KING’S Lynn’s injury jinx struck again as guest Rory Schlein crashed out of Thursday’s 54-36 home defeat to local rivals Peterborough.
Already without heat-leaders Thomas Jorgensen and Erik Riss due to shoulder problems, former club captain Schlein’s stand-in appearance for the Dane lasted just two races before he fell heavily in Heat 6, losing control midway around turns three and four and going into the fence.
The reigning British Champion was withdrawn with chest and neck complaints, putting the Minors & Brady Stars down to five riders - and facing an in-form Panthers side, the task was unsurprisingly beyond them.
That was despite a tremendous performance from recent signing Richard Lawson, who piled up 16 points from seven rides, whilst skipper Lewis Kerr and newcomer Cameron Heeps also put in hard-working extended shifts despite their own recent injury problems.
Heeps produced a determined opening ride to split Scott Nicholls and Michael Palm Toft in Heat 3, before Lawson surged clear to become the Stars’ first winner in the next.
The home side’s first advantage came in Heat 5 with Kerr a convincing winner and Heeps in third place, and they were holding their own until Schlein came to grief in the next race.
The gap would have been just two points had the accident not occurred, but after a lengthy delay, the Panthers banged in back-to-back 5-1s upon the re-start.
Hans Andersen and Ulrich Ostergaard both passed Ricky Wells in Heat 8, and Lynn’s chance of a response was blocked by a third-to-first blast by Chris Harris who passed Kerr and Heeps in Heat 9.
Stars boss Peter Schroeck sent Kerr out for a tactical substitute outing in Heat 11 – but he and Lawson were out-gated by Bjarne Pedersen and Andersen as the visitors stretched their advantage.
And then key reserve Ostergaard made his way from the back to join ex-Star Palm Toft for another Panthers maximum in the next.
But despite facing a 20-point deficit after twelve races, the home side refused to go under completely, largely thanks to the splendid efforts of Lawson in defeating the Panthers’ big guns in both Heats 13 and 15, and of Kerr who beat Nicholls in his seventh ride of the night in Heat 14.
Schroeck said: “The boys gave it their all and we were only two down, but then we lost our No.1 and we just didn’t have enough in the tank.
“Rory’s crash was one of those awkward ones more than anything, and then he got hit by his bike. He’s in quite a bit of pain, so we do hope he’s going to be alright.
“Then it was a bit of a nightmare, to have a rider laying injured in an ambulance and two other riders just coming back from injuries who had to take extra rides for him, but we can only try our best and today it just wasn’t meant to happen.
“We’ve still got a weakness in the team which I’ve got to look at, but I still feel we’re going for that top-four spot.
“I can’t change what happens with the top three, but I want to make we’re at the top of the other three. We need to be positive and keep going.”
The Stars will once again look to regroup ahead of another derby clash at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday with Ipswich in town. Jorgensen is expected to return for that fixture.
PREMIERSHIP KING’S LYNN 36: Richard Lawson 16, Lewis Kerr 9+1, Cameron Heeps 6, Ricky Wells 2, Connor Mountain 2, Rory Schlein 1+1, Erik Riss r/r PETERBOROUGH 54: Scott Nicholls 11+1, Bjarne Pedersen 10, Chris Harris 9+3, Ulrich Ostergaard 9+2, Michael Palm Toft 8+1, Hans Andersen 5+1, Jordan Palin 2 Premiership points: King’s Lynn 0 Peterborough 4
