COVENTRY moved up to second in the National League with a well-earned 52-38 win over Kent at Leicester on Sunday.
The Europress Bees overcame the loss of Luke Ruddick after one ride to put together a solid effort to see off the Kings, who were very much a four-man outfit.
Connor Mountain led the scorecart once again, his 14-point haul including a real race of the season candidate in Heat 15, and there was another double-figure show from Jamie Halder at reserve whilst skipper Jon Armstrong rolled back the years with some vintage moves.
Ruddick took one ride before giving best to the shoulder damage he suffered in Saturday’s match at Eastbourne, and he will now look to rest the injury to be fit for next Sunday’s clash with Cradley.
The scores were level at that stage, with a Heat 2 5-1 from Halder and Ryan MacDonald cancelled out by Anders Rowe and Nathan Stoneman in Heat 3, with Stoneman setting the tone for a fine individual display by passing Ruddick for second place.
With Luke Bowen having beaten Mountain in Heat 1, Jack Thomas looked set to make it three visiting riders to win their opening outings – but Armstrong had other ideas in Heat 4 with a terrific outside blast on the fourth lap to hit the front going into turn three.
Luke Harris was unlucky in Heat 5 when he fell on turn two with opponent Taylor Hampshire straightening in front of him, an incident which could well have been judged as all-four back.
But Bees moved ahead again with a 5-1 from Mountain and a hard-riding Danny Phillips over Thomas in Heat 6, and Phillips was involved again as he partnered Halder to maximum points in Heat 8.
A six-point cushion was extended to ten across Heats 10 and 11, Mountain inflicting Stoneman’s first defeat in the former, whilst the latter saw Armstrong make a clever inside switch to move inside the previously unbeaten Bowen on the exit of turn two.
The visitors threw away a 4-2 in Heat 12 when Alex Spooner spun and fell on the third lap, losing third place as a result, and with Mountain winning the clash of the big guns in Heat 13, Armstrong salvaged third place when Bowen went across the line of team-mate Thomas on turn two.
Harris and MacDonald packed in behind Rowe for a 3-3 in Heat 14 which ensured the Kings could take nothing from the meeting, but there was still a tremendous final race to enjoy.
Armstrong initially emerged in front on a tight back straight only for Stoneman to use the outside to hit the front – but Mountain rounded Bowen at the end of the first lap and kept the move going to pass his team-mate and then Stoneman a lap later, with Bowen eventually falling at the back.
Coventry manager Martyn Macdonald said: “We stuck at it, plugged away and it was a bit of a reverse to what we’ve been doing, because we caught them out towards the end which is a good thing to be doing at home.
“Dusty conditions are never favourable but the track man has only got so much he can do and everyone’s trying to work out what’s best for everyone, and it’s the same track for all.
“Luke gave it a go but he got banged up last night and his shoulder wasn’t good, and he had the brains to pull out. He should be back for next week – he hit the ground hard and he was just feeling second-hand, so I’ve advised him to get checked out.
“Jamie at reserve is doing what a few other teams’ reserves are doing, he’s having some good race wins which is good for his confidence, and luckily for us he stays at reserve as well.â€
COVENTRY 52: Connor Mountain 14, Jamie Halder 12+2, Jon Armstrong 10, Danny Phillips 7+2, Ryan MacDonald 4+3, Luke Harris 4, Luke Ruddick 1. KENT 38: Nathan Stoneman 12+1, Luke Bowen 10, Anders Rowe 7, Jack Thomas 6, Taylor Hampshire 2, Alex Spooner 1, Nick Laurence 0.
