THE Buildbase Bees lost further ground on those clubs chasing the play-off places with this loss in Manchester - although defeat on the night was far from the only cause for upset.
Bees were initially caught out by super-slick conditions at Kirkmanshulme Lane, and were then further hampered by controversy over track watering, with Belle Vue doing enough to take all three points from the meeting.
Coventry did get the margin back to ten points by the end, albeit with the Aces resting top man Hans Andersen from Heat 15, but the visitors provided only five of the fifteen heat winners whilst the home side were much more solid from top to bottom.
The way to ride the circuit was clearly evident from the first race, which did initially see Ben Barker and guest Niels-Kristian Iversen trap from what appeared to be the advantageous gates two and four. However, Andersen pegged the inside to move into second place and then take the lead from Barker on lap two, and with Iversen being overhauled by James Wright, again on the inside, to turn the race into a Belle Vue 4-2 advantage.
The home reserves were the fastest from the gate in Heat 2 by a distance and won as they pleased, having held off an early challenge from Josh Auty, and that left Bees immediately facing a six-point deficit.
It didn't get any better in Heat 3 either, with the race being re-run after Edward Kennett had gone down on the way into the first bend. With all four riders recalled, Patrick Hougaard took the lead ahead of Kennett, with Lewis Bridger committed to the outside as his partner was just in front of him - and unfortunately the outside was not the place to be, as Leigh Lanham's inside line took him through into third place after a lap or so of close action.
Bees urgently needed a heat advantage from somewhere and they got it in a surprising outcome to Heat 4 which saw the two big guns disputing the minor places. Przemyslaw Pawlicki showed he had the track worked out after his first ride, gating well and winning in a fast time, and as Ulrich Ostergaard held second place, Chris Harris at least worked his way into third by overcoming Peter Karlsson on the first lap for a Bees 4-2.
Then came the first track grade and the first moment of real anger for the Bees as Iversen pointed out to boss Alun Rossiter that gate three, from where he would be starting in Heat 5, appeared to have been rather more liberally watered than the other starting positions. The Dane likened it to starting on ice, and Hougaard and Lanham blasted away from the tapes to leave the Bees trailing, and 60.4 seconds later they were facing a ten-point deficit.
There was a little movement before the start of Heat 6, although all of the riders appeared to be still at tapes-up, and it was Andersen who hit the first bend in first place only for Harris to cut back sharply and get up the inside off turn two to become Bees' second winner of the meeting.
The first tactical ride was deployed with Kennett in Heat 7, Bees hoping for an 8-1 against Karlsson and Grajczonek - but the move could hardly have been more disastrous. Problem one occurred when Bridger, off gate one, spun completely on the first bend and was grateful to Kennett for laying his machine down, although it inevitably meant Bridger would be disqualified. So Kennett was alone for his double-points race, with a 6-3 the best Bees could hope for - but they got nothing of the sort, with Karlsson disappearing into the distance and Grajczonek riding an inspired race to sit it out on the outside of Kennett for over a lap and then pull clear in second place, before taking the flag from his team-mate on the line.
Bees immediately deployed Pawlicki off the inside for the second tactical ride - this following a re-grade and re-watering of the circuit - and their move was neutralised by Ostergaard's fast start and win. As Wright found himself at the back after nearly tangling with Barker, here was then some good team-riding by Barker to help Bees maintain second and third places - and finish in the right order - as Pawlicki explored Kirkmanshulme Lane's wider outposts, which for many riders provided the equivalent of engaging a reverse gear.
Having used both tactical rides, speedway's version of Murphy's Law then struck in Heat 9 with Bees gaining a shock 5-1 thanks to both Harris and Auty being able to hold the inside line around the first two turns, Auty doing well in conditions rather different to those which he usually relishes as he held the line throughout to ensure no way through for Lanham.
Andersen was given a good early battle by Kennett on the first lap of Heat 10, but Bridger's disastrous night continued exiting turn two of lap three as he lifted and came off the back of the machine, clearing the track to allow the race to continue as an Aces' 4-2.
There was a similar outcome to Heat 11, this time with Karlsson using the inside to emerge from turn two ahead of Iversen, and a close battle for third place ensued with Barker and Grajczonek wheel to wheel on their way to the line. The young Aussie just held his position in photo-finish, although he did finish up in the fence after the race after taking avoiding action to avoid running into team-mate Karlsson.
Belle Vue were easing to all three points and their position was maintained in a shared Heat 12, won by Lanham with four riders all chasing the same line, Pawlicki having stolen inside Ostergaard at the end of the first lap.
Bees grabbed a 4-2 in Heat 13 with Iversen gaining reward for his efforts with a win over Andersen, Harris and Karlsson, but the points were secured by the home side with a routine 5-1 in Heat 14 as both Hougaard and Grajczonek made the gate over Pawlicki and Hougaard.
That enabled the Aces to give Andersen a rest in Heat 15, with Bees finishing off with a maximum of their own after Grajczonek had fallen exiting turn two. Hougaard challenged the Bees duo into the last bend but was never likely to find what was required on the outside, and Iversen and Harris crossed the line with the Dane just ahead for a second straight win.
BELLE VUE Hans Andersen 3 2 3 2 = 10 James Wright 1 1* 0 1 = 3+1 Leigh Lanhamm 1 3 1 3 = 8 Patrick Hougaard 3 2* 0 3 1 = 9+1 Peter Karlsson 0 2* 3 0 = 5+1 Josh Grajczonek 3 3 1 2* F = 9+1 Ulrich Ostergaard 2* 2 3 0 = 7+1
