Kent SLYDE Kings continued in their rich vein of form which has seen the Sittingbourne-based Speedway side remain unbeaten this whole season, with an emphatic performance on Monday to see off a plucky Coventry Storm side and surge into the last four of the National Knock-Out Cup competition.
Led by two ever-enduringly impressive visiting riders in Dan Greenwood (who bettered his own track record) and Liam Carr, the West Midlanders kept the scores on the night down to an honest eight points margin at the halfway point; but then were powerless to keep the red and white tide at bay – finally succumbing to a 22 points defeat which exactly matched the first leg result and saw the SLYDE Kings into a semi-final where they’ll face either Birmingham or Belle Vue.
Greenwood’s beating of the home skipper Luke Bowen in the much anticipated opening heat promised the green shoots of possible recovery for a Coventry side chastened by Kent’s extraordinary first leg showing on their home patch – the time of 57.3 seconds lowering the Chesterfield-based racer’s own best ever time around the Central Park track. But these 2016 Kings are made of stern stuff and when the two reserves Luke Clifton and Danno Verge combined for a mighty 5-1 in heat two, a lead was established on the night which was destined only to grow and grow.
Led by two ever-enduringly impressive visiting riders in Dan Greenwood (who bettered his own track record) and Liam Carr, the West Midlanders kept the scores on the night down to an honest eight points margin at the halfway point; but then were powerless to keep the red and white tide at bay – finally succumbing to a 22 points defeat which exactly matched the first leg result and saw the SLYDE Kings into a semi-final where they’ll face either Birmingham or Belle Vue.
Greenwood’s beating of the home skipper Luke Bowen in the much anticipated opening heat promised the green shoots of possible recovery for a Coventry side chastened by Kent’s extraordinary first leg showing on their home patch – the time of 57.3 seconds lowering the Chesterfield-based racer’s own best ever time around the Central Park track. But these 2016 Kings are made of stern stuff and when the two reserves Luke Clifton and Danno Verge combined for a mighty 5-1 in heat two, a lead was established on the night which was destined only to grow and grow.
It wasn’t all plain sailing early doors. Danny Ayres lead majestically in heat three but his machine failed him and he ground to a halt and both Greenwood and Carr were looking like they had the mastery over Kent’s top three at least individually in the opening salvoes. Bowen’s incredible chasing down and passing of Carr in the heat 7 was a match-defining moment, though – as well as again bringing the grandstand to its feet.
A notable win by the visitors’ little vaunted Conor Dwyer holding off the attentions of Clifton to win heat 8 was a highlight for the intrepid visitors but so close were the two protagonists going over the line together that an untidy post-chequered flag heap resulted: causing a delay and severe bruising for the Devonian Dwyer – though it was a badly bent bike which actually ended his ingoing involvement in a tie that was now mathematically in the hands of Kent.
Bowen got revenge for that heat one reverse over Greenwood in heat 13 and then to the delight of a large Central Park crowd, Ayres and Bowen combined to leave Carr and Greenwood in their wake to mirror exactly the first leg score and mean that on aggregate it was a huge 44 points margin which separated the sides: 112 to 68 points.
With such an important week now laying ahead with a first leg National Trophy [NT] Final at Birmingham on Wednesday (22/6) and then a tricky Travel Plus National League [TPNL] visit to the Isle of Wight the next day (23/6) before they reconvene at Central Park for the second leg of the NT Final next Monday (27/6) to be displaying such awesome form throughout the team bodes extremely well as the SLYDE Kings march on!
Bowen got revenge for that heat one reverse over Greenwood in heat 13 and then to the delight of a large Central Park crowd, Ayres and Bowen combined to leave Carr and Greenwood in their wake to mirror exactly the first leg score and mean that on aggregate it was a huge 44 points margin which separated the sides: 112 to 68 points.
With such an important week now laying ahead with a first leg National Trophy [NT] Final at Birmingham on Wednesday (22/6) and then a tricky Travel Plus National League [TPNL] visit to the Isle of Wight the next day (23/6) before they reconvene at Central Park for the second leg of the NT Final next Monday (27/6) to be displaying such awesome form throughout the team bodes extremely well as the SLYDE Kings march on!
Image courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie
TAGS: Kent Kings