The hoodoo that has affected Kent TouchTec Kings particularly in the reserve berths hit again as chances of what would’ve been a vital win over direct play off rivals Mildenhall were utterly dashed on Sunday up in the fens.

Having lost the unlucky Luke Barnes to a wrist injury in a heat two crash when the rookie had to lay his bike down to avoid the fallen Jacob Clouting – the returning to the side Clouting then himself was involved in a horror crash in heat 8 and (along with the hosts’ Matt Marson) also had to withdraw injured. 

At this point the Kings (already using Rider Replacement to cover for missing skipper Rob Ledwith) were just one point behind 21-20 – this after the pluckiest of efforts from the depleted visitors with two 5-1s in heats 3 & 7 from Dan Gilkes and former Mildenhall captain (and stand-in skipper for the Kings in Ledwith’s absence) Jordan Jenkins and both Anders Rowe and the ‘Guest’ standing in for Drew Kemp. Joe Lawlor had delivered vital race wins, counteracting the blow of the heat 2 5-0.

But there’s depleted and then there’s decimated – and down to just four riders was a step far too far to stand any realistic hope of recovering from and the final result was a 51-38 defeat: the 13 points losing margin being suitably symbolic for a side who once again can only curse the slings and arrows of misfortune yet again fired in their direction.

The hosts certainly weren’t adversely affected by the loss of their own captain Danny Ayres (out for the season with a broken leg) as Ryan Kinsley slotted into the number one berth and was right back in the scoring groove, recording a maximum.

A particular mention needs to be made of Kent’s ‘guest’ Lawlor who chalked up two wins in a commendable 11 points total and when a faller in one of the heats which the Kings could only track one rider had the determination to push home a whole lap to gain a point.Mildenhall now move up into third right on Kent’s heels in the National League table with fourth-placed Belle Vue Colts next up for Chris Hunt’s side – at Central Park on Monday (19/8).

Mildenhall Fen Tigers 51

Ryan Kinsley 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 15[M]

Matt Marson 1, 2′, F – injured; withdrawn 3+1 

Connor Coles (G) 0, 2, 2′, 3 7+1

Charlie Brooks 1, 1′, 3, 3, 3, FX 11+1

Henry Atkins 0, 1, 2, 2 5

Arran Butcher 2′, 0, 0, 1 3+1

Elliot Kelly 3, 2, 1, 0, 1 7

Kent TouchTec Kings 38 

Anders Rowe 2, 3, 1, 0 6

Rob Ledwith –  Rider Replacement

Jordan Jenkins 2′, 2′, 2, 1′, 2 9+3

Dan Gilkes 3, 3, 2, 2, 1′ 11+1

Joe Lawlor (G) 3, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2 11

Luke Barnes R, F – injured; withdrawn  0

Jacob Clouting FX, 1, 0, F – injured; withdrawn 1

Heat details

1 (rerun) Kinsley, Rowe, Marson, Barnes (ret.) 50.4  [4-2]

2 (rerun twice) Kelly, Butcher (fell – rem.), Barnes (fell – injured), Clouting (fell – exc.) 56.6 (9-2) 

3 Gilkes, Jenkins, Brooks, Coles 51.6 (10-7) 

4 Lawlor, Kelly, Clouting, Atkins 52.7 (12-11) 

5 (rerun) Rowe, Coles, Brooks, Clouting 52.6 (15-14) 

6 (rerun) Kinsley, Marson, Lawlor 52.7 (20-15) 

7 Gilkes, Jenkins, Atkins, Butcher 54.0 (21-20) 

8 (rerun) Brooks, Jenkins, Kelly, Marson (fell inj.),  Clouting (fell inj.) 53.4 (25-22) 

9 Brooks, Coles, Lawlor (fell rem./pshd home) 54.4 (30-23) 

10 Kinsley, Gilkes, Jenkins, Butcher 53.3 (33-26) 

11 Lawlor, Atkins, Rowe, Kelly 53.5 (35-30) 

12 Coles, Jenkins, Kelly 54.3 (39-32) 

13 Kinsley, Atkins, Lawlor, Rowe 53.1 (44-33) 

14 Brooks, Gilkes, Butcher 54.5 (48-35) 

15 (stpd – awarded) Kinsley, Lawlor, Gilkes, Brooks (fell exc.) no time (51-38)