Niels-Kristian Iversen, always a popular figure during his days as a Newport rider, returned to the Hayley Stadium and lifted the Welsh Open trophy yesterday without dropping a point.

Stylish Dane Iversen, now with his Elite League speedway parent club Oxford, collected maximum points from his five rides, and although gating so well in the final, he worked extremely hard to hold off a fierce challenge from Adam Shields, with Magnus Zetterstrom, from Somerset, in third place. The Swede dropped only one point in getting to the final, beaten by Iversen in a tense heat 17 which also included Adam Skornicki, who suffered engine failure.

But it was fitting that the laid-back Iversen and unassuming former Wasp should take the first place after a perfect return from five rides.

Iversen, 23 later this month, after a glittering show, said: "I always enjoy coming back to ride at Newport. It was the first track I rode for and it is nice that the crowd still like me, although I don't ride here any more. It is nice to come back and that the crowd still appreciate me."

Tim Stone, Newport promoter, said: "It was certainly a popular win and I was very satisfied with the meeting, which produced a barnstorming finish, and plainly, no-one was taking any prisoners."

Three riders finished on ten points - Skornicki, Davey Watt and Ronnie Correy - producing a run-off for the last place in the winner-takes-all final. But having done the hard work Watt tangled with Shields in the final, ending in a heap on the first bend of the opening lap, and Watt was excluded from the rerun.

Skornicki, wanting to keep in the British shop window, made an excellent start for honours, running up three straight wins, but only picked up one point from his last rides, otherwise he would have rolled into the grand final.

Skornicki, who spent four years at Wolverhampton, couldn't find a team place with them this summer, so is now riding in his native Poland and Sweden. He hopes to be riding in Britain again next year. He said: "I am hoping to be back next summer but it would be quite difficult riding in Poland and Sweden and the Premier League.

"I had three wins and then made mistakes - but it happens."

Perhaps the most disappointed rider was Newport's Mads Korneliussen, whose only heat win came from his final race, but ironically he set the fastest time of the meeting in the rerun of an eventful heat 20.

It was halted when Patrik Linhart, one of the two Czech Republic riders on view in Britain for the first time, in the event for the first time, fell, and then Mark Lemon had a spectacular second- bend tumble while pushing Korneliussen, who clocked 58.90sec. The other Czech Republic rider was Miroslav Fencl. They are both with the Slany club back home, and watched the Friday Premier League win over Glasgow, as well as the British Grand Prix.

Newport's Kristian Lund stepped in for Rusty Harrison, who did not put in an appearance because of machine problems, while Karlis Ezergailis stepped in for Henrik Gustafsson, who retired with the recurrence of a wrist injury after three rides.

Individual scores: Niels-Kristian Iversen 15, Leigh Lanham 8, Kristian Lund 2, Henrik Gustafsson 4, Mads Korneliussen 6, Ronnie Correy 10, Andy Smith 7, Henning Bager 8, George Stancl 7, Magnus Zetterstrom 14, Mark Lemon 3, Adam Shields 12, Miroslav Fencl 1, Patrik Linhart 0, Adam Skornicki 10, Davey Watt 10, Karlis Ezergailis 2.

Final: l Niels-Kristian Iversen, 2 Adam Shields, 3 Magnus Zetterstrom, 4 Davey Watt.

l The most amusing and embarrassing moment in the meeting came when a tractor carrying out grading work struck the safety fence, resulting in a gaping hole on the back straight, but repairs were swiftly carried out.