Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Rye House Rockets Website (Official)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Rye House Rockets v Kings Lynn Stars
KO Cup (QF), 24 June 2006
Hoddesdon Stadium, Rye House

Rye House 49
1Edward Kennett3232*2 ..121
2(g)Danny BetsonR1*R0. ..11
4Tommy Allen1*1*2*2*2 0.84
5Chris Neath22Fx23 ..90
6(g)Ben Powell2*11*.. ..42
7Steve Boxall31*223 31*152
Kings Lynn 44
2Troy Bachelor1*010R ..21
3Trevor Harding202*1*0 ..52
4Kevin Doolan33326^ 3.200
5Tomas Topinka33131 1.120
6Chris Mills1031Fx ..50
7John Oliver000.. ..00

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

Rye House were again without Jaimie Courtney, Ross Brady and Luke Bowen all out injured. Instead they had Danny Betson at number 2, used R/R at number 3 for Ross Brady and used Ben Powell at number 6. King’s Lynn were missing Daniel Nermark and used R/R at number 1 instead.

Rye House needed to pull back a 13 point lead from the first leg to make progress to the semi final of the Cup. King’s Lynn looked to be containing the Rockets well and were only trailing by two points on the night with just four heats to go. However consecutive 5-1s for Rye House in heats 12 and 13 put them within touching distance of the Stars and gave the visitors some worrying moments until Kevin Doolan raced off to win the last two races to see King’s Lynn through.

The match opened with a shared race won by Edward Kennett for Rye House but the Rockets took a 5-1 from the reserves race thanks to Steve Boxall and Ben Powell for a four point lead. Kevin Doolan won heat 3 and Tomas Topinka heat 4 after passing Steve Boxall and Chris Neath both for shared races so the score after four heats was 14-10.

It was Kevin Doolan again who won heat 5 from Steve Boxall and Tommy Allen then Tomas Topinka again who won heat 6 from Edward Kennett and Danny Betson both for shared races but Rye House were pegged back to all square on the night again in heat 7 when Kevin Doolan won for the third time and was followed home by Trevor Harding for a 1-5 after Chris Neath had fallen while lying third. Rye House then fell behind on the night when they conceded a 2-4 in heat 8. Chris Mills held off the challenge of Steve Boxall to win the race and Troy Batchelor picked up third place as Danny Betson suffered an engine failure. The score after eight races now stood at 23-25 and Rye House looked dead and buried.

The Rockets rallied with a 5-1 in heat 9 when Steve Boxall and Tommy Allen relegated the previously unbeaten Tomas Topinka to third to go two points ahead at 28-26 and the next two races were shared. Edward Kennett finally stopped Kevin Doolan’s winning run by winning heat 10 then Tomas Topinka won heat 11 from Chris Neath to keep the gap at two points. The Rockets saw a glimmer of hope when they took a 5-1 in heat 12 with Steve Boxall and Tommy Allen beating Chris Mills to take the score to 39-33 which meant that they still trailed by 7 points on aggregate.

The glimmer turned into a shaft when Rye House scored another 5-1 in heat 13. Chris Neath and Edward Kennett saw off Tomas Topinka and Troy Batchelor (R/R) to make the score 44-34 which left them now trailing by only three points on aggregate with two heats to go. However, because they now trailed by ten points, King’s Lynn were able to give Kevin Doolan a TR in heat 14. In the first running of the race Tommy Allen and Chris Mills crashed into the third bend fence with Mills excluded which put even more pressure on Kevin Doolan. However he made the gate for the big six points to finally extinguish the Rockets’ fire. Doolan then gated to win the last race too to finish with a 20 point total. Edward Kennett took second ahead of Tomas Topinka for a 2-4 which made the Stars’ passage to the next round look a little more comfortable than it actually was.

Match Report by Merlin