TEAM boss Alex Brady and new signing Nicolai Klindt refuse to give up on the play-offs despite late setbacks costing King’s Lynn in a 47-43 defeat to Ipswich.
The Minors & Brady Stars led a nip-and-tuck contest with three races remaining but back-to-back 5-1s in heats 13 and 14 decisively swung the pendulum the way of the Witches.
Brady acknowledged that a lack of chequered flags across the meeting had proved costly – five races were won by a home rider – despite two of those coming against Ipswich top gun Jason Doyle and some thrilling, tight racing to entertain a healthy and noisy crowd.
“To be honest we did well to stay in contention for as long as we did with the lack of heat winners throughout the night,” said Brady.
“We managed to pack the minor placings for much of the evening and to be four points up so late on without coming away with the win was a really tough pill to swallow.
“I still don’t think the play-off chase is over. Some people might think that is deluded but I like to think I am an optimist.
“We will go to Sheffield on Monday night to give a good account of ourselves. If we can win the rest of our meetings at home and pick up points at Ipswich and Peterborough as well, which I think we can, then the play-offs are still on in my view.”
Klindt top scored with 9+2 but was left frustrated by beating Doyle twice while finishing third to Ipswich’s reserves in heat 14.
“Points wise it went alright but it was a bit frustrating,” he said.
“We had a practice earlier in the day and it felt really good, I got my starts dialled in. It is a different surface here compared with abroad but it was more that I had nothing but clutch issues in the meeting.
“I had a good start from gate four when I beat Jason but I had a terrible start off gate two in heat nine and off three in heat 14.
“It was just not good enough, it cost us a draw and a chance at a super heat at least. I made up for it in heat 15 but unfortunately it was too late.”
On the play-off chase, Klindt added: “We have made it very hard for ourselves now but we can only concentrate on our own performances.
“If we snatch a point away here, get a win there and make sure we win our last four home meetings then we can only wait to see.
“I looked at the scores and what cost us was that we didn’t have anyone scoring 10 points but the boys know what to correct for next time. We can definitely do better.”
AS IT HAPPENED
The visitors edged the early stages with a series of race wins from Doyle, Paul Starke and Danny King before Richard Lawson got the Stars on the board with a last-lap overtake of Starke in Heat 4.
An early two-point lead for Ipswich was cancelled out in Heat 5 when Klindt took advantage of Doyle’s slip on turn two to head up a 4-2 and level proceedings.
The hosts were ahead after Heat 6 thanks to maximum points from Josh Pickering and Thomas Jorgensen over Troy Batchelor but the former Stars man would still have a big say in things as the visitors continued to card race wins, King taking Heats 7 and 10 and Batchelor Heats 8 and 9, with Danyon Hume’s third place over Jason Edwards in the eighth narrowing the gap back to two points.
Lawson defeated Doyle in Heat 11 but the main story was Edwards who led Doyle for half of the race before the former world champion got by – but he still held Starke at bay for what appeared a crucial third place.
With Heat 12 also shared as King won again, Stars led 38-34 into the closing stages, only for the match to be put right back in the melting pot by a 5-1 from Doyle and Batchelor over Pickering and Lawson in Heat 13.
The Witches landed a shock blow in Heat 14 when reserves Starke and Hume gated over Klindt and defied the Dane throughout to suddenly open up a four-point lead of their own.
That meant nothing less than a 5-1 would do for the Stars in the finale and although Klindt won from the gate, Doyle and King collected a 3-3 to win it for the Witches and extend their lead at the top of the table.
KING’S LYNN 43: Nicolai Klindt 9+2, Richard Lawson 8, Thomas Jorgensen 7+2, Josh Pickering 7+1, Richie Worrall 7, Kasper Andersen 4+2, Jason Edwards 1. IPSWICH 47: Danny King 14, Jason Doyle 11+1, Troy Batchelor 9+2, Paul Starke 8+1, Danyon Hume 5, Anders Rowe 0, Erik Riss r/r.
