INJURY-HIT Peterborough staged a dramatic draw with Coventry in their Bank Holiday Monday Elite League clash at the Showground.
The Readypower Panthers were left depleted on the eve of the meeting with Kenneth Bjerre, Norbert Kosciuch and Michael Jepsen Jensen all ruled out with injuries – but their makeshift side responded well and so nearly pulled off a late victory.
The visitors got off to a flying start with Chris Harris and Adam Roynon opening up with a 5-1 over Panthers guest duo of Rory Schlein and Henning Bager and with six races completed the Bees led 21-15.
But Krzysztof Buzckowski finally brought Peterborough to life with a brilliant win in Heat 7. The Pole charged after Kenni Larsen by roaring down the inside into turn 3 on the final lap and survived a big moment mid-corner to finally take the chequered flag by a wheel. Richard Lawson followed them home in third.
New man Tomas H Jonasson recovered from two earlier last places to win Heat 8 and with Bager third the resulting 4-2 further reduced the Bees advantage to two-points.
The brilliant Linus Sundstrom and Lawson were first away in Heat 9 holding maximum points for three laps, but Scott Nicholls managed to just split the home pair in a close finish on the line.
And when Schlein and Bager raced to a fourth successive home 4-2 in Heat 10 the Panthers had deservedly got their noses in front for the first time.
Heat 12 was a ‘Swede’ moment as Sundstrom led from tapes-to-flag, with his fellow countryman Jonasson fighting his way past Michal Szczepaniak and Eddie Kennett to join his new team-mate for a 5-1.
The Panthers now held a six-point lead, but their advantage was immediately cut to two when Harris and Nicholls raced to a 5-1 of their own in Heat 13.
Sundstrom continued his good form when winning a shared Heat 14 – which took the meeting to a last race decider.
As the match reached its climax Sundstrom was again first from the tapes, but was passed on the second lap by Nicholls and then had to work hard to hold off a determined Harris for second place. But hold him off he did and the match ended all-square.
The two teams are straight back in action against each other tonight when they head to Coventry’s Brandon Stadium for the return fixture (7.30pm).
PETERBOROUGH 45: Linus Sundstrom 15+1, Krzysztof Buczkowski 8, Richard Lawson 7+1, Rory Schlein 6, Tomas H. Jonasson 5+1, Henning Bager 4+1, Michael Jepsen Jensen R/R.
COVENTRY 45: Scott Nicholls 13+1, Chris Harris 12+1, Kenni Larsen 8, Michal Szczepaniak 7+1, Adam Roynon 4+1, Aaron Summers 1+1, Edward Kennett 0.