It’s crunch time in the National Trophy [NT] on Whitsun Bank Holiday Monday (27th. May, 4pm start time) with the holders and current Group leaders Mildenhall Fen Tigers visiting Central Park.
With the TouchTec Kings having secured an invaluable win away at Mildenhall last Sunday (19/5), the destiny of the 2019 NT is very much now in the hands of Chris Hunt’s charges – knowing that a win on the Bank Holiday will put Kent on the very cusp of glory in the competition; and what would be the club’s very first piece of national team silverware.
The Suffolk side though, will be at full strength – as opposed to the TouchTec-sponsored Kings who will still have injured duo Alex Spooner & Dan Gilkes on the sidelines; so it remains a considerable challenge facing the Sittingbourne-based team on Monday.
Not least because at number one for the visitors is a rider who knows the Central Park circuit like the back of his hand, former Kings’ favourite Danny Ayres. The 32-year-old began his Speedway career with the Kings in 2014 and had such a remarkable rise that by the end of the following season he was part of the winning twosome in the National League Pairs and finished runner up (to his then Kent team mate and Pairs colleague, Ben Morley) in the NL Riders’ Championship.
Ayres is one third of an undoubtedly potent heat leader trio for the Fen Tigers which also includes former Eastbourne teenaged prodigy, Jason Edwards and another rider with some higher division experience (like Ayres in the bracket of a rider taking to the sport in more advanced years), former Buxton & Stoke man David Wallinger.
Also joined up with the side from the fens this term is Edwards’ colleague from the title-winning Eagles of last season, Charlie Brooks; whilst retained from Mildenhall’s NT winning side of last year is Aussie Matt Marson. The side has rookie Elliott Kelly (who’ll be a Central Park first-timer on Monday) at reserve, alongside occasional Kings’ stand-in rider from previous campaigns, Macauley Leek.
For the homesters, Drew Kemp & Jordan Jenkins (both in sparkling form) will be relishing the opportunity to show what they can do on their new home track against their former employer; whilst Nathan Ablitt (also scoring well so far this season) will be back after missing last Monday’s home meeting as a precaution after a heavy tumble the afternoon before in that vital win up at West Row. Jacob Clouting continues as Ablitt’s reserve partner in Gilkes'’ absence with Rider Replacement used for Spooner. Skipper Rob Ledwith will be leading the line as ever for the Trophy-chasing Kings.
Quite how vital that away win over Mildenhall was has been doubly emphasised by the news that, contrary to previously announced arrangements, the authorities have declared that the destiny of the 2019 NT will be decided within the Group alone – the team topping the table (Isle of Wight & Plymouth being the other protagonists) will take the title with no Grand Final. Kent are in the box seat with three matches left to go for the TouchTec Kings as Chris Hunt explains,
“With us being three points behind but having two matches in hand, we know that if we can stop our visitors on Monday getting any points at all we would pull level on match points – though almost certainly still in arrears on points difference. That would mean we’d need just one point from our next two matches to take the NT, with Isle of Wight away on Thursday coming and then at home the following Monday to come, giving us a chance to clinch the silverware. But if Mildenhall were to win, draw or get the bonus point (and we can’t take anything for granted against such a strong side), well, then it would be squeaky bum time going into those two matches with the Warriors.”
They’ll be a collection at the meeting on Monday organised by the Supporters Group for the two injured Kings’ teenagers, Alex Spooner & Dan Gilkes.
The gates open at 2.30pm with the pre meeting parade at 3.45pm and tapes up for one of the most significant meetings in the Kings’ six years’ history at 4pm.