Knights finally end long wait for trophy

October 31, 2007

CHRIS LAKEY

Coventry 48, King’s Lynn 42 (Knights win 100-80 on aggregate)

King’s Lynn Knights picked up their first Knockout Cup trophy for 23 years when they came through the second leg of the final at Coventry.

The Knights took a 26 point advantage from the first leg to the Midlands and almost came away with victory on the night, Coventry only stealing the home leg in the final race.

“I’m elated” said Knights manager Nigel Wagstaff. “When Coventry began to pull away we put in our tactical substitutes because we came here to win. We owe that to our fans.”

The KO Cup victory means it is easily the most successful season in Lynn’s 34 year history. They were pipped for the Elite League championship but recorded their highest finish in taking the runners up berth.

They were never in the lead at Coventry but, more importantly, they never trailed by more than six points.

So by the time race 12 started they were all but guaranteed the trophy.

Craig Boyce made sure by taking the chequered flag and sent the travelling fans home happy.

Jason Crump got off to a winning start, relegating Coventry’s former world champion Greg Hancock into second place, but fellow Knight Travis McGowan failed to make any impression and the points were shared.

It was all even in the battle of the reserves, Lynn’s Steve Masters and Tom P Madsen trailing in behind Scott Robson, whose brother Stuart’s race ended in engine failure after only a few seconds.

The run of shared races continued in the third with Boyce leading Stuart Robson and former world under 21 champion Lee Richardson.

But the deadlock was finally broken in the fourth and it came courtesy of Coventry’s Billy Hamill, who relegated Lynn skipper Leigh Adams to second with Scott Robson taking third for a 4-2 win for the hosts.

Scott Robson pulled off a shock when he overtook Crump and McGowan to take victory in race five but with the score at just 16-14 in Coventry’s favour the odds were still stacked against them.

Coventry edged a further two points ahead when Hancock beat Adams to the flag. But when Hamill was excluded after falling in the seventh Lynn were in a position to retrieve them.

The American left his bike on the track, forcing a re-run, much to the annoyance of Lynn fans, but John Cook got to the flag first and, with Boyce third, Lynn were just two points behind at 22-20.

Coventry hit back through Shaun Tacey to move four points ahead but time was running out for them with another 24 points to make up on the overall score. Adams won his first race of the night in a shared ninth but Lynn were still siting pretty with their victory target down to single figures.

But Wagstaff wasn’t ready to settle for second best on the night and brought Adams in as a tactical substitute in race 11.

The move didn’t pay a full dividend with Hamill winning from Crump and Adams.

But the destiny of the silverware was confirmed in race 12 when Boyce took the chequered flag.

Adams won the 13th to bring Lynn within two points at 40-38. Then Hamill and Hancock recorded the first 5-1 of the meeting in the final heat.

However, Lynn had still done enough to start the celebrations.

Kings Lynn: Adams 11, Cook 9, Crump 8, Boyce 7, Madsen 3, McGowan 2, Masters 2.

Coventry: Hamill 11, Hancock 10, Scott Robson 9, Stuart Robson 6, Tacey 6, Richardson 6

Knights are in sight now of KO Cup triumph

October 25, 2000

CHRIS LAKEY

King’s Lynn Knights 58 Coventry Bees 32

King’s Lynn put one hand firmly on the Knockout Cup with a comprehensive victory over Coventry in the first leg of the final.

They take a huge point advantage into the second leg at Coventry on Saturday and must be confident of winning the trophy for only the second time in their history.

Knights’ skipper Leigh Adams was once again the inspiration dropping just one point from five races.

But the ace in the pack was American veteran John “The Cowboy” Cook, who scored 10 points and outshone Coventry’s two former world champions from the US, Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock.

Coventry provided only five heat winners and failed to gain any heat advantage, such was Lynn’s dominance and while Lynn scored well all the way down the line Coventry had three riders who failed to garner a single point between them.

Hancock drew first blood for Coventry in a shared opening race but Tom P Madsen and Steve Masters won the battle of the reserves to open the first gap of the night.

Lynn maintained the momentum with another maximum in the third, courtesy of Craig Boyce and Cook and Coventry were already on the back foot.

They steadied the ship to some extent with a 3-3 in race four, which was won in some style from Adams.

But Cook and Boyce extended the lead by two to make it 20-10 after five races and Jason Crump’s first win then helped put an extra two on the board.

Hancock came in as a tactical substitute in race eight and although it gave them their only second heat win of the night it failed to close the gap, which stood at 14 points.

Boyce was instrumental in a maximum with Cook, slowing down Hamill’s progress to allow the Knights pair to take the honours.

Crump’s second win of the evening virtually guaranteed Lynn victory with five races to go and Adams followed with win number three to put Lynn out of reach at 44-22.

Hamill came in as a tactical substitute in race 12 in an effort to gain valuable points for the away leg. But he failed to make it around the first lap and the shared heat, won by Lee Richardson, made little difference for the visitors.

Adams lost his first race in four outings when he was beaten by Hamill in a shared race 13, but when the same four riders contested the final race of the night the Lynn skipper was in the mood for revenge and he stunned Hamill with a breathtaking move to secure another maximum.

Lynn lost both their Elite League matches at Coventry by six point margins and on their current vein of form they will be favourites to take the trophy for the first time since 1977.

King’s Lynn: Adams 14, Crump 11, Cook 10, Boyce 8, Madsen 6, Masters 5, McGowan 4.

Coventry: Richardson 11, Hancock 10, Hamill 9, Scott Robson 2, Stuart Robson 0, Jorgensen 0, Tacey 0.