KING’S LYNN produced a stunning comeback at Wolverhampton to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership.
They fought back from ten-points down to secure a 47-43 in a last heat decider at bogey track Monmore Green – in a meeting where they were up against it from the off.
Not only did they lose Ty Proctor through injury during the first lap of his opening ride, they soon found themselves well behind after conceding four heat advantages in the opening six races.
But the comeback started in the seventh race when Tru Plant Stars boss Dale Allitt nominated captain Robert Lambert as a tactical substitute. He made the gate and was very briefly joined by team-mate Thomas Jorgensen before Jacob Thorssell used the inside run off bend two to salvage second place for the hosts.
But that would be the first of four straight heat advantages for the Stars as they drew level with ten gone.
They looked set for their first 5-1 of the night in the eighth, but Simon Lambert drifted too wide on the final bend, allowing Kyle Howarth to snatch second on the line.
But the Norfolk outfit didn’t have to wait too much longer for that first maximum as Niels-Kristian Iversen and Michael Palm Toft outgated their opponents to move to within two.
The scores became tied when Erik Riss got away with a flyer to make it back-to-back wins, while Jorgensen dealt with Masters at the back.
And it was top duo Lambert and Iversen who brought the points home with heat advantages in two of the final three races.
They dominated Heat 13 away from the starts to move in front for the first time and when Palm Toft and Jorgensen secured a 3-3 in the penultimate race, that took things down to a last race decider with the Stars two up.
But it wasn’t without drama when Lambert was disqualified for appearing in the wrong helmet colour. He went off a 15 metre handicap in the re-run and rode a stunning ride to get by home No.1 Sam Masters for third with Iversen sealing a hat-trick of victories to add three more points to their tally.
Boss Allitt said: “It was a fantastic performance and to come back from ten-points down against a Wolves side who are a brilliant team at home makes it an even better result.
“To do it with only six riders, having to use a tactical and all the drama in the build-up to Heat 15 makes it a pretty special night in the end.
“With Somerset losing at Leicester it strengthens our bid to finish top, but we’ve obviously got three meetings to go and it’s highly likely that will be without Ty for our trip to Somerset on Tuesday.”
A full preview to Tuesday’s big fixture at Somerset will be issued on the morning of the meeting.
WOLVERHAMPTON 43: Jacob Thorssell 10, Nick Morris 8+1, Jonas B Andersen 7+1, Sam Masters 7, Kyle Howarth 6, Ashley Morris 4, Max Clegg 1.
KING’S LYNN 47: Robert Lambert 13+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 13, Michael Palm Toft 7+2, Erik Riss 7+1, Thomas Jorgensen 4+1, Simon Lambert 3, Ty Proctor 0.
