A late comeback to snatch an all-important bonus point shifted the National Trophy [NT} odds back in favour of the Kent TouchTec Kings on a dramatic night of racing on the Isle of Wight (Thursday 30/5).
It looked like a case of the Island of No Return after a traumatic start saw the TouchTec Kings trailing by 12 points after the opening six heats but on an evening when the visitors were up against it from the outset, restricting the final deficit to six (and thus taking the additional point on offer to a visiting side who lose by that score or less) meant there was able to be a sense of grim satisfaction at inching closer to the ### of taking the club’s first ever piece of national silverware.
That start saw the hosts take a lead they were never to lose in heat two in the reserves race with youngsters Wirtzeld and a very fast starting King taking the maximum. That it was going to be a difficult evening for Chris Hunt’s charges was clear when a second 5-1 reverse immediately followed – a very lively looking Danno Verge chalking up the first of three wins against his former side – surely the best home meeting for the rider from Shorne since his move to Smallbrook. The second of those wins in heat five had a trace of good fortune about it with Kings’ number one (beaten by his Warriors’ counterpart Georgie Wood, on borrowed equipment all meeting in the opening heat) falling while leading in heat five,
It was now backs against the wall time with skipper Rob Ledwith and youngster Nathan Ablitt launching the comeback with a 4-2 heat advantage at last in heat eight – paving the way for a steady way back inti the match in the second stanza of the match. The captain was out once more in the next race and first to the chequered flag again – Jacob Clouting making it another 4-2 after Verge suffered engine malfunction.
The hosts reversed their sudden decline with Wood rounding Anders Rowe to win heat 10 but it was Kemp & Rowe taking wins in heats 11 & 12 (the latter an absolutely critical 5-1 for the Kings with Ablitt taking second) and now the match points were up for grabs again – especially with Wood now finding his luck with the bike borrowed for the evening running out.
Enter Danno again though with a heat 14 win which combined with the savage misfortune for the visitors of Ablitt falling on the final bend of lap three to gift King a match wining point and crucially saw the lead back to eight points. That of course clinched the win on the night but it was all about ensuring that bonus point and Kemp and Rowe were given the challenge of reducing that deficit to below the seven points ceiling. Kemp duly delivered beating one of his predecessors as Kent number one, Ben Morley and Wood’s mechanical woes continued with Rowe making in the 4-2 needed to take the bonus point.
The action now shifts to Central Park on Monday (3rd. June) with the TouchTec Kings needing just one more point to clinch the title - the IOW now requiring not just an away win but the full four match points which means a win on the night by seven or more. As a bullish Chris Hunt commented, “We’ve no intention of just falling over the line to take the NT - we want to give our fans (who were magnificent tonight travelling here in such large numbers) an evening to really celebrate on Monday with a win and the Trophy clinched!”
Isle of Wight Warriors 48 Georgie Wood 3, 3, 3, R, R 9 Chris Widman 1, 1, R, R 2 Ryan Terry-Daley 2*, 1, 2, 1 6+1 Danno Verge 3, 3, R, 3 9 Ben Morley 3, 3, 2, 3, 2 13 Connor King 2*, F, 1*, 1 4+2 Chad Wirtzfeld 3, 0, 2, 0 5
Kent TouchTec Kings 42 Drew Kemp 2, F, 3, 2, 3 10 Rider Replacement - Alex Spooner Anders Rowe 1, 2^, 2, 2, 3, 1 11 Jordan Jenkins 0, R, 1*, 1*, 2 4+2 Rob Ledwith 2, 2, 3, 3, 1* 11+1 Jacob Clouting 0, 0, 1, M 1 Nathan Ablitt 1, 1*, 1, F, 2*, F 5+2
