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KING’S Lynn have confirmed Tom Stokes will replace the injured Josh Bailey in Saturday’s National League Pairs.The Young Stars host the event which brings together pairings from ten of the NL clubs to the Adrian Flux Arena, with Stokes coming in for the home side as Bailey is ruled out with a broken collarbone.Manager Dale Allitt said: “Tom rode in this meeting with Josh last year, and you could argue he could have been included on merit this time around based on his home form.“He’s a nine-point rider around his home track, he’s as good as anyone around here so it’s a good opportunity for him. He’ll be partnered by Nathan Greaves who has shown a few times what he can do around here this year, and if he has a good night then I’d like to think we have a chance.“These sorts of meetings are always exciting, and it’s a great opportunity for the whole league. There are riders in this event who aren’t riding in the Premier League, so for them it’s a chance to put themselves in the shop window in a big meeting.”GROUP A:CRADLEY: Ashley Morris & Max Clegg.EASTBOURNE: Adam Ellis & Jake Knight.ISLE OF WIGHT: Mark Baseby & James Cockle.KING'S LYNN: Tom Stokes & Nathan Greaves.MILDENHALL: Jon Armstrong & Danny Halsey.GROUP B:BELLE VUE: Matt Williamson & Dan Bewley.BIRMINGHAM: Danyon Hume & Darryl Ritchings.KENT: James Shanes & Danny Ayres.RYE HOUSE: Ben Morley & Robert Branford.STOKE: Ben Wilson & Danny Phillips.
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ELITE League leaders Belle Vue were stunned by King’s Lynn who raced to a 49-41 win at the National Speedway Stadium on Wednesday.Teenage sensation Robert Lambert put his World Cup track knowledge to use as he dropped just two points on a sensational individual showing, whilst Fredrik Lindgren proved a good guest for Niels-Kristian Iversen on 12+1 and Kai Huckenbeck added paid-10.The Aces slipped to their second home defeat of the season with reserve Joe Jacobs leading their scoring on nine.King’s Lynn co-promoter Dale Allitt said: “We understand our supporters’ frustrations during such a tough time, but tonight that result was for every single one of those who has stuck by the team through thick and thin.“It was a real solid team effort and we're really proud of them all for pulling off a result like that.“Rob Lambert was sensational once again and it was the first real time we've seen Kai Huckenbeck deliver what we thought he could all along.”Belle Vue star Steve Worrall said: “We’re all scratching our heads to be honest. I don’t know if it’s lack of meetings at home but I personally felt a little rusty in my first ride and I did struggle a bit to find something that worked.“We can’t dwell on this result. We’ve one of our biggest meetings of the year coming up on Monday against Poole and if anything I feel going into it off the back of this defeat is just what we need.“It’s a good kick up the backside we got on Wednesday and we have to act on it. With the Pirates you have to step up your game and after losing to King’s Lynn, we’re more than ready to do that.”Poole narrowed the margin at the top to just two points with an emphatic 58-32 home win over Leicester, with No.1 Chris Holder scoring a four-ride paid maximum.Young guns Brady Kurtz (12+1) and Adam Ellis (11+1) were also in the major points as the Pirates eased to victory, whilst Lions skipper Nicolai Klindt won his last two rides on his way to eight points.Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “I can assure you that words were exchanged after that Swindon showing and the boys knew they had to show better reactions this evening. To their credit they were sharper and it was good to see. “We had a great crowd in for our Celebration of Speedway evening. I acknowledge that maybe the opposition wasn't the best but there was a great atmosphere here and hopefully many enjoyed it and will stick with us on the run-in to the end of the season.”Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “There are no excuses tonight. Poole have their tails up and confidence breeds confidence when you are winning regularly and team spirit oozes out. “When you are where we are in relation to our league position it is always harder to get into that same ‘can do mind-set’ but we remained committed to the very end and picked up a bit of form as a result in the final stage of the match.”(SPEEDWAY 3)
KING'S Lynn can make it two wins in the space of 24 hours when they host Wolverhampton at the Adrian Flux Arena on Thursday.The Stars pulled off one of the shock results of the season on Wednesday, ending a run of four consecutive defeats with a brilliant 49-41 win at Elite League leaders Belle Vue, and now take on another of the play-off contenders.Stars’ No.1 Niels-Kristian Iversen returns to the line-up after missing Wednesday's clash at Belle Vue while Swindon racer Stefan Nielsen stands in at reserve. Stuart Robson guests for the unavailable Kyle Howarth at reserve for Wolves, with rider-replacement in operation for Jacob Thorssell.Stars co-promoter Dale Allitt said: “It's funny how one result like ours at Belle Vue can change the feel around a place."Things haven't been easy for us in recent weeks but that result at Belle Vue was a huge relief."It meant a lot to everyone within the team and hopefully we can take that confidence into what promises to be another tough battle against Wolverhampton.”Wolves star Tai Woffinden said: “We’ve got a strong side who all want to win, so I don’t see any reason why we can’t go to King’s Lynn and get a result.