A second defeat in as many home league meetings has seen Coalville slip from top to fourth in the division one standings. Russell Lewis—who had began the campaign so well—scoring a season low three at heat leader for the hosts as they went down 44-46 to a ‘top-heavy’ Cradley Heath side. The visiting bottom three beat just one rider between them in their combined ten rides, with two of them—Daniel Moss (1) and Magar Olshansky (0)—on the wrong end of a heat eight 5-1 which saw them fall six points adrift of the Kings. Two races later they were eight down and looking certain to suffer their 16th straight league defeat at the venue. However they turned it around in the last third with Mark Jolly (17) and Andreas Magnus (11) winning their tactical substitute outings in heats 11 and 12 respectively, races which saw the Cobras gain a 4-2 and then a 5-1. Two more 4-2’s in heats 13 and 15 would see them to the narrow victory, Jolly winning both. The result wasn’t good enough for Carl Hadlington’s side to return to the top of the table, it’s Leeds who climb to the summit on points difference courtesy of their own 44-46 away win, theirs returned at bottom of the table Runcorn thanks to a last heat Daniel Lake (15+2) winning 4-2. Stowmarket also go above Coalville and into third as they matched the top two’s performance on the road, beating Brickhill by two, who were simply out-gunned at the end, Paul Hope (17+1) and Lasse Classen (15+2) returning maximum points in both heats 13 and 15.

World Champion Piotr Slusarski (13) has returned to the GP series at the first opportunity after winning the Continental Final in Pila. A race-off victory over fellow European League star Viktor Pohek earned the Pole his first career Continental title, the top three from the meeting—which was surprisingly completed by the lowest ranked rider in the field Lel Salata (11)—qualify straight through to the GP’s. Wentworth world number ten Magnar Sobczak (8) was amongst the six who get another shot of qualification in the Play-Off round. Greenhill’s loan star Balder Erland (12) meanwhile claimed his biggest prize of his career to date by landing the Scandinavian title in Malmo, a race off win over Gustave Bolling seeing him add to his semi-final success. World number two Stig Martinson (11) finished third, again the top three go directly through to the GP series.

Derby dropped a point at home for the second time this season, with division two strugglers’ Bradwell earning a draw at the side that began the week top of the table. But it could have been better for the Bandits, they leading by eight after heat 12, only to concede two 4-2’s and a 5-1 in the closing stages. The meeting between hosts Calderwood and Coventry also ended all-square, Jackson Stevens (12) winning a last heat 4-2 for the visitors in that one. In division three Wolverhampton returned to the top three with a 44-46 win at Small Heath saw, Vali Jorde’s (12+1) last heat win seeing out Daz Smith’s Wolves first ever away league victory.

Coalville are on course to reach the quarter-finals of the KO Cup winning the first leg of their second round tie at Claygate, 39-51.