PETERBOROUGH finally picked up their first away point of the Elite League season after going down to a narrow 43-47 defeat at local rivals King’s Lynn.
The Readypower Panthers came back strongly in the closing stages of the Norfolk Arena clash and could well have left with maximum points but for a remarkable effort by home guest Kozza Smith, who piled-up paid-14 whilst standing-in for the injured Nicklas Porsing.
Panthers had their own high-scoring reserve in Patrick Hougaard, who maintained his fine run of form, and Finnish star Joonas Kylmakorpi was also back on-song as the visitors put in a competitive display.
There were similarities to Monday’s dramatic draw against Birmingham as once again the Panthers conceded 5-1s in Heats 10 and 11 to leave them chasing the meeting late-on.
Much of their early work had been done by Hougaard and Kylmakorpi, who won his first two rides to help the visitors into a 19-17 lead after six races – although that situation was immediately turned around one heat later thanks to Rory Schlein’s last-bend pass on Buczkowski for second place behind Smith.
It was level after Heat 9 with a fine win from Hougaard over Mads Korneliussen, but the next two races saw the Stars take a grip on proceedings, their run ended by guest Mikkel Bech’s best ride of the night in taking Heat 12.
In fact, a 5-1 to the Panthers looked likely only for Dakota North to lose out to Andzejs Lebedevs in the closing stages, and there was more late drama in Heat 13 when Schlein got the better of Kenneth Bjerre for third place to restore the Stars’ eight-point lead.
But just like two nights earlier against the Brummies, Heat 14 saw Panthers bounce back into contention thanks to Hougaard and Krzysztof Buczkowski whose 5-1 reduced the gap to four points.
Stars’ No.1 Niels-Kristian Iversen, though, held his nerve for the home team in the decider to lead home Hougaard and Kylmakorpi, with Rory Schlein failing to finish, and Panthers had to be content with a single league point.