28 points is the deficit the Kent TouchTec Kings need to overcome as they go into the second leg of the National League [NL] Grand Final against Leicester Lion Cubs at Central Park on Monday 21st. October.
Both sides are poised to be unchanged but this time all in the Kings’ camp look for a very different outcome.
Team boss Chris Hunt commented, “We know as a unit that our performance was not up to either our normal standards or what’s needed to win a Play Off Final in the first leg. Time to dust ourselves down and come again. The Lion Cubs are really dialled into their home circuit as their awesome home form this term shows; and they’ve really reaped the benefit of all the practice on non-race days their riders are able to take advantage of. But for their second strings and reserves that won’t be the same story at our place on Monday and we need to ensure they’re not in the points this time. Their top two Ellis Perks and skipper Danyon Hume are, of course, two major stars of the NL – with Perks uniquely riding in all three divisions and Hume able to take an additional ride due to the Rider Replacement allowed for the absent third heat leader Luke Ruddick. Ensuring our riders meet the considerable challenge of stopping Leicester’s big two’s scoring prowess is the second thing we need to do to turn this around. We will give it our all that’s for sure”.
Skipper Rob Ledwith is of similar mind-set, reflecting initially on the way things didn’t go right in last Wednesday’s first leg up in the East Midlands, “We knew it was going to be a tough night and to be fair, Leicester doesn’t rate too highly on any of the lads list of tracks to ride on. The track’s home advantage was no doubt exacerbated by the weather and the Beaumont Park track staff had done well to get the meeting on. The Lion Cubs were better positioned to deal with the conditions for sure - we ended up getting our backsides well and truly slapped!
“Jordan [Jenkins] fell victim to the conditions twice while leading, as did Jake [Mulford] - and those points would have had a telling difference to the score-line and to their confidence in their subsequent rides. I’d never seen the place before which was a bit of a disadvantage and found myself hanging on for dear life on a few occasions!
“We will brush ourselves down and focus on a Monday now but we certainly have a mountain to climb. However, we’ll try our very best to climb it. The support we all get home and away is fantastic and much appreciated - we’re all disappointed we couldn’t give the large number of traveling fans more to cheer about last Wednesday; they certainly deserved more. Onwards and upwards though and we go again on Monday”.
The meeting will conclude with the traditional end of season farewells in the post-match Press Conference in the Central Bar, then back to the seats in the main grandstand from which fans will then have the perfect vantage point for the biggest and best Fireworks Display ever seen at Central Park to bring the curtain down on the most memorable of Speedway campaigns for the Kent TouchTec Kings. Whether this can also mark celebrating the League title to add to the National Trophy & Pairs titles already in the silverware cabinet is the question which will be asked & answered when the Grand Final gets underway at 6.30pm (gates open at 5pm).