Disappointment in the antepenultimate match of a frustrating City Gearboxes National League [CGNL] season for the Kent SLYDE Kings, saw the Sittingbourne-based Speedway side succumb to a heaviest reverse of the year – against the same side who three weeks previously had inflicted on the SLYDE-backed Kings their biggest home defeat: the Eastbourne Eagles.
Added to that was the fact that in six ‘derby’ matches this term against their newly-installed closest rivals (the Eagles joined up to the CGNL this year) the Sussex side has triumphed in all six, there’s no question this was a hugely disappointing reverse – especially as it came on the back of the high of the National League Pairs title the SLYDE Kings’ Ben Morley & Danny Ayres secured less than 24 hours previously.
Ayres and skipper Morley were in good scoring form again with three heat wins between them and both garnering double figures returns – but those three heat wins were the only ones the Central Park-ers managed and one cannot realistically have such a meagre return from a 15 heat match and be looking at anything other than a heavy defeat.
The meeting was delayed with it being announced that the paramedic support necessary to hold a meeting (i.e. personnel plus ambulance) were apparently not in place. After a protracted wait from the scheduled start time, it was announced that all was ready to go. There was a surprise when Daniel Spiller -the Eagles’ most recent recruit - whose German League match, which had expected to keep him away, had been cancelled, arrived in the nick of time at Arlington to take up his now regular slot at reserve.
The delayed match had a promising start for the upbeat visitors with Ben Morley inflicting a rare Arlington defeat on his counterpart at no. 1 in the Eastbourne ranks, the Kiwi Bradley Wilson-Dean. But as has so often been the case this season, particularly away from home, the malaise set in with a 5-1 reverse in the reserves race (heat 2) and a further seven heat advantages in the next eight races allowed the homesters to build up a large and ultimately decisive lead. The only exception in a depressing run had been Morley’s Pairs Champion partner Danny Ayres’ race win in heat three – with Aaron Baseby in third in that race it was actually the only bona fide heat advantage to the visitors of the match.
Come heat 10 and the SLYDE Kings a not so sweet 16 behind, Ayres was asked to go for double points under the ‘Tactical Rider’ dispensation and thanks to good back up from Baseby (their partnership restored with Danno Verge back in the no. 2 race jacket) a shared heat became a 5-3 to the beleaguered visitors – but that was as good as it got, with only Ayres’ good win in heat 12 interrupting another run of heat advantages to the now efficiently rampant home side.
Next up for Kent is a final home CGNL match on Monday vs. the Rye House Raiders, who by defeating Stoke on Sunday moved into the top four strengthening their chances of Gold Cup qualification. This is a local derby that the SLYDE Kings, who slumped to 8th. after the results at Rye House and Buxton, cannot afford to lose. With a big crowd guaranteed to welcome home the Pairs champs and the euphoria that generates, it promises to be a memorable scrap – the meeting gets underway at Kent Speedway’s Central Park home on Monday (7/9) at 6.30pm
Match details:
Eastbourne 58 Bradley Wilson-Dean 2, 3, 3, 3, 3 14 Richard Andrews 1', 1, 2', Fx 4+2 Marc Owen 2, 3, 3, 2 10 Georgie Wood F, 1, 1, 1 3 Ben Hopwood 3, 3, 2', 1, 1 10+1 Daniel Spiller 2', 1, 3, 3 9+1 Kelsey Dugard 3, 1, 3, 1' 8+1
Kent SLYDE Kings 34 Ben Morley 3, 2, 1, 2, 2 10 Danno Verge 0, 0, 1, 0 1 Danny Ayres 3, 2, 4!, 3, 0 12 Aaron Baseby 1, 0, 1', 2 4+1 James Shanes 2, 2, 2, 0 6 Ben Basford 1, Fx, 0, 0 1 Adam Sheppard 0, 0, 0, 0 0