“It’s a long way back to recovery, from here,” are words belted out by singer Frank Turner and it could be forgiven for thinking the Kent Royals management would be thinking the same, after back to back defeats home and away and injuries to two key riders has certainly given the Kent management more than a few headaches recently.

With a trip to title chasing Oxford on Wednesday there is an impressive resilience from The Royals camp. Manager Jamie Willis said “Yes this is the lowest point of the season and certainly very demoralising. That said we are still all 100% committed to improving the situation and seeing us rise up the table.”

The Royals head to the City of Dreaming Spires on Wednesday (26/7) to take on the fourth placed Oxford Chargers in a match that is crucial for both sides. 

The Kent Royals head into the fixture on the back of the defeats away at Belle Vue and at home to Leicester and need to get back to winning ways to avoid being cut adrift from the title chasing pack.

However more bad news came on Sunday when reserve Rhys Naylor was injured in a crash sustaining rib and knee injuries and has been ruled out for the time being. He joins fellow Essex based racer Jack Kingston on the sidelines.

The Royals will once again operate the rider replacement for Jack Kingston as a guest can only permitted for a rider at number one unless two of the top five are missing. With Rhys still at reserve, the club must use an unattached 3.00 averaged rider and that place goes to  15-year-old Ashton Vale. Ashton who has come through the Iwade scene and into the British Youth Championship, made his full National Development League debut in Sunday’s defeat to Leicester.

Ashton will slot into the number seven race jacket with his senior reserve partner Sam Woolley moving into the number six jacket. The rest of the side remains unchanged with Ben Morley leading the way as he continues to chase down the all-time National League points scoring record.

Captain Tom Woolley was back in the double figure scores against Leicester and will look to repeat against The Chargers on Wednesday. Sussex based Nathan Ablitt will look to draw on his recent form in the SGB Championship with Scunthorpe to mix with the hosts heat leader trio who all compete in the higher tier. 

Oxford go into the match with the top spot the NDL table in their sights, for though currently positioned fourth in the table (their lowest placing of the season) team boss Peter Schroeck knows that a win over the Royals will catapult his side to first – a crucial moment in their ‘Charge’ to the divisional title in their second season back in the sport. They are led by arguably the Division’s top rider, Jordan Jenkins. The reigning Divisional Riders’ Champ sits atop the NDL averages and has proven near unbeatable around the Sandy Lane circuit.

The rider from Norwich has of course a Kent connection – having been a Kings man back in 2019. And he’s not alone by any means in that regard, as the Chargers currently track three other former Central Park-based riders: Ryan Kinsley, was the Royals’ first skipper when they rode as the Kent Kings Development side and is joined by his 2021 team mate Jacob Clouting; and from further back, new signing Jason Garrad, whose last NDL campaign before his surprise comeback this season was with the Kent Kings in 2014 who makes his debut for the hosts in this fixture.

In the engine room of the Oxford line up are two of the country’s most highly rated up-and-coming starlets: Jody Scott who has qualified for the GB U21 Final in both of his two seasons in the sport at senior level and the more experienced Henry Atkins, a national Youth Champ himself back in 2011 when, remarkable, aged only 11!

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s clash, manager Jamie Willis said “Si and I are gutted that Rhys and Jack won’t be joining us. However we are pleased that Ashton Vale will be replacing Rhys in the reserve birth for this meeting.

We know how strong Oxford are at home, but we go into this meeting with the same mindset as any other meeting, to win!” 

The action at Sandy Lane gets underway at 7.30pm.