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Kings Lynn Stars v Rye House Rockets
Premier Trophy (Group), 05 April 2006
Norfolk Arena, Kings Lynn

Kings Lynn 65
1Daniel Nermark2332*. ..101
2Trevor Harding1*2*21. ..62
3Troy Bachelor2*2*333 ..132
4Kevin Doolan332*3. ..111
5Tomas Topinka332*3. ..111
6Chris Mills3Fx32*1 ..91
7Simon Lambert2*2*1*0. ..53
Rye House 28
2Jamie CourtneyX0010 ..10
3Edward Kennett1Fn... ..10
4Tommy AllenR11*RFx ..21
5Chris Neath3R1#11 2.80
6Luke Bowen00RR1* 0.11
7Steve Boxall1126^2 21150

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

There were three points at stake in this match as King’s Lynn faced Rye House for the second time in five days. The Stars were looking to overturn the 10 points by which the Rockets won at Hoddesdon on Saturday night for the bonus point. They had Simon Lambert at reserve in an unchanged side but Rye House were without broken-wrist victim Stuart Robson and used R/R in his stead.

It took the home side just four heats to build up a winning margin and take the lead on aggregate. In the opening race Chris Neath, taking the R/R ride, won in the fastest time of the season at Saddlebow Road but he was so fast that he lapped his partner, Jaimie Courtney, who was consequently excluded! The opening heat was therefore shared but the Stars then ran up three 5-1s in a row. In the reserves race Simon Lambert passed both the Rye House riders to join his partner, Chris Mills, up front for the first of the maximums. Then Kevin Doolan and Troy Batchelor were next up heading home Edward Kennett before Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert again in heat 4 made it three in a row. In this race Chris Neath, in second place, suffered an engine failure as Simon Lambert passed Steve Boxall. Boxall fell on the last lap but got up for the third place point. The score after the opening four races was 18-6 with King’s Lynn already two points up on aggregate.

Things went from bad to worse for the Rockets who simply disintegrated. In heat 5 it was Doolan and Batchelor for another easy 5-1 from Tommy Allen before Chris Neath appeared in heat 6 for a TR. The result was yet another 5-1 for the Stars, their fifth in a row, as Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding headed Neath home. Since he failed to beat an opponent, Neath’s one point was not doubled. Edward Kennett and Chris Mills crashed in heat 7 as they exited the second bend and Mills was excluded from the rerun to end the run of 5-1s. Edward Kennet was replaced by Steve Boxall as Kennett was checked over by the medics but Tomas Topinka won the race for a 3-3. In heat 8 Steve Boxall took the second Rye House TR and he brought some relief for the Rockets by passing Trevor Harding to win the race for the full six points. With Jaimie Courtney at the back it gave the visitors a 3-6 race advantage to bring the score after the opening eight races to 34-17.

Chris Neath touched the tapes in heat 9 and had to start from 15 metres back so it was back to the 5-1s as Batchelor and Doolan completed their third maximum heat win as a pairing. Chris Neath took third place as Luke Bowen suffered an engine failure. King’s Lynn now led by 21 points, 11 on aggregate. Steve Boxall replaced Edward Kennett in heat 10. Daniel Nermark won the race but Steve Boxall got the better of Trevor Harding for second place so the race resulted in a 4-2 to the Stars with the Rockets hitting the 20 point mark, Boxall having scored 12 of them! Heat 11 provided another King’s Lynn 5-1 with, reserve, Chris Mills being followed home by Tomas Topinka from Luke Bowen but in heat 12 Steve Boxall and Luke Bowen followed Troy Batchelor home for a 3-3 to bring the score after 12 races to 51-24 with Boxall’s total now at 14 out of the Rye House 24.

With Edward Kennet on the sidelines reducing Rye House to five riders, their resources were stretched to the limit as Jamie Courtney took the R/R ride for Stuart Robson in heat 13. Tomas Topinka and Daniel Nermark scored a 5-1 in the heat with Chris Neath third and Rye House now looked to be struggling to hit the 30 point mark, the lowest total of the season so far. Things got no better for them in heat 14 as Tommy Allen fell in heat 14 and was excluded as Kevin Doolan and Chris Mills took maximum points from Steve Boxall taking the score to 61-26. In the last heat Chris Mills joined Troy Batchelor as the nominated riders for the home side against Chris Neath and Luke Bowen. Batchelor completed his five ride paid maximum as Chris Neath took second place from Chris Mills for a 4-2 to the Stars. A night surely Rye House will want to forget!

Match Report by Merlin