There’s such a thing as leaving oneself a mountain to climb; then there’s leaving a mountain of K2 proportions… Sadly that’s the upshot of a night not to be fondly remembered on much lower terrain on the Suffolk/Cambs borders where the Kent Kings’ Play Off hopes became mired in the Fens, going down to a 32 points first leg deficit to table-topping Mildenhall in the Play Off semi-final first leg.
Not for the first time, there was huge frustration that a much-vaunted ‘Guest’ for the SLYDE-sponsored Kings failed to deliver – Eastbourne’s Georgie Wood won heat five but these three points were his only, on a night when the two jinxes which afflict the Kings - that long-standing one around Guests and the one this term affecting the number one race jacket - came together in an unholy alliance. That the only Guest who ever truly delivers (and how..) for Kent, Ben Morley was this time in the opposite corner only added to the frustration: especially as Ben scored paid 11, only dropping one point to an opponent all evening.
To be fair, one has to accept the brilliance of this unbeaten Fen Tigers outfit, with four out of their five riders joining Morley in getting paid double figures scores – spearheaded by the newcomer of the season, Drew Kemp on 17 and the most improved rider of the year, Ryan Kinsley (paid 15) – scoring that’s more or less impossible to live with, as every other Travel Plus Tours National League [TPTNL] side has found.
The meeting started with promise that maybe, just maybe the Kings could hold Mildenhall to a margin which could be pulled back once the sides resume at Central Park on Monday. The opening heat looked like it would result in a share of the race points with Wood second behind Morley and Anders Rowe holding the home skipper Jordan Jenkins at bay. Wood though caught unwanted drive on the second bend on lap three, went out of shape crossing the white line and pulling off track.
There was a shared heat in the following race – rerun after Sam Bebee crashed out when leading. Nathan Stoneman was a faller in heat 3 and there were two 5-1 reverses in a row when Bebee bounced back to pass Kent skipper Jack Thomas to partner the peerless Kemp home.
A mid-meeting minor recovery was threatened in heat 8 by teenager Rowe getting first to the chequered flag in heat 8 with Alex Spooner taking third and the deficit was 14 points at the half way point. Unfortunately, three more 5-1s and three 4-2s in the last seven heats took that lead to a crippling 32 – only a superb Stoneman win over Morley giving the large travelling contingent something to cheer. Wood (who faces Kent tomorrow in Eagles livery) blew an engine in heat 11 to end his evening.
There’s an urgent need to bounce back on Saturday in the Cup semi at Arlington. While for the second leg of this troubled Play Off encounter Kings management (without a Guest facility to call on then) will be hoping that it’ll be a Hurry-back from injury from their missing star to steady the ship.
