COVENTRY fell just short of a deserved first Elite League point on the road in 2013 as high-flying King’s Lynn edged to victory at the Norfolk Arena.
The Buildbase Bees were much-improved as they took on a team who have started the season in terrific form, but from being ahead with five races to go they will feel frustration to come away with nothing to show for their efforts.
Positives from the match included an impressive paid-ten score from Grzegorz Zengota, who recovered from a first-ride fall to lower the colours of Grand Prix star Niels-Kristian Iversen.
And Coventry No.1 Krzysztof Kasprzak won one of the races of the season as he got the better of Iversen and Rory Schlein in an epic Heat 13.
Despite the Stars having more of the race wins, Bees battled to remain in touch, and even after going four points down after Heat 6 they fought back strongly.
Zengota headed Schlein home in Heat 7 to halve the gap, and a Coventry 5-1 followed in Heat 9 thanks to Scott Nicholls and guest Richie Worrall, after home captain Mads Korneliussen had crashed whilst trying to pass his Bees counterpart.
That put Bees in front and Zengota maintained the lead with his win over Iversen, but a previously non-scoring Sebastian Alden suddenly turned his night around and won successive races, the first seeing him combine with Schlein for maximum points over Kasprzak.
The Pole responded with a brilliant effort in Heat 13 to pass both Iversen and Schlein to win, but with Nicholls at the back Bees were left four points down – and that margin was cruelly doubled in Heat 14 when Worrall was penalised for touching the tapes.
That meant Bees needed an advantage from the last race to salvage a point, and it looked possible as Kasprzak and Zengota got away well – but Iversen was superb as he sliced between the pair out of the second bend, and that left the visitors agonisingly short.
Coventry promoter Mick Horton said: “It was a much-improved performance, and the boys tried very hard. But obviously the collapse in the races following the interval was disappointing.
“The meeting was there and we should at least have come away with a point, which was what we deserved, but once again we’re so near and yet so far, so in the end it’s a very frustrating and disappointing evening.â€
