COVENTRY pulled off a 46-44 win over Wolverhampton in a pulsating local derby at Brandon.
Krzysztof Kasprzak steered the Buildbase Bees to victory with second place in Heat 15 after skipper Chris Harris had been controversially disqualified from a clash with opposite number Freddie Lindgren.
Kasprzak had raced to four classy wins earlier in the meeting but was initially in trouble in the crucial race, before quickly switching inside Joonas Kylmakorpi off the second bend for the two points the Bees needed.
It was a just result from a hugely entertaining meeting, with Bees fighting hard against a Wolves side whose scoring was dominated by Lindgren, who made several forceful passing moves, and Australian Grand Prix wild card Sam Masters who took seven rides at reserve.
For Coventry, Kasprzak’s scoring was well backed up by his heat-leader colleagues, with Danny King giving a rejuvenated display, whilst their team-mates all picked up vital points at various stages.
Bees made the first positive move with a 5-1 in Heat 3 thanks to a strong turn three move from King to get the better of Masters, who was in the race after Kyle Howarth had touched the tapes – an incident which did restrict the visitors’ options late in the meeting.
But after Lindgren had steamed inside Josh Bates on the third lap to win Heat 4, the visitors levelled matters in the next as Masters and Jacob Thorssell raced clear with Jason Garrity falling on the third lap.
Bees were unable to shake off their Midlands rivals, Lindgren re-passing Harris for second place behind Kasprzak in Heat 7 and that Coventry 4-2 being cancelled out in the next although the returning Kacper Woryna did get the better of Jacob Thorssell for second place.
With the scores at 24-24, remarkably the next five races all resulted in 5-1s to one side or the other, Wolves striking first in Heat 9 through Lindgren and Masters before Bees responded immediately through King and Harris, who moved inside Thorssell to complete the maximum advantage.
Then Kasprzak and Garrity teamed up for the Bees’ second successive 5-1, Garrity squeezing around Howarth coming off the fourth bend as he made a change of machinery work out.
Masters was forced onto a borrowed bike but still won a re-started Heat 12, and it was his team-mate Ashley Morris who came up with a big ride to defeat Bates and James Sarjeant, the 5-1 bringing the scores level once more.
Back came the Bees through Kasprzak and Harris, who just saw off the challenge of Kylmakorpi whose night had started with a tumble on the fourth bend of Heat 1 after two riders locked up in front of him, and was generally unable to find his normal Brandon form.
That Heat 13 also saw Masters complete his seventh and final ride, replacing an off-colour Mikkel Bech, and for much of Heat 14 Bees had the match won as King and Woryna combined to keep Lindgren at bay.
But the Wolves skipper moved around Woryna on the back straight of the last lap and then cut straight for the inside, with King believing it was still his team-mate alongside him, and Lindgren took the win to keep Wolves in with a chance of a draw.
The start of Heat 15 proved hugely competitive with Harris taking the lead before Lindgren chopped to the inside going into turn three – going across the path of the two riders behind him – and made contact with Harris, sending both riders out wide before a clip of dirt deflector with front wheel further around the bend, after which the Coventry captain came down.
After numerous replays and much consideration, it was Harris who was disqualified, leaving Kasprzak the task of at least splitting the Wolves pair in the re-run – a task he thankfully managed to achieve despite initially being squeezed out by Lindgren and Kylmakorpi.
Bees boss Gary Havelock said: “It was a sensational meeting and I thought the boys were amazing. I was so proud of them, especially after our last home performance last week.
“There is a lot of fight and heart in this team, it’s been missing a couple of times early on, but I believe in them totally and utterly – every single one of them.
“Controversy seems to follow us around because in Heat 15 it was clear that Freddie hit Bomber going into the corner, and then three-quarters of the way round his dirt-deflector hit the front wheel because it flicked up in the air. It didn’t cost us in the end, thank goodness, but it could have done.
“Krzysztof was sensational tonight and for Danny King to come back from scoring two points on a miserable night just seven days ago was amazing.â€
COVENTRY 46: Krzysztof Kasprzak 14, Danny King 10+1, Chris Harris 8+2, Kacper Woryna 4+2, Jason Garrity 4+1, Josh Bates 4, James Sarjeant 2. WOLVERHAMPTON 44: Sam Masters 15+1, Freddie Lindgren 14, Jacob Thorssell 5+1, Joonas Kylmakorpi 5, Ashley Morris 3+1, Mikkel Bech 1+1, Kyle Howarth 1.
