Dudley Heathens knocked out of cup

Dudley Heathens 47 Stoke 43 (Stoke win 105-79 on aggregate)

The dazzling sun which bathed Monmore Green did not shine too brightly on Dudley's already grey hopes of reaching the Knockout Cup final.

So fierce was the illumination that Tom Perry fell on the fourth bend in heat three last night after being temporarily blinded – and team-mate Danny Stoneman nearly did the same in the next race. The danger meant a 10-minute break was taken before heat eight.

By that time, the sun had well and truly set on the Heathens' chances, with 5-1s needed in each and every one of the last eight races to force an aggregate draw.

That faint hope was promptly snuffed out by another Potters 5-1, although Richard Franklin failed by a whisker to get up on the line and deny James Sarjeant second place behind Jamie Pickard.

Simon Lambert, winner of the Golden Hammer last year, is a known force at Monmore and formed a formidable pairing with the excellent Pickard.

With solid backing from reserve Sarjeant – a 2010 Heathen – the Potters always looked likely to convert their 30-point advantage from the first leg into overall victory.

They even led twice by six on the night before Dudley hit back to maintain their unbeaten home record in 2011.

Kyle Newman was their mainstay, defeating Lambert twice out of three including a humdinger in heat 10.

The Dudley man had a fractional advantage down the first lap back straight and converted it into a solid lead with a finely controlled turn.

But Lambert, despite a heavy tumble in the first running when hitting the fallen Pickard, gave chase and rounded his man before Newman's superb inside pass on the pits turn appeared decisive.

Even then Lambert waded back into the fray, powering up the inside off the final turn and falling short by the slightest of margins.

Dudley had a two-point lead going into the last and Newman, again hotly pursued by Lambert, took the win with Ashley Morris third to leave both sets of supporters happy.

By Tim Hamblin