NEWPORT captain Craig Watson (pictured) was scathing in his criticism of his team-mates after the Wasps crashed to a 24-point defeat in the second match of their Yorkshire tour last night.

The battling qualities displayed at Hull 24 hours earlier had disappeared and Watson said: "I'm putting 100 per cent into everything I do and I expect the same from everyone else. That didn't happen and it needs sorting out.

"I don't know what changed but you'll never do anything with a two-man team." Guest Ross Brady, in for the injured Ben Howe, top-scored with 13 points but, with Watson weighing in with 12, the other four riders managed just eight points between them.

"We were off the pace all night and we've left ourselves with no chance of picking up the bonus points," said Watson.

"Yes, we had two riders missing and another riding with an injury but there's no excuses." Frank Smart was struggling with a hand injury picked up at Hull and, with Brady suffering late mechanical difficulties. It was left to number seven Carl Wilkinson to partner Watson in the nominated riders' race - on his 21st birthday!

But there were no celebrations for the Wasps who recorded only four race wins all evening and just two heat advantages.

Team manager Neil Street did succeed with his tactical substitutions, Watson winning heat seven and Brady the following race. But those 4-2s only narrowed the gap to eight points and Sheffield went on to ram home three more maximums. Street was convinced the absence of Aussie Scott Smith played a major part in the defeat.

"The track is so much like an Australian one and Scott would have loved it. Even without other problems, he would have got at least ten points and that would have left it a lot closer," said Street.

Most of the races were won from the tapes but Street offered no excuses. "Sheffield is a wonderfully easy track to ride but very difficult to ride fast. When you've got the likes of Sean Wilson, Robbie Kessler and Scott Smith, with all their experience, and the talented youngsters coming through and hanging onto their coat-tails, it's always going to be hard for the visitors.

"If you miss the gate, you've had it because you just can't catch them." And so it proved, with home captain Wilson twice setting season's best race times.

For the second night running, their were heated scenes in the pits. At Hull, a clash between Lee Dicken and Jamie Smith sparked a brawl between supporters of the pair, while, last night, Watson and Sheffield's Smith went nose-to-nose after a robust heat five. "He's one of the worst riders around and you just can't trust him," said the Wasps captain after coming close to being fenced by the home rider.

"But that was only one point. I'm far more disappointed with our performance. We know Sheffield are a superb home track team but that should have meant we were even more fired up to do well. We weren't and we paid for it."

Scores. Sheffield: Wilson 15, Complin 9+3, Smith 9+2, Moore 8, Kessler 9, Birkinshaw 3+1, Ashworth 4. Newport: Watson 12, Dicken 1, Brady 13, Smith r/r, Smart 4, Evans 0, Wilkinson 3-1.