Monday evening saw the curtain come down on what has been yet another disappointing season for the Belle Vue Aces, in which saw the hosts complete their league programme with a double-header meeting, in which the two matches summed up Belle Vue season in a way.
A season that on paper should have seen the Aces battling towards an end of season playoff spot, instead saw them narrowly missing out on the wooden spoon and finished up with a battling victory over the King`s Lynn Stars and then lost heavily yet again to the Coventry Bees.
In the opening meeting of the night it pitted the Aces against the King`s Lynn Stars and for the Stars, this was a very important match indeed for the Norfolk side, as a victory for them would guarantee them top spot in the table and have them choose their desired playoff opponent for next week.
In the case of Belle Vue, it saw their two fixtures as nothing more than just racing for pride and trying to end the season on a high note, after what has been a poor season for the Aces as they suffered with injuries and missing riders.
King`s Lynn took the early initiative in the match, taking the opening couple of heats with a couple of 4-2`s going their way. Robert Lambert popped out the gate ahead of Aces number Matej Zagar and lowered the colours of the grand prix star with Kerr taking third place, after he replaced guest Chris Harris who had been excluded for touching the tapes.
In the reserves race, it saw the Stars get some luck in the race however with Max Clegg looking on replays to have touched the tapes, but the referee never saw it and so Clegg picked up a point at the second attempt of running the race after Lee Payne went too wide and let him through.
The Aces forced their way back in the meeting with a 5-1 in heat 4, where British duo of Paul Starke and Richie Worrall teamed up to take maximum points with both Belle Vue riders passing Max Clegg to get the huge win.
Hans Andersen won his second race in a row, beating the strong pairing of Matej Zagar and Craig Cook, with Cook pushing Andersen hard but not able to stop the Dane taking the race win.
Captain Scott Nicholls and Richie Worrall combined in the following race to score a 4-2 and take a two point lead, before the lead changed round once again as the Stars responded with a 5-1 advantage through Nicklas Porsing and Lewis Kerr which saw them leading by two points.
Belle Vue then went back in front after heat 8, when Nicholls and Worrall once again got the hosts back in a winning position. In recent weeks the Aces have struggled at reserve, with Stefan Nielsen out for the season through injury and saw them left basically them seriously depleted in the reserves scoring ranks. The Stars were on a maximum heat win, before Starke managed to capitalise on an error by Kerr and saw him move into second spot.
Hans Andersen shown his liking for the Kirkmanshulme Lane circuit still, as the former Aces man led from start to finish as he and a another former Ace number one in Rory Schlein, finish in third place for a 4-2 to the away side.
Nicholls and Cook responded straight back with a 5-1 for the home team and from that point onwards Belle Vue never looked back as they scored a further two 4-2`s and a level heats to help the Aces win the match 48-42 and deny the Stars first place in the table ahead of the Poole Pirates.
Belle Vue Aces = 48
1. Matej Zagar - 2 , 1' , 2 , 3 = 8+1
2. Michael Palm Toft - F/X , 1 , 0 , 3 = 4
3. Scott Nicholls - 1' , 3 , 2' , 3 , 2 = 11+2
4. Richie Worrall - 2' , 1 , 3 , 3 = 9+1
5. Craig Cook - 2 , 2 , 2' , 1 , 1' = 8+2
6. Paul Starke (Guest) - 2 , 3 , 2 , 1 , F/X = 8
7. Lee Payne - 0 , 0 , 0 , (PS - F/X) = 0
King's Lynn Stars = 42
1. Chris Harris (Guest) - X/(LK - 1) , 0 , 1 , 2 = 3
2. Robert Lambert - 3 , 1 , 0 , 2 = 6
3. Hans Andersen (Guest) - 3 , 3 , 1 , 3 , 3 = 13
4. Nicklas Porsing - 0 , 3 , 0 , 2 , F = 5
5. Rory Schlein - 0 , 2 , 1 , 0 = 3
6. Lewis Kerr - 1 , 3 , 2' , 1 , F , (MC - 1') = 7+1
7. Max Clegg (Guest) - 1 , 0 , 3 , (LK - F) , 1' = 5+1
Belle Vue Aces = 48
1. Matej Zagar - 2 , 1' , 2 , 3 = 8+1
2. Michael Palm Toft - F/X , 1 , 0 , 3 = 4
3. Scott Nicholls - 1' , 3 , 2' , 3 , 2 = 11+2
4. Richie Worrall - 2' , 1 , 3 , 3 = 9+1
5. Craig Cook - 2 , 2 , 2' , 1 , 1' = 8+2
6. Paul Starke (Guest) - 2 , 3 , 2 , 1 , F/X = 8
7. Lee Payne - 0 , 0 , 0 , (PS - F/X) = 0
King's Lynn Stars = 42
1. Chris Harris (Guest) - X/(LK - 1) , 0 , 1 , 2 = 3
2. Robert Lambert - 3 , 1 , 0 , 2 = 6
3. Hans Andersen (Guest) - 3 , 3 , 1 , 3 , 3 = 13
4. Nicklas Porsing - 0 , 3 , 0 , 2 , F = 5
5. Rory Schlein - 0 , 2 , 1 , 0 = 3
6. Lewis Kerr - 1 , 3 , 2' , 1 , F , (MC - 1') = 7+1
7. Max Clegg (Guest) - 1 , 0 , 3 , (LK - F) , 1' = 5+1
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Belle Vue 40 Coventry 53
In the second meeting of the night, it saw maximum man Hans Andersen at it yet again as led his main club the Coventry Bees to victory, where they once again inflicted a home loss upon an Aces side that looking tired and found their opponents to quick out the gates for them.
