SPEEDWAYWightlink Islanders 47, Newport Hornets 43
ISLANDERS won Tuesday night’s National League meeting in dramatic fashion, snatching victory in the final heat.
However, after only taking two of the three league points available, co-promoter Chris Hunt was still disappointed.
"Again, some of the riders are letting the side down. It was there for the asking for us," he said.
"It was an OK result but I am disappointed to lose that extra league point. No doubt the crowd enjoyed the closeness of the meeting."
The thorn in the Islanders’ side was Hornets’ top rider Todd Kurtz, who only dropped one point all night.
He showed his intent by winning the opening heat, but the Islanders’ duo of Rob Smith and Paul Starke had a 5-1 win later to get back into it, before three shared heats.
Islanders led by four at the half way point, before heat advantages in the next two races gave Islanders a healthier eight-point lead.
But Hornets were never far away and slowly began to claw back the points until heat 15, when the scores stood at 43-41.
It took three attempts to get the race held but in the end Nick Simmons won from Kurtz and Smith, earning the Islanders the necessary points for victory.
The Islanders travel to Mildenhall on Sunday to take on the Fen Tigers in the first leg of the National League Knock-Out cup semi-final.
There is no home match next Tuesday but will host Dudley Heathens on Thursday.