Cradley Heathens edge by Plymouth

The Devils had won at the same venue in the Knockout Cup a fortnight earlier, and it was clear that they arrived with plenty of confidence – but the Heathens dug deep in the closing stages to cancel out the visitors’ big guns, clinching victory in the penultimate race.

Visiting No.1 Steve Boxall was a rapid winner of Heat 1, but the Heathens did secure two early 4-2s, whilst both Henry Atkins and Richard Andrews came to grief for Plymouth. The first fall actually benefited the Devils as Dan Greenwood and Luke Harris had held a 5-1 when the race was stopped, only for Benji Compton to win the re-run.

Tom Perry got the better of Adam Roynon in their first clash, but Boxall’s success in Heat 5 helped the visitors narrow the gap to two points.

But that turned around in a disastrous Heat 8 when Andrews moved clear whilst Callum Walker fended off the challenge of Joe Lawlor before rounding Shelby Rutherford off the final bend for the first 5-1 of the night. There was controversy in the next race when Devils reserve William O’Keefe fell on the first bend – but that appeared to again favour the visitors as Roynon was suffering mechanical problems at the same time.

Incredibly though in the re-run, Roynon again came to a stop within half a lap, allowing Harris and Greenwood to ride to an unchallenged 5-0 to put the Heathens back ahead.

Skipper Perry then produced a stunning effort to save a 3-3 in Heat 11 by rounding Boxall off the final bend, and a vital 4-2 from Greenwood and Rutherford in the next extended the gap to five. The Devils gated on a 5-1 in Heat 13 but Perry and guest Ben Morey both worked their way past Boxall for a 3-3, before Conor Dwyer made a well-timed flying start in the next with Harris supplying third place to confirm the Heathens’ victory.

Roynon won Heat 15 but team-mate Compton failed to finish, with a shared race not enough for the Devils to claim a consolation league point.