NEWPORT'S hopes of making further progress in the Premier Trophy where dashed as they went down by ten points in their final group fixture at the Clay Country Moto Parc last night.

Opponents Trelawny have taken over at the top of the Western Group and face Swindon in the pool decider next Tuesday.

The main weakness for the Hayley Wasps was at reserve with Barrie Evans and Carl Wilkinson managing only one point each.

That was in marked contrast to the JAG Tigers duo of Richard Wolff and Simon Phillips, who contributed 19 points (paid 24) from their 11 rides.

Newport began promisingly enough. They took a two-point lead after six heats and there were only two points separating the sides after eight races.

The meeting began on a frightening note with skippers Craig Watson and Seemond Stephens crashing on the first bend of the opening race.

Both riders took part in the re-run, but Stephens was suffering from a hand injury. He failed to finish the race and was forced out of the meeting.

Watson went out on a machine borrowed from Evans and joined Lee Dicken in a 5-1 over Pavel Ondrasik.

There was a sign of what was to follow, however, when Wolff and Phillips levelled the scores with a 5-1 over Wilkinson and Evans in the reserves' race.

Dicken provided strong support to Newport's Aussie aces Watson and Frank Smart. However, the Wasps were unable to compensate for the absence of injured Scott Smith. The only points they got from the four rider replacements were a win by guest Andrew Appleton, from Oxford, in heat 14.

The result of the match was already decided by that stage, with Trelawny grabbing a couple of crucial 5-1s in heats 10 and 13.

The race that effectively wrapped up victory for the JAG Tigers was heat 13 in which Harris and Wolff headed home Newport's top two, Smart and Watson. Trelawny: Seemond Stephens 0 (1 ride), Pavel Ondrasik 6 pts (4), Emiliano Sanchez 10 (5), Steve Masters 2 (4), Chris Harris 13 plus 1 bonus (5), Richard Wolff 13 plus 2 (6), Simon Phillips 6 plus 3 (5).

Newport: Craig Watson 13 (6), Lee Dicken 8 plus 2 (6), Andrew Appleton 7 (4), Scott Smith (rider replacement), Frank Smart 10 plus 2 (6), Barrie Evans 1 (4), Carl Wilkinson 1 (4).