Allen leads Lynn charge as Stars pick up point

Monday, August 16, 2010
4:37 PM

Stoke 49, King’s Lynn Stars 43

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KING’S Lynn’s new look side picked up a valuable away point at Stoke after holding the Potters to a 49-43 win.

Lynn trailed by 10 points after just four races and nine after 10 heats before hitting back strongly by providing four of the next five race winners as they forced a last heat decider.

“We are in a transitional period with the team and I thought we worked hard and did a lot of good things out there tonight despite quite a bit of bad luck at times” conceded Stars team manager Rob Lyon.

Stoke started strongly despite newcomer Ben Wilson lifting alarmingly whilst leading heat 3 and falling awkwardly, though the luck evened out when Stars skipper and talisman Tomas Topinka pulled up sharply whilst lying second to Claus Vissing with a major engine problem.

“The con rod has smashed through the engine casing and the whole motor might be ruined” said Topinka.

Lyon handed Allen a tactical ride in heat 5 and the Stars pairing recorded a 7-2 as Allen took the win from Taylor Poole with Adam Roynon picking up third spot as Lynn halved the Potters advantage.

Cal McDade escaped injury in heat 8 after he fell at the first turn and was caught by the chasing Roynon as Stoke took advantage in the re-run to build a 30-21 cushion. Stoke looked to be on the point of increasing that lead in heat 10 as Lee Smart and Poole sat on a 5-1 ahead of Kozza Smith and Lasse Bjerre when Smart went too wide on the pits turn and fell, turning a 5-1 in to a drawn heat.

“I just went that fraction too wide and hit the heavy dirt which stopped the motor dead” said Smart after picking himself up.

Stars then hit a good run as Allen headed former Ipswich team mate Vissing twice and Bjerre, who scored in each of his races, took the chequered flag in heat 12 from Wilson and Lubos Tomicek.

Heat 14 proved pivotal, and painful for Smith, as Lynn continued their winning ways. Jamie Courtney made a good start and with Tomicek pulling up with an engine problem, Smith did everything he could to block Poole until he seemed to catch the fencing coming off the final turn and was flung in to the air just yards from the line leaving just two finishers and Lynn within six points of the home side.

“We were chasing every point out there that we could and I was trying to block him (Poole) to give Jamie a bit of extra room to concentrate on winning the race” said Smith.

“I wasn’t sure where he (Poole) was coming from and I guess I just got a bit out of shape. I’m okay though I guess I will be a bit stiff in the morning”.

Vissing made a good start in the last heat decider followed by Allen, Poole and Bjerre as they raced down the back straight. The latter then made a terrific outside swoop to go from fourth to second leaving Allen to hold off Poole for the drawn heat that ensured Lynn banked a deserved point for their efforts.

“I think we have a real find in Bjerre and a true number one in Olly (Allen)” pointed out Lyon, “though every point was vital in the end and our team spirit and willingness to pull together was first rate.

“We had Kevin Doolan in the pits doing whatever he could and I felt this was a good point for us under the circumstances”.

Stoke: F Facher (r/r), L smart 7+1, B Wilson 4, T Poole 11+1, C Vissing 16, R Wells 4+2, L Tomicek 7+3.

King’s Lynn: O Allen 15+1, A Roynon 3, L Bjerre 9+2, K Smith 5+1, T Topinka 6, J Courtney 4, C McDade 1.