The Kent CTA Fire Kings guaranteed their place in the play-offs with their victory over King’s Lynn on Wednesday evening.
With the victory by two points moving them up to third they will now be involved in Septembers show piece to determine the destiny of the 2014 National League title.
With skipper and King’s Lynn track expert Simon Lambert missing, the Kings needed something special and master tactician team boss John Sampford pulled one off by utilising Rider Replacement for the missing Lambert and using the maximum resources in terms of guest facilities at his disposal by drafting in Mildenhall’s Josh Bates as replacement for the holidaying Aaron Baseby.
The reigning GB Under 21 champion Bates was an inspired pick indeed scoring a brilliant paid 14 points – certainly a performance which will quite rightly mean the Central Park faithful are likely get behind the teenaged Tyke when the Barnsley boy goes for the double in pursuing the GB U19 crown at Central Park on Monday.
It was Bates who combined with number one Benji Compton in heat one to get the visitors off to a maximum start – though Bates certainly didn’t get there easily, having to overcome a 15 metres handicap courtesy of a tapes infringement before joining Compton out front. Controversy followed in the reserves battle in heat two with Josh Bailey (a withdrawal from the U-19s earlier in the day) locking up causing Jason Garrad to fall but getting a let off by the ref.
The first of a magnificent five wins on the spin for man of the meeting Ben Morley put the CTA Fire Kings back in front in heat three but Ben’s good pal and a big favourite among Kent fans, Marc Owen was in determined mood and thanks to the Sussex speedster’s sterling efforts, the home side went into the midway point of the meeting with their noses just in front: a 22-20 lead going into heat 8.
Kent fans are used to heroics from their favourite marauding ace Danny Ayres in heat eight and so it proved once more – with the Newmarket racer combining with Bates to secure a 5-1 and from that point the Young Stars were never to lead again.
A Bates-inspired 4-2 in heat 11 set up what appeared to a measure of daylight but the excellent Tom Stokes combined with Owen and then another 4-2 a race later in heat 13 tied the scores up.
So for a second match in three days the scores were 39-39 with two heats remaining; and again the CTA Fire Kings prevailed, with the imperious Morley holding off a determined Stokes to chalk up a fifth win from five and Ayres tucking in third for an all-important 4-2 in heat 14. Actually that clinched the play off place, as now it was impossible for the Young Stars to gain the match points they needed to overhaul Kent in the League in any set of circumstances; but there was still the no small matter of the outcome of this match itself, with Morley and the guest Bates selected to represent the CTA Fire Kings in the last heat decider.
Finally one of the home riders managed to get the better of battling Ben who missed out on his maximum as a result, but no matter that Cockle was the race winner as the Kent riders took second and third for the 3-3 needed to win the match by two points: 46 to 44.
So now the Play Offs themselves await with league toppers (and reigning champions) Cradley having their ‘pick’ from the other three: runners up Coventry (the only side actually to beat the Heathens all season), third placed Kent (who held the West Midlanders when they visited Central Park to just a four point margin of victory) and 4th placed Mildenhall. The decision has to be made by Monday – though it’s likely to be made sooner than that now that the play off places are mathematically confirmed.
Result & Kent scorers:
King’s Lynn 44 – Kent CTA Fire Kings 46 (Morley 17; Bates [Guest] 13+1; Ayres 8+1; Compton 6; David Mason 2; Garrad 1+1)