King's Lynn loss 'hard to take' but Northampton Foxes boss Adams still taking the positives

The Brafield-based side once again performed well on their travels, but were ultimately beaten for the fourth time in five meetings to remain rock bottom of the six-team table.

The Foxes led the match with three of the 15 races remaining, but the home side’s top duo of Max Fricke and Jan Kvech turned up the heat in the closing stages to seal the win for the home side.

And while admitting it was disappointing to lose again, Adams felt his team's performance was another indication that they are on the right track in their first season.

“It was a good performance," said Adams. "It’s a little hard to take that we lost, but it was good to have a meeting where we had a full team, and we just need all of us firing at the same time.

“Away from home I’ll take that result, but it’s just a pity that we couldn’t quite cross the line with a win.

“King’s Lynn were just a little too strong in Heats 13 and 15 although Nicolai (Klindt) nearly made it off gate four in Heat 13, but Max blocked his run, and it was same again in Heat 15 when we just didn’t get out of the start.

“But overall it was a good team performance, they all chipped away and there weren’t too many last places.

"With some little tweaks here and there, I think we’ll be there.”

Skipper Klindt and recent signing Jonas Jeppesen won two races apiece for Foxes, whilst Kye Thomson once again contributed well at reserve.

The early skirmishes were shared with the scores level after four heats, but the Foxes then began to trouble their opponents with some fast starts.

Jeppesen was a fine winner of Heat 3 but Iversen was caught out by Ben Cook off the second bend and then by Chris Harris later in the race, whilst in Heat 4 it was the Foxes again out-front early on with Kvech and Klindt having a terrific battle for second place, which the Czech racer eventually took although Thomson was the race winner to leave the scores at 12-12.

King’s Lynn made the first major move with a 5-1 in Heat 5 from Cook and Harris, but Northampton hit straight back in the next with a great effort from Klindt and Thomson to leave Grand Prix star Fricke at the back.

By this stage the home side had lost reserve Jody Scott to a back issue, meaning they had to go into two races with only one rider, but Kvech limited damage from their perspective by winning Heat 7 as Jeppesen nursed a sick bike around for third place.

A Stars 4-2 after a tight third bend in Heat 8 put them 25-23 up but the Foxes again had an immediate response, as Klindt swept around Cook on turn two of Heat 9 and Thomson repelled the efforts of Harris as he maintained third place.

The match stayed level across the next two races, won by home riders Fricke and Kvech, but the Foxes went ahead for the first time when Jeppesen and Thomson gated well in Heat 12, and although they were split by youngster Cooper Rushen a 4-2 left the visitors 37-35 up heading into the closing stages.

But the hosts did have their strongest pairing in Heat 13, although Klindt so nearly made it into the first bend ahead only to lose out to Kvech as Fricke also started well, and the 5-1 for the Stars put them 40-38 up.

Iversen kept the Foxes in contention with a super first lap in Heat 14 to overcome Cook and Rushen, but the challenge again in Heat 15 was to do something about Fricke and Kvech.

And with the home riders having choice of gates in the decider, it did go the Stars’ way with Fricke and Kvech making it to the first bend in front, and despite the efforts of Klindt to split them it was the home side who came away with the win.

The Foxes are back in action on home soil on Thursday night (June 18) when they entertain second-placed Sheffield at the Northampton International Shaleway.

King's Lynn 48: Jan Kvech 12+2, Max Fricke 12, Ben Cook 11+1, Cooper Rushen 9, Chris Harris 3+2, Jody Scott 1, Paco Castagna r/r.

Northampton Foxes 42: Kye Thomson 9+1, Nicolai Klindt 9, Jonas Jeppesen 8+2, Niels-Kristian Iversen 7, Jaimon Lidsey 5, Troy Batchelor 4+2, Luke Harrison 0.