KING’S Lynn’s play-off hopes remain alive after a night of incredible drama in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership sees the fight for the top four continue into next week.
The PSH Environmental Stars defeated Leicester 52-38 at the Adrian Flux Arena, taking what could prove to be a crucial aggregate point in a Super Heat after the scores were tied across the two meetings.
But they still required rivals Ipswich to be beaten at home by Belle Vue, something which looked highly unlikely when the Witches led 31-23 after Heat 9 at Foxhall.
However, that meeting produced an incredible turnaround in the final six races which saw the Aces take three 5-1s and two 4-2s to win 49-41.
It means the Stars are now just two points behind the Witches, who require a win or a draw from a tough trip to Leicester – who have a 100 per cent home record – on Monday if they are to seal their progression.
If they do not achieve it, the Stars can snatch the final play-off place by winning at bottom club Northampton next Thursday.
Their own meeting was conducted at a rapid pace due to the forecast of incoming rain, and Lynn answered the call to make a good start.
They led with a 4-2 in Heat 1 from Max Fricke and Ben Cook, although that was the only defeat in the regular match for Leicester No.1 Ryan Douglas who provided the main resistance.
Joe Thompson won Heat 2 for the Lions despite a strong chase by Jody Scott, but Lynn took control with a 5-1 in Heat 3 featuring a brilliant outside pass by Cooper Rushen to make it around visiting captain Sam Masters off the final bend, joining Jan Kvech for a 5-1.
Skipper Chris Harris and Scott kept the ball rolling with maximum points in Heat 4, although Douglas stemmed the tide by winning the next, Stars bringing in Jordan Jenkins after Rushen shed a chain at the start-line and was disqualified.
Fricke and Cook raced to an emphatic 5-1 in Heat 6 to extend the gap to 14 points and level matters on aggregate, at which point Leicester began to offer more resistance.
The next four races were shared with wins for Harris, Cook and Kvech as the visitors managed to pack the minor places, whilst Masters won Heat 10 ahead of Fricke and Cook to maintain the aggregate deadlock.
Leicester took their first advantage with a 4-2 in Heat 11 with a second win for Douglas, whilst Jenkins came to grief on the last bend when trying to get around Drew Kemp, but fortunately he was able to walk away after a heavy landing.
There was an excellent 5-1 from Kvech and Scott in Heat 12 as they forced out Masters on the outside, whilst Harris passed Kemp in Heat 13 and then put immense pressure on Douglas without being able to find a way through.
There was a setback in Heat 14 when Rushen fell on the exit of the last bend as he gave it everything to pass Dan Thompson for the lead, and that enabled Leicester to level the aggregate score with a 4-2.
That situation was maintained when Douglas won Heat 15 whilst Kvech and Harris went either side of Masters in the early stages, meaning a Super Heat decider where not finishing last is the all-important factor.
Stars, though, did far better than that as Harris this time got ahead of the fast-gating Douglas before Kvech switched through coming off turn four with an inside move, and that ensured Lynn vitally had maximum points from the meeting in the bag – before a significant wait before news came through of the final outcome from Ipswich.
Stars manager Rob Lyon said: “I’m immensely proud of the way the boys rode tonight. That was the sort of performance we anticipated a lot more of this season with the team we put together.
“The track was in superb condition, and the boys got on with it and knew what the task in hand was. We focused on our meeting because we couldn’t control what was going on down the road.
“Fortunately for us, we put in a superb performance and Belle Vue have done us a bit of a favour by winning at Ipswich, so it’s still all to play for.”
It will now be all eyes on the Hydroscand Arena on Monday as the Stars look for a favour from Leicester, who themselves have the incentive of winning to clinch runners-up place in the table – and if they do so, Lynn will be in control of their destiny at Northampton on Thursday.
KING’S LYNN 52: Jan Kvech 13, Chris Harris 11+1, Max Fricke 8+2, Jody Scott 8+2, Ben Cook 8+1, Jordan Jenkins 2+2, Cooper Rushen 2+1. LEICESTER 38: Ryan Douglas 14, Sam Masters 8+1, Joe Thompson 5+1, Dan Thompson 5, Jake Allen 3+1, Drew Kemp 3, Nick Morris R/R. Aggregate scores tied. King’s Lynn win the aggregate point after winning a Super Heat 7-2.
