A first home defeat in over a year and a half but still Eastbourne made their way through to the final of the KO Cup this week. It was certainly hard work for the holders, who went into their home leg with what looked like an impenetrable ten point advantage over visitors to The Whirlpool, Rugby. Eastbourne had eliminated Rugby at this stage of the competition on their way to lifting the KO Cup trophy for a second time in as many years in SL29, they made it three in a row last year when beating Southampton in the final. Four remains on the cards, but not without a scare against the Gravediggers this time around, David Grainger’s side leading for all but one heat of the return, which saw Soren Soenksen (15) earn is only maximum in this years competition. The Dane’s fourth win came in a heat 13 5-1 with Edo Olejnik, a score which gave their side a real hope of making the greatest ever comeback in the history of the KO Cup. Those hopes were snuffed out in the penultimate race of the night, with Marc Labrum forced into making a tactical substitute to finish things off, Kasper Larsen (12+1) winning on his unscheduled appearance to the track, with Harry Myers (7+3) finishing second to complete the tie clinching 5-1. Soenksen won the last to secure a 43-46 victory on the night for Rugby, who were left wondering what might have been if they’d turned up with the same ambition in the first leg. Newly crowned European Cup victors Timperley await the Hyenas in the final, the SL27 winners earning an eight point success in their semi final tie against Swinton with a 52-38 victory this week, a run of five straight heat advantages in the final third of the meeting turning the tie their way.

Movements at the bottom of division one with Rugby winning at fellow relegation threatened Greenhill and a third home defeat for Nottingham. The Red Knights—who began the week three points outside of the drop zone—slipped into the bottom three after going down 44-46 against Southampton at the Greyhound Stadium, Sergey Guerk (12) completing victory for the Saints with a last heat win in a meeting they had led in throughout and at one stage by eight points. Nottingham replace Swinton in the relegation places, with the Lions ending their 25 week spell there thanks to a 49-41 home victory over Birkenhead, a result which followed a fantastic draw for them at Southampton, where new number one Tom Parson’s (10) picked up a brace of race wins on his Lions debut. Rugby too opened the week with a draw, they held at home by second placed Eastbourne after conceding a last heat 5-1. However with that victory at Greenhill to follow, 44-46, David Grainger will be more than happy with his side’s work over the latest period, which sees them remain in sixth , five points clear of eighth with six meetings remaining.

Prior to this weeks meetings Birstall boss Tony Clegg had given up on division two survival. Two wins and six points later the Bulls are out of the bottom three for the first time in over four months, and just six points off the promotion places! It’s their 42-48 win at then second placed Sawley that will make those above them nervous, heat 14 and 15 5-1’s seeing them grab their second victory in three away meetings in style, second string loanee Jake Clarke (12+1) winning both.

At 38-52 Circencester’s win at Stepps is the biggest of the five they’ve recorded in their debut division three campaign. There was a four ride maximum from Jamie Brewer (12) in the Centurions second string ranks, the 20 year old—on loan from Nottingham—securing the league points for the club alongside reserve Dusan Stanek (8+2) in a heat 14 5-1. Stepps riders provided just three of the heat winners on the night, the defeat sees them end the week three points off the promotion places. Second placed Cirencester are now on a winning run of five, a sequence which has taken them nine points clear of fourth placed Purton, although they are 12 off the pace set by leaders Sunderland, who secured their promotion to division two this week.

Sawley are big favourites to land the Division Two Cup for a second time after winning at Dundee in the first leg of the final. The Cakes—now without their talisman Tom Parson—defeated 44-46 by a Grenadiers side that scored 5-1’s in both the opening and closing heats. 22 year old second string Philip Trosky (14+1) won the first of those and finished runner-up to Pavel Kulvajt (14) in the second to complete his maximum.

A sixth career GP win for SL23 World Champion Sergey Guerk (14) has he ended a 16 meeting run without a podium finish in this weeks Czech round. The Southampton stalwart dropped just a point in finishing two clear of new World Championship leader Davin Bjorge in Prague, Olesia Duda took third.