“We can’t get ahead of ourselves and we have to focus on just making the play-offs before we start thinking about anything else.“We had a good win over Lakeside, and if we can get another win at King’s Lynn then it will put us in a strong position.”In the Premier League, Ipswich director of speedway Chris Louis has stressed the importance of an away win at Redcar to keep their play-off hopes alive.The Witches are seventh, just behind Newcastle who have multiple matches in hand, but the Foxhall club could move into contention with the sides above the Diamonds should they win in the North-East.Louis said: “We know realistically we've got to get four points and it's a track we've got a good record at although they (Redcar) have in the last few months picked up their home form.“I think we've got a team more than capable of grabbing all the points from it and they know they have to.”Redcar boss Jitendra Duffill said: “It will be another entertaining fixture with riders like Danny King and Nico Covatti amongst their ranks. Like Newcastle they have a rider at reserve that is going very well in Joe Jacobs. “Jye (Etheridge) and Lee (Payne) have to look at making Heat 2 their own from now on as it will give our top five the support we need. Lee was very unlucky not to get a better return for his efforts last week and he will make life much easier for himself if he can make better starts.”Meanwhile Sheffield promoter Damien Bates is urging his side to demonstrate their full potential when they host Scunthorpe at Owlerton.A third home win on the spin would give the Tigers’ play-off chances a big boost going into the final month of the regular league programme.The Sheffield management have opted to re-jig their riding order slightly with British Under-21 Champion Josh Bates moving to partner Simon Stead while Frenchman Dimitri Berge switches to the No. 3 position. Jack Smith comes in to guest for broken collarbone victim Josh Bailey for the Scorpions.Bates said: “Almost every team goes through a rough patch during the season and hopefully ours is gone and out of the way now.“The home wins against Somerset and Edinburgh were very good – but we made life hard for ourselves in both of those, I felt.“We need all seven of our riders to start firing now and it’s important for everyone to be full of confidence with the business end of the season fast approaching.”Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We’ll be aiming to get a result out of the meeting at Sheffield. It was such a satisfying result in the home meeting against Workington on Sunday. We were reduced to five men and still won comfortably. I do feel we’re more competitive than at any point during the season.“Sheffield are a good team and currently in a play-off position, but so were Peterborough when we went there and won. We’d love to score one victory over the Tigers this season, and take the local bragging rights into the winter.”
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PETERBOROUGH captain Ulrich Ostergaard has vowed to put his Newcastle nightmare behind him.The Panthers star endured one of the most frustrating meetings of his long career in a 59-34 defeat at the hands of the Diamonds last Sunday – with a host of factors conspiring to leave him scoring just 2+1.Ostergaard said: “It was a horrible night and one I just want to forget about. I crashed, I touched the tapes and then when I was having a good ride and on course to win heat nine, the top bolt, which holds the engine and frame together, broke on the final lap.“Newcastle is always a tough place to go and we had very little experience of that track in our side.“But the defeat was still really disappointing and we need to put it right by beating them at the Showground (on Friday). We've got five meetings left to seal our place in the play-offs and four of them are at home.”
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FRUSTATED Cradley Speedway boss Will Pottinger admits he would make changes to his side if he could.But he’s also emphasised he has the backing of the club directors to make new signings after Sunday’s heavy defeat at Mildenhall as the Heathens look to keep their National League play-off hopes alive.Pottinger said: “It’s not an easy situation with James (Purchase) out injured because there aren’t a great deal of riders around on his average who could come in and score points right from the off.“The same goes at reserve. We know Ben (Basford) and Brad (Andrews) are better riders than they’ve shown the last two meetings, but we need them to start showing it. “We certainly don’t want our season to be over in September, we want to be in the play-offs and we need to riders to step up and earn the points to get us there.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY AUGUST 25:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE:
Redcar v Ipswich off
Sheffield v Scunthorpe off
FRIDAY AUGUST 26:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Newcastle 7.30, Somerset v Plymouth 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Kent 7.30, Coventry v Mildenhall (follows EL fixture)
SATURDAY AUGUST 27:PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Somerset 7.15NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn 7pmBORDER TROPHY 2nd leg: Berwick v Workington 7pmBRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 8: Redcar 2pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 28:PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Edinburgh 6.30, Workington v Berwick 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Birmingham 3pm, Mildenhall v Rye House 3.30
