul Clews 3, Sam Dore 0. RYE HOUSE: Chris Neath 10, Steve Boxall 9, Adam Roynon 7, Stefan Ekberg 6, Tai Woffinden 5, Luke Bowen 4, Tommy Allen 2. SATURDAY – RYE HOUSE: Allen 13, Boxall 12, Woffinden 9, Neath 9, Ekberg 8, Bowen 7, Roynon 7. NEWCASTLE: Craig Watson 9, Raun 6, Wilkinson 4, Franc 3, Stoddart 2, Clews 2, Dore 0. | 
