A tale of triumph over adversity, greater than any Hollywood script writer could produce.

The location: Loomer Road, Stoke. The date: 18th August 2018. The plot, the Kent SLYDE Kings face a crucial away fixture in the Travel Plus Tours National League against near basement side Stoke Potters without a facility for recent number 1 acquisition Paul Hurry who was unavailable due to a Grasstrack commitment, through no fault of his own had yet to compete for the Kings.

Then just hours before tapes up Jack Thomas withdrew due to a family illness – the only facility allowed was rider replacement so the Kings backs were to the walls, however in the words of Journey (which a number of Kent fans did to Loomer Road) it was a case of Don’t Stop Believing – the Kings miraculously triumphed by 17 points – running out 53-36 victors and taking 4 points to enhance there Play Off chances.

In such circumstances it would be unfair to single out just one rider as a match winner as they all scored vital points but and with 4 riders scoring double figures it was a real team effort, however paid 16 (12+4) from young reserve Alex Spooner was very much a catalyst for such a result.

Of the build up to the match and the absence of Hurry and Thomas, Kings Co-promoter Len Silver said “Suddenly we were faced with what seemed like an impossible task. The Potters had booked a guest (Tom Perry) who, by all due respect to Tony Atkin was likely to be a better scorer.” However Silver went on to say “I need not have worried. On a track that was not in the best of condition, our Magnificent Six rode their socks off and took a great victory.”

After a shared first heat in which Stoke guest got the better of Taylor Hampshire and Jamie Couzins (the Kings cover at number 1), Kent went ahead in the second race with a 4-2 heat advantage from Spooner and former Stoke reserve William O’Keefe and from then on Kent were never headed, extending the lead to six points after Heat 3 with a maximum heat advantage from Anders Rowe and Nathan Stoneman.

After Stoke had got the deficit back to three it was the previously mentioned Rowe and Stoneman duo who put daylight between the sides with a second 5-1 heat advantage in Heat 7, this time it was immediately followed up with a 5-1 in Heat 8 from Spooner and Hampshire, then a 4-2 in Heat 9 to get from Rowe and O’keefe to put the visitors 13 points in front.

The points were sealed in Heat 12 with a maximum heat advantaged from Nathan Stoneman and Alex over the Potters reserve duo with Arran Butcher replacing Rob Shuttleworth who had suffered mechanical gremlins to his machinery earlier in the evening.

The Kings did go 21 points clear with a 4th maximum heat advantage in Heat 14 it was the two lively teenagers Anders Rowe and Alex Spooner combining on this occasion. The final race saw the home side claim there one and only heat advantage of what was a difficult evening for the home side, guest Tom Perry combined with former British Under 19 Champion Max Clegg for a 5-1 of their own after Nathan Stoneman had been excluded for falling on the second lap.

So an all round performance for the Kings against a Stoke who provided 6 heat wins between the duo of Perry and Clegg, with the former only dropping one point to a Kent rider but Stoke as a whole could not match the middle order and reserve end strength of the visitors. The Kings now move on to a home fixture against the Plymouth Devils on Monday (20/8).

 

Stoke

Tom Perry     3 3 3 2 3     14

Rider Replacement for Adam Extance

Rob Shuttleworth 1 2 1 X2M    4

David Wallinger   0 FX 2 F    2

Max Clegg       3 R 3 1’ 2’    9+2

Arran Butcher     0 0 1 0 0     1

Paul Burnett        2 1 1 0 0 1 1 6

 

Kent

Jamie Couzins   1’ R 0     1+1

Taylor Hampshire 2 2 3 3 2 1    13

Nathan Stoneman 2’ 2’ 2 3 3 FX 12+2

Anders Rowe         3 3 3 1’ 3    13+1

Rider Replacement for Jack Thomas

William O’Keefe  1 FX 1    2

Alex Spooner      3 0 2 2’ 1’ 2’ 2’  12+4

 

 

HT1: Perry, Hampshire, Couzins, Butcher  (3-3)

HT2: Spooner, Burnett, O’Keefe, Butcher   (5-7)

HT3: Rowe, Stoneman, Shuttleworth, Wallinger  (6-12)

HT4: Clegg, Hampshire, Burnett, Spooner   (10-14)

HT5: Hampshire, Shuttleworth, Wallinger (FX) Couzins (ret)  (12-17)

HT6: Perry, Spooner, Burnett, O’Keefe (FX)  (16-19)

HT7: Rowe, Stoneman, Butcher, Clegg (ret) (17-24)

HT8: Hampshire, Spooner, Shuttleworth, Burnett (18-29)

HT9: Rowe, Wallinger, O’Keefe, Shuttleworth (X2M)  (20-33)

HT10: Perry, Stoneman, Rowe, Burnett     (23-36)

HT11: Clegg, Hampshire, Spooner, Butcher (26-39)

HT12: Stoneman, Spooner, Burnett, Butcher (27-44)

HT13: Stoneman, Perry, Clegg, Couzins  (30-47)

HT14: Rowe, Spooner, Burnett, Wallinger (f) (31-52)

HT15: Perry, Clegg, Hampshire, Stoneman (FX) (36-53)