No side has made more KOC quarter final appearances than Merseyside without going on to win the competition. They’ll feature in their 12th this season when they take on Manor in the last eight, that after completing a remarkable double victory over Cradley Heath in this season’s second round, the Marauders beating the Hammers 44-45 both at the Riverside and then this week at the Dudley Wood Arena. The two sides had met on three previous occasions in the competition, with Stuart Mills’s outfit losing out in each. However the Hammers boss would have been confident going into their home meeting of ending that sequence, given the slender deficit they had to overcome. It was not to be though, the hosts not once getting their noses in front on the night or on aggregate, they losing out in the battle of the lower order where second string Timur Lazaroff (6) and reserve Dano Vacha (7+4) impressed for the visitors. The two featured in the tenth 3-3 in the space of 11 races to confirm they would hold a two point aggregate lead heading into the last, Sebastian Lofstrom (11+1) won the race that proved to be the odd-one out in the sequence, that a visiting side 3-2 returned in heat 11, a race in which Graham Hancock (6) for the hosts and Merseyside’s Vadim Rimkus (3+1) failed to finish. Lofstrom returned alongside Shane Goodwin (11+1) in heat 15 to complete the victory with the minor places, that the 12th 3-3 of the meeting. Title chasing Manor will provide more formidable opposition in round three, the Miracles having convincingly come through their all-top flight tie with Ramsgate.

Cradley Heath bounced back from the KO Cup disappointment by extending their strong league form with victory at Quantock. The 44-46 success was their fourth win in a row in division one, a sequence which has taken the early season strugglers eight points clear of the relegation zone and within six of leaders Denaby at the halfway point of the campaign. Quantock will count themselves somewhat unlucky to go down to their fourth home defeat of the campaign, Mauro Bruno (14) and Luka Zonta (9+1) had scored a 5-1 as tactical substitutes in heat 14 to keep the meeting alive and then threatened to snatch victory in the last when leading around the first bend of the opening lap. However Zonta failed to control his bike to such an extent down the back straight that he failed to avoid the fence, causing a stoppage and an end to his side’s hopes of victory. Bradley Law (13+1) and Rudolf Svatek (11+1) cruised around for the minor places in the re-run to earn the Hammers all three league points. Elsewhere in the division bottom side Altrincham where held to a draw at home by Merseyside, a last heat 5-1 securing the Marauders a second point from a meeting they trailed in by six, the result helping them close to within three points of top spot in the standings.

All eyes were on London to cause an upset in the KO Cup second round. It didn’t materialise however, with top flight Laceby not only defending their six point first leg lead at the third tier side, but extending it further with a 41-49 victory. It was an impressive all round team showing from the Avenues, with special mention to double race winner from reserve, Gleb Litvin, who finished with season best figures of 11+2. Laceby have been drawn against Don Valley in the last eight, the Vipers also completing a win double in round two this week, a 42-48 victory at Lye for them. Back-to-back leg wins too for Nottingham who demolished Border to set up a quarter-final tie with Tottenham. The Red Raiders are joined by a second division three side in the last eight, with Whiteley coming through their tie with Birmingham, 89-91 on aggregate. Darren Jones’s side face holders and current division one leaders Denaby next.

Buxton’s world number seven Sven Roth (13) flies under the radar in division two but he once again proved he’s definitely one to consider as a possible future World Champion. The SL23 Swedish GP winner picked up only his second career WSO meeting win this week in Lublin, the 24 year old German topping the standings in the World Championship 2nd round tie from Ludoslaw Wozniak (12). No place in round three though for another of last years GP riders, Keith Fine, who failed to make the top eight in the meeting, or for Mikko Jarju who missed out in the second of this weeks ties at Southampton. Cradley Heath’s world number four Rudolf Svatek (12) won that after defeating another of last years GP stars Waclaw Kozlowski in a deciding race-off.

Buxton dropped their first home point in their bid to return to the top flight after two seasons away. A home draw in their top of the table clash with Brighton seeing them slip to third despite an earlier draw for the Braves at Hertford. Elsewhere in division two Wednesfield scored a last heat 5-1 to win at Bolsover, 42-48.