The Kent CTA Fire Kings limbered up for their vital away League match at King’s Lynn on Wednesday (10th.) with a highly competitive affair on Monday (8th.) to complete their National Trophy campaign beating the Leicester Lion Cubs by eight points.
The match held in much deserved sunshine (both times previously the East Midlanders had attempted to get this tie completed the match had been rained off) and in front of a large crowd, was of more potential significance to the visitors who needed a sizeable victory to grab a place in the Trophy Final to take on Mildenhall. In truth such a winning margin was never at all likely against a home side who have been in excellent home form in the League. But Kent have reserved their home reverses mainly for this Trophy competition where for some strange reason good League form hasn’t been replicated and even against a weakened Lion Cubs outfit this match-up went right to wire – victory only being assured in a last heat decider.
Bad memories which had seen the Sittingbourne-based side go into this final NT match bottom of the table and pointless, were briefly rekindled when the two guests who were to spearhead Leicester’s challenge, James Cockle and the hugely impressive Brendan Johnson combined to take maximum points in heat one.
But the CTA Fire Kings bounced straight back with their two swashbuckling reserves Danny Ayres and Jason Garrad returning the compliment; before the ‘M Squad, Messrs Morley and ‘Magic’ Mason combined in heat 5 to score another maximum and put the home side ahead for the first time in the match. The early exchanges saw some terrific racing: Johnson holding off Kent skipper Simon Lambert in heat 4 and newly-installed number one Benji Compton (bravely riding despite badly breaking a finger on Friday) storming from behind to get the better of the busy Johnson two races later. A lightning fast race by the exuberant Ayres (to the delight of the packed grandstand) in heat 8 spearheaded an extension of the lead to six points at the mid-point.
But heat 10 saw a comeback launched by Leicester skipper Daniel Greenwood and former Kent man (guesting for the Lion Cubs) Connor Coles, in a classic race where all positions swapped around: Ayres going from first to last and Compton relegated to third somehow in a blanket race to the chequered flag.
Heat 13 saw Compton headed home again but it was an engine failure by Lambert which really benefitted the Lion Cubs, who drew level with just two races to go. Remarkably both of those final two heats were to be 5-1s to the home side: giving Kent all three match points, restoring pride and giving confidence for the far greater challenge which awaits at King’s Lynn in their final league match of the season. There, a single point (which is obtained for a defeat of six points or less) would absolutely guarantee a play off place. The Kings are already certain of fourth place but question marks over what the league authorities may decide to do over points won against Devon Demons who’ve failed to race most of their home matches, mean the Kent side need the assurance of that additional point to 100% guarantee taking their season into the play off stage.
KENT 49: Ben Morley 12+1, Simon Lambert 10+1, David Mason 9+2, Danny Ayres 7+2, Benji Compton 6, Jason Garrad 5+, Aaron Baseby R/R.
LEICESTER 41: Brendan Johnson 12, Dan Greenwood 11+1, James Cockle 9+1, Connor Coles 5+3, Tom Wooley 4+1, Sam Chapman 0, Max Clegg R/R.
