Hammers do the business
Lakeside moved back into the Elite League top four with a convincing 57-35 win over Coventry at the Arena-Essex Raceway.
The Vortex Hammers put in a dominant display against an under-strength Bees side to keep their play-off hopes well and truly alive.
Edward Kennett and Kim Nilsson both struck faultless paid maximums, whilst skipper Andreas Jonsson suffered his only defeat when he retired at the tapes in heat 11.
Lewis Bridger also dropped just one point with an impressive showing as the Purfleet outfit sent out a message to their rivals with a powerful performance.
They recorded 12 race wins and ran just four last places – and team coach Kelvin Tatum was delighted with a job well done.
Said Tatum: “Coventry were depleted, but the most important job for us was to come away with the win and we did just that.
When we are at home at full strength we know we’re strong, and even though we made heavy weather of things initially by throwing some points away it was a pretty comfortable win.
With double figures coming from four riders, that shows the strength we have at home and in truth it could have been more if not for some bad luck for Richard Lawson and Lewis Kerr being hampered by illness.
The three points were vital, we needed that after Swindon picked up four points away last week, and it gets us back into the top four which is huge.”
With Richard Lawson and Robert Mear also making solid contributions, it was a strong all-around team showing from the hosts.
Reserve Lewis Kerr withdrew due to illness after struggling in his opening two rides, but the result was never in doubt on a confidence-boosting night for the Hammers.
The win sees them leapfrog Wolverhampton to move back up to fourth in the table ahead of a huge encounter with the West Midlands side at Monmore Green on Monday (7.30).
Lakeside Vortex Hammers 57
1. Andreas Jonsson – 3,3,r,3,3 = 12
2. Eddie Kennett – 2′,3,3,3 = 11+1 Paid Maximum
3. Richard Lawson – 1,3,f,1′ = 5+1
4. Lewis Bridger – 3,2′,3,2 = 10+1
5. Kim Nilsson – 3,2′,3,2′,2′ = 12+3 paid Maximum
6. Robert Mear – 2,0,1,1,2 = 6
7. Lewis Kerr – 1′,fex, = 1+1 withdrawn
Coventry Bees = 35
1. Rob Branford – 0,0,1′,f,0 = 1+1
2. Jason Garrity – 1,2,2,4^,2 = 11^
3. Danny King – 2,1,2,3,1 = 9
4. Kaspar Woryna RR – (EP 1′,JS 0,JG 4^,JS f= 5+1)
5. Chris Harris – 0,1,1′,1 = 3+1
6. Ellis Perks – 0,1′,1′,0,1 = 3+2
7. James Sarjeant – 3,2,0,fex,3,F = 8
Heat Results
Heat 01: 59.7 Jonsson Kennett Garrity Branford
Heat 02: 60.0 Sarjeant Mear Kerr Perks 3-3 (8-4
Heat 03: 58.4 Nilsson King Lawson Harris 4-2 (12-6)
Heat 04: awarded Bridger Sarjant Perks 3-3 (15-9)
Heat 05: 59.3 Kennett Garrity Perks Mear 3-3 (18-12)
Heat 06: 59.1 Lawson Bridger Harris Branford 5-1 (23-13)
Heat 07: 59.6 Jonsson Nilsson King Sarjeant 5-1 (28-14)
Heat 08: 60.2 Bridger Garrity Mear Perks 4-2 (32-16)
Heat 09: 60.6 Kennett GARRITY Mear 4-4 (36-20)
Heat 10: 60.4 Nilsson Garrity Branford 3-3 (39-23)
Heat 11: 60.3 Kennett King Harris 3-3 (42-26)
Heat 12: 61.4 Sarjeant Mear Perks 2-4 (44-30)
Heat 13: awarded Jonsson Nilsson Harris 5-1 (49-31)
Heat 14: 59.8 King Bridger Lawson 3-3 (52-34)
Heat 15: 59.2 Jonsson Nilsson King Branford 5-1 (57-35)