Danny Ayres leads Cradley Heathens' victory charge

Number three Greenwood fell in heat 12 with the red lights already on for a previous incident, hurting his left shoulder which contains a metal plate from a past injury. Team boss Will Pottinger confirmed the problem would require further medical assessment.

It marred what turned out to be a stellar show from the Motor Market Heathens, who were pushed all the way until a trio of 5-1s saw them gallop away at the end.

Top dog Danny Ayres bagged a five-ride full maximum with skipper Tom Perry remaining unbeaten by an opponent.

Ayres was within a second of the National League track record in a consummate victory in a shared opener before Conor Dwyer led a second 3-3.

Greenwood slipped out of contention on turn two of heat three having ran very wide while Tony Atkin took a tapes-to-flag triumph to edge Stoke ahead.

Perry led another 3-3, a feat matched by Mitchell Davey in heat five as Joe Lawlor got away with running wide.

Paul Burnett was excluded for running Luke Harris into the fence in heat six and with Ayres in front in the re-run, Heathens were on a 5-1 until Harris hit the fence on turn four, turning the result into a 3-2.

The hosts moved in front for the first time when Perry roared away and Dwyer passed David Wallinger at the back for a 4-2.

Dwyer was then excluded for a fall while third in heat eight but Harris’s win under pressure from Terry-Daley was well earned.

A first maximum pushed Cradley five ahead with Greenwood leading home Lawlor.

Ayres’s third win extended the gap, while Wallinger’s wild lock up almost wiped out a member of the track staff on turn four. Perry also made in three out of three in a shared 11th.

Cradley kicked on from there with maximum men Ayres and Perry cruising around in heats 13 and 15 and Lawlor and Dwyer emulating the leading lights in between.