PETERBOROUGH’S Elite League play-off dreams have been shattered – despite another thoroughly convincing performance at the Showground on Monday.
The Readypower Panthers eased to a 55-38 win over top-four finishers Wolverhampton, the result headlined by a third successive home maximum from Polish star Krzysztof Buczkowski.
And it was important that Panthers got their own job done in professional fashion on a day when everything else went against them.
Under four hours before the start of the meeting came the shock news that the amended result from their away match at King’s Lynn in July had been re-amended in the Stars’ favour.
The previous decision to rule Lynn guest Kozza Smith ineligible was overturned on appeal by an ACU Court of Enquiry, and Panthers’ four points from meeting thus became one – meaning they would be unable to catch either Poole or Lakeside under any circumstances.
Panthers bosses are considering their response to the SCB statement, which was issued on the British Speedway website shortly after 4pm.
The news quite naturally dampened the atmosphere at the Showground, although in the final analysis it was of academic interest to Panthers’ chances, as Poole took four points from a 35-28 win at Belle Vue in a controversial meeting which was brought to a halt due to unfit track conditions after Heat 10, with the result standing.
Even if their King’s Lynn ‘win’ was still showing in the league table, Panthers would now be unable to match or exceed the Pirates’ 46-point total with just the home match against Belle Vue next Monday to come.
But, once again, the team showed just how far they have come since the dark days of early season with a clinical home victory – despite the shock of conceding a 5-1 in the opening race when Wolves’ Ricky Wells came close to the track record.
Reserves Norbert Koscicuh and Dakota North immediately levelled the scores and a steady flow of 4-2s followed with Buczkowski starting as he meant to go on by passing Swedish star Freddie Lindgren to win Heat 3.
Wolves, well led by skipper Tai Woffinden, remained in touch until midway through the meeting before Panthers hammered in back-to-back 5-1s in Heats 9 and 10 to open up a 14-point advantage.
That was reduced to nine by a 7-2 to the visitors in Heat 11 as Woffinden took six points on a tactical ride, Joonas Kylmakorpi preventing maximum damage by passing Wells for second place.
And the last four heats all finished as 4-2s to the Panthers as Woffinden’s only real support came from ex-Panther Nicolai Klindt, who gated well all night to reach double-figures.
Buczkowski had the final say with terrific wins in Heats 14 and 15 to wrap up another full house, leaving boss Ryan Sullivan happy with another all-round team effort.
Sullivan said: “We’re disappointed obviously, but we’ve fought hard after making hard work of it with a slow start to the season. We can look back and rue a lot of lost points, but nevertheless we can hold our heads up high.
“The team has done well. They’ve got off the bottom and proved themselves to be a great team. The riders have been outstanding in the second half of the year. It’s disappointing at the moment but next week we’ll want to go out with a bang.
“All of the boys, the promotion and myself were pretty excited when we had a chance of making the play-offs, and I think it was within our grasp. But that’s racing, and I wish the other teams good luck.”
PETERBOROUGH 55: Krzysztof Buczkowski 14+1, Patrick Hougaard 9, Joonas Kylmakorpi 9, Kenneth Bjerre 7+1, Norbert Kosciuch 7, Ryan Fisher 5+1, Dakota North 4+1.
WOLVERHAMPTON 38: Tai Woffinden 14+1, Nicolai Klindt 10, Ricky Wells 5, Freddie Lindgren 5, Adam Skornicki 4, Robert Miskowiak 0, Ludvig Lindgren 0.