BERWICK and Birmingham contrived to produce one of the most entertaining meetings of the season at Shielfield on Saturday.

Many expected the title-chasing Brummies to come to the Borders and push the Bandits all the way, or maybe even return to the second city with another away win under their belts.

From the way in which they set about their business, producing five of the first seven race winners, it was obvious they were not going to be a push-over.

The veteran pair of Jason Lyons and Steve Johnston led by example and with Richard Sweetman weighing in with a couple of early victories Berwick knew they had a fight on their hands.

At 22-20 after seven it was mightly close and the balance of the meeting could have tipped either way.

But on a well prepared racing strip, which produced some thrilling action, Berwick dug deep and after Paul Clews, Lee Complin and Jade Mudgway, along with Birmingham guest John Branney, all showed their willingness to fight their way from the back, Berwick gradually started to develop a stranglehold on the meeting.

A second win of the night in eight for the quick-gating Michal Rajkowski, saw Bandits go four ahead, and when Clews blasted his way around the outside of Johnston in nine and then Adrian Rymel and Rajkowski picked up a 5-1 in ten, suddenly the home side were ten in front at 35-25.

This gave Birmingham the opportunity to use Lyons as a double-pointed tactical ride in 11, and despite the efforts of Complin, especially on the opening lap when they went wheel to wheel into the third bend, the Aussie managed to power his way to victory.

And with Johnston following Complin home in third, a 2-7 reduced the deficit to 37-32, which meant it was game on again.

But heat 12 proved to be the race which was the catalyst for Berwick's victory, with both Rajkowski and Clews battling their way past the always trying Branney for a 5-1 which gave them some breathing space again at 42-33.

With Lyons using all of his experience to clamp Rymel down on the inside of the first bend in 13, Johnston managed another win to keep the meeting alive, but a 5-1 from Rajkowski (his fourth win and fifth paid victory of the night) and Michal Makovsky meant Berwick knew they were guaranteed the full three league points.

Lyons and Johnston rounded off a good night for the antipodean pair in 15 when they took a 5-1 to give the final scoreline a more respectable look.

It might have been a lot closer, however, had Justin Sedgeman, a rider who has been banging in some big scores lately, not had an off-night, contributing only one point to his side's total.

Overall this was a good meeting to watch and there can't have been many in the crowd who left feeling they hadn't been entertained.

After denting Birmingham's title aspirations - this was their second away defeat in 24 hours after losing to league leaders Edinburgh the night before - Berwick promoter John Anderson said:

"This was a fine, solid all round team performance.
"Many people expected Birmingham to come here and win, but we managed to pull it off.

"Michal Rajkowski was fantastic again with a paid 15 haul. We had a few moments which gave us cause for concern, but overall we were well worth the victory.

"If we can keep riding like this and turn in performances of this calibre, I think we stand a very good chance of making it through to the Young Shield end of season play-offs."

Rajkowski, who has been in fine form over the past three weeks, was naturally delighted at his performance and he said afterwards he was settling in well to his new role with the Bandits.

"I like it here at Berwick," he said, "although the track is a little on the big side for me, I prefer them a little bit smaller.

"I am scoring some good points and I am enjoying my speedway again. I struggled at Stoke at the beginnging of the season, and I wasn't really enjoying it because I was getting pulled out of some of my rides.

"I know I am at reserve at the moment, but if I keep scoring points like this I will soon be back up into the team again."

'Raj' has now returned home to Poland for a fortnight - Berwick do not have another meeting until they take on Rye House at Shielfield at the end of the month.

He says he has only recently finished his academic studies and is now training to be a sports instructor, something which he hopes to follow up on when his racing days are over.

Berwick - Rajkowski 14+1, Clews 10+3, Complin 8, Rymel 8, Makovsky 7+2, Mudgway 3+1, C Branney R/rep. Birmingham - Lyons 16, Johnston 13+2, Sweetman 7, J Branney 6, Sedgeman 1, Newman 0, Summers R/rep.