The Kent CTA Fire Kings maintained their excellent start to the 2014 National League Speedway campaign with a crushing victory over their hosts at Scunthorpe at the weekend. 

The Sittingbourne-based Kings were in imperious form – breaking records, as not only was this the club’s first ever win away from their Central Park home but was a largest ever victory for the Kent side in any competition since their formation just under a year ago and was the first time they’d ever passed the magic sixty points mark!

Indeed, but for a nasty injury suffered in the second heat to their former GB Youth champion, Eastbourne-based Brandon Freemantle, which saw the teen rushed to hospital and put him out of the meeting, it’s likely the margin of victory would’ve been larger and possibly have broken the divisional record for an away win.

But none of the large contingent of fans who’d journeyed up to North Lincs to cheer on the CTA Fire Kings were complaining of that, even when another bad crash in the final race and more ambulance attendance meant the match was curtailed one heat short.

All three of Kent’s heat-leader trio finished the match unbeaten by an opponent with skipper Simon Lambert back in his native county, recording 10 points.  Ben Morley bounced back from his GB Under 21 disappointment of the previous weekend to score 13 and former Scunthorpe man, Benji Compton was magnificent on his return to the steel town where he first made his name in the sport, with 14.  For the Kings’ former Divisional Riders champion, Compton it was a second paid maximum (meaning he’d been unbeaten by an opponent) in two matches, marking out a perfect stat to the season for the rider born on the sunshine island of Tenerife.

No Canary Islands-style weather in Lincolnshire though and certainly the crowd were shivering in more ways than one when (after the Kings opened up courtesy of Lambert and the very impressive Luke Chessell with the first of what was to be 10 maximum heat advantages for the visitors) there was a shocking crash in heat two which put both the Kings’ Freemantle and the hosts’ young debutant Reece Downes out of the meeting.

A high-speed coming together on the second bend involved the Kings’ Dan Blake and his team mate and the Stags’ Downes, with Freemantle being hurled over the safety fence.  Amazingly, considering such an eventuality is so rare in Speedway, this was the second time in two meetings young Brandon had ended up on the wrong side of the air fence and after escaping unscathed down in Plymouth a fortnight previously, this time a visit to the county hospital did follow for the brave teenager.

Only bruising was the diagnosis to the great relief of all – but considerable and expensive damage to his machine for a second time in two meetings left his mechanical team looking at yet more costly bike repairs.  With one reserve out, it meant Dan Blake – on his return to the sport after nearly four years out of the saddle was to have a very busy afternoon: riding the full complement allowable of seven rides.  His 11 paid 15 score was to be, though, a career-best: a major confidence boost for the rider from Harlow.
With maximum 5-1 advantage following maximum in a glorious procession for the Kings,  a winning and then a landside lead was established with the only respite for the hapless Stags (who will surely need to strengthen their side after his massacre) was when an engine failure on the final bend of the last lap when leading for Kent’s Luke Chessell denied him a win (and prevented him also recording a paid maximum) in heat eight.

By then it was over a contest and the contest was actually to end prematurely when in heat 15, the Kings’ nominated duo of captain Lambert and Morley had a coming together with young Arron Mogridge – the son of former Crayford and Canterbury rider Alan joining his team mate Downes in hospital, with both young Scunthorpe riders sadly facing a period on the sidelines.

Final score: Scunthorpe Stags 31 Kent CTA Fire Kings 62

Kent scorers:

Benji Compton 14+1; Ben Morley 13+2; Luke Chessell 12+2; Dan Blake 11+4; Simon Lambert 10+2; Brandon Freemantle withdrawn injured