Injuries hit Brummies play-off hopes

Sep 17 2007

THE Mercom Brummies have hit an injury-crisis as their Premier League play-off bid reaches its climax.

The postponement of yesterday's meeting at Glasgow was a blessing in disguise with Birmingham due to go into it without Manuel Hauzinger, Henrik Moller and Henning Bager.

That's on top of the Perry Barr outfit missing Emiliano Sanchez, who has been replaced by Phil Morris.

Hauzinger suffered a cracked rib in Friday's 49-44 Premier League reverse at King's Lynn and Bager broke a wrist in Saturday night's 51-42 challenge defeat at Workington and won't ride again this season.

He said: "The wrist is broken in two places and it's a question now of whether I have an operation or they put it in plaster."

Birmingham's luck was summed up at King's Lynn on Friday night when reserve Lee Smart was forced out of the meeting when his father was stung by a wasp!

The incident happened as they were nearing the Norfolk Arena and wound down their van window for some fresh air.

An ambulance was called to the scene and Smart senior was rushed to hospital with breathing problems. He has since made a full recovery.

At Workington on Saturday, former Brummies favourite star Ulrich Ostergaard put one over his former team-mates as the Comets claimed their first win over Birmingham this season at the fifth time of asking.

The Dane, sacked by the Perry Barr outfit last month after boss Graham Drury questioned his commitment to the club, scored 13 points and was only beaten by Jason Lyons in the final race.

Aussies Lyons and Ben Powell did most to keep the Brummies in contention, the skipper scoring 15 and Powell racking up 12+2 from seven outings at reserve.