A desperately disappointing night at Central Park on Monday saw the Kent SLYDE Kings’ miserable run of results continue with a fifth defeat in a row in all competitions: three of these at home.
There was really very little to take away in the form of positives, with the visitors in this National Trophy fixture, Rye House Raiders claiming nine race winners out of the 14 heats completed, with four maximum 5-1s in the opening seven heats effectively wiping out any chance of the Sittingbourne-based side claiming revenge for their recent defeat up in Hoddesdon against their local derby rivals.
The choice of GB international, Adam Ellis as guest for the injured League number one, Robert Branford paid dividends for visiting team boss Andrew Silver as he was able decisively to claim family bragging rights over his father Len’s Kent outfit.
With only Ben Morley and Danny Ayres offering any kind of meaningful challenge to the rampant Raiders (the skipper recording three race wins, one for double points; and Ayres two – including a 5-1 of the SLYDE Kings’ own partnered by Aaron Baseby), it was clear the team were suffering a hangover from the disappointment of narrowly missing out on National Fours glory the day before. There was no question that the Central Park side were missing the injured James Shanes too; and their woes were compounded when Danno Verge crashed out in heat 11 suffering an injury to his throat which led to a long delay and eventually to a trip to hospital in the County Ambulance for the popular teenager from Shorne.
That delay meant only 14 heats could be completed before the curfew – the final heat descending into dark farce with confusion after a mix up over helmet colours saw Adam Sheppard excluded for exceeding two minutes when time had become very precious indeed at this late juncture and then when breaking the tapes, former Kings’ man Luke Chessell sent back to the pits for abusing the starting marshal.
That was a sideshow all could’ve done without; what the Central Park faithful desperately need right now is a victory to celebrate. No home meeting next week which, with a growing injury list and low confidence levels, seems undoubtedly an opportune moment for a hiatus: when next in home action on the 29th it’s the not small matter of a Cup semi-final versus either Eastbourne or the Fours victors, Birmingham.
Kent SLYDE Kings 38 Ben Morley 2 , 6^ , 3 , 3 , 1' 15+1 Jamie Couzins 0 , 0 , 2 , 0 2 Aaron Baseby 0 , X , 1' , 2' , 2 5+1 Danny Ayres 1 , 2 , 3 , 2 , 3 11 Rider Replacement – James Shanes Adam Sheppard 0 , 0, 0 , 1 1 Danno Verge 1 , 1 , 1 , 1' , X ,inj. 4+1 Rob Watts – did not ride