Andersen carried on from where he left off in the opening meeting, with the Danish star storming to a brilliant 12 point maximum, as the Bees were buzzing in the second match, with eight heat advantages going the way of the Midlands side in the meeting.
Belle Vue looked to have punched themselves out after the opening fixture, whereas the Coventry side looked to used this match as a tune up prior to their play-off semi with the Swindon Robins next week.
The Bees gated a whole lot better than that of their hosts and saw them pull away in the score line early on, Craig Cook and captain Scott Nicholls scored a maximum 5-1 to see the home side showing some signs of a fight back just before the midway point of the meeting, but they were unable to get back in the match.
Bees duo of Kenneth Hansen and Droylsden-based Jason Garrity saw them scoring successive 5-1's in heats 4 & 6 to see the visitors lead 26-16, which brought the tactical substitute into play.
The nominated tactical ride came off for the Aces, as some great team racing between Scott Nicholls and Richie Worrall, earned them an 8-1 to move within three points of the Bees.
Coventry however, went up a few gears after that and saw them take maximum points in four of the final six races in the meeting, with Hansen and Garrity having blinders for the playoff bound Bees.
Hans Andersen was imperious all evening, as he completed a second maximum of the night, which saw the Danish rider collecting 24 points from a possible 24.
Belle Vue rounded off their disappointing season on a high note at least, with Nicholls and Worrall scoring a 5-1 in the final race of the season, to give their long suffering home fans something to cheer about, in what was a thumping for the Aces as the Bees look ready for the playoffs next week.
Belle Vue Aces = 40
1. Matej Zagar - R , 0 , 3 , 1 = 4
2. Michael Palm Toft - 1 , 1 , 0 , 3 = 5
3. Scott Nicholls - 2' , 2 , 6^ , 1 , 2' = 13+2
4. Richie Worrall - 2 , 1' , 2' , 1 , 3 = 9+2
5. Craig Cook - 3 , 1 , 0 , 0 = 4
6. Paul Starke (Guest) - 0 , 1' , 1 , 1 = 3+1
7. Lee Payne - 2 , 0 , F , 0 = 2
Coventry Bees = 53
1. Hans Andersen - 3 , 3 , 3 , 3 = 12
2. Aaron Summers (Guest) - 2' , 3 , 1 , 2 , 2 , 0 = 10+1
3. R/R for Ben Barker - (KH - 1 , JG - 2' , JG - F/X , AS - 2 = 5+1)
4. Kenneth Hansen - 1 , 3 , 2' , 2' , 2' , 1 = 11+3
5. Chris Harris - R , 0 , 1' , 2' = 3+2
6. Jason Garrity - 3 , 2' , 3 , F/X , 3 , 3 = 14+1
7. Max Clegg (Guest) - 1 , 0 , 2' , 0 = 3+1
1. Matej Zagar - R , 0 , 3 , 1 = 4
2. Michael Palm Toft - 1 , 1 , 0 , 3 = 5
3. Scott Nicholls - 2' , 2 , 6^ , 1 , 2' = 13+2
4. Richie Worrall - 2 , 1' , 2' , 1 , 3 = 9+2
5. Craig Cook - 3 , 1 , 0 , 0 = 4
6. Paul Starke (Guest) - 0 , 1' , 1 , 1 = 3+1
7. Lee Payne - 2 , 0 , F , 0 = 2
Coventry Bees = 53
1. Hans Andersen - 3 , 3 , 3 , 3 = 12
2. Aaron Summers (Guest) - 2' , 3 , 1 , 2 , 2 , 0 = 10+1
3. R/R for Ben Barker - (KH - 1 , JG - 2' , JG - F/X , AS - 2 = 5+1)
4. Kenneth Hansen - 1 , 3 , 2' , 2' , 2' , 1 = 11+3
5. Chris Harris - R , 0 , 1' , 2' = 3+2
6. Jason Garrity - 3 , 2' , 3 , F/X , 3 , 3 = 14+1
7. Max Clegg (Guest) - 1 , 0 , 2' , 0 = 3+1
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