The Wightlink Warriors relinquished their unbeaten home league record in 2016 as they went down fighting against second placed Kent Kings at the Andrew Younie Smallbrook Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The 50-40 scoreline in favour of the visitors in no way reflects the effort put in by Neil Vatcher’s Isle of Wight side, who were hit hard by mechanical problems during the meeting. In-form reserve Tyler Govier failed to finish in 3 of his 4 races and George Piper suffered carburetor problems all evening too.
Roared on by a big crowd, the Warriors made Kent work hard for their victory and the outcome of the match might well have been completely different if it wasn’t for referee Paul Carrington stopping 2 of the first 7 races. The stoppages came after Warriors’ skipper James Cockle made textbook starts in each heat but was ruled to have been just a little bit too quick in the second of those in heat 7, decreeing that he would have to start off a 15m handicap in the re-run.
Going into that race the sides were level at 18 points apiece but the handicap imposed upon James, coupled with Tyler Govier failing to finish, saw the away pairing of James Shanes and Jack Thomas collecting a maximum 5-1 advantage that put their side into the lead by 4 points and it was a lead they were never to surrender.
Just those 4 points separated the sides with 4 heats remaining, but that was extended to a gap of 6 in heat 12 when Kent’s top rider of the night James Shanes took the chequered flag despite a determined challenge from Mark Baseby who had been handicapped 15metres by referee Carrington after exceeding the 2 minute warning to ready for the start of the race.
WARRIORS SCORERS: Matt Williamson 10, Mark Baseby 9+1, Lee Smart 7, James Cockle 6. Kelsey Dugard 4+1, George Piper 3+1, Tyler Govier 1+1.
