Record seven times winners Don Valley have made their way through to the Division One Cup semi-finals once again. Their final first round qualifier of SL26 pitted the holders against Brighton in a winner-took-all tie, with home advantage the holders were big favourites to take the points, they’d beaten the Bombers on all seven occasions the two sides had previous met at the DVSA and had lost just three of the 16 clashes home or away. Matt Aker’s Vipers stormed in front with back-to-back 5-1’s in heats two and three, but would make the meeting ‘interesting’ according to their heat leader Samuel Murphy (10+1) for the fans by letting their opponents in with a sniff when conceding a 0-5 in heat ten, Brighton back to within three on the night after both Valier Lach (9) and Olesia Kowalczyk (1) suffered mechanical issues. Don Valley riders won all of the next four to secure the meeting victory with a race to spare, they into their third semi-final in four years looking to add a fourth victory in the competition over that period. In all Don Valley are now unbeaten in eight in all competitions, a run which includes a four point victory in their European Cup first round first leg home meeting with Pila, plus a draw at third place Manor in division one this week, Lach (15) securing the league leaders two of the three points on offer and a personal maximum—his ninth of the season at the time, he now has 11—with a last heat victory over Joseph Wall (10+1). The point dropped was the first at home for the Miracles this season, they end the week seven adrift of the Vipers in the standings, having gone into the meeting just four off top spot.

Cradley Heath became the final team to qualify for this years Division One Cup semi-finals after they took the group points they needed with a 50-40 home win over Denaby. That result meant that Merseyside were eliminated despite making it three first round wins out of four with a 43-47 victory at Liden. The Hammers take on Don Valley in the last four, Denaby—who were assured of a semi-final spot prior to their meeting at Cradley—face Manor, who went through as winners in their section despite suffering their first defeat in the competition this season at Laceby.

Denaby’s strong start to the SL26 league campaign continued with a second successive away league win. It came on their first ever competitive trip to Dumpton, where a last heat 4-2 from Shane Goodwin (17) and Callum Osborn (15+1) secured them a 44-45 success in a meeting they had trailed in by seven with three heats remaining. The late comeback began with a Goodwin/Osborn 5-1 in heat 13, while Lesta Markoff picked up his first win of the night in a crucial penultimate race 4-2. Denaby went on to beat Pori 47-43 in the first leg of their first round European Cup tie, that matching the Devils result against the same opponents on their debut in the competition last season, in SL25 a ten point second leg defeat in Finland saw them eliminated, boss Steve Pearce will be hoping for better this time around. There were also slender first leg wins for Don Valley (47-43 against Pila) and Merseyside (48-42 winners over Malmo), while Manor’s home meeting with Horsens ended all-square.

Altrincham won their top of the table clash at Quantock 43-47 to end the week six points clear at the head of division two. The Rangers slip out of the promotion places as a result of their first home defeat since their relegation to the second tier, 5-1’s from the visitors in heat ten and 12 causing irreparable damage to the hosts, Claus Malberg (12+1) winning both, he and Thomas Bonne (9+1) beating home number one Federico Castellini (8+1) in the first, Malberg then partnered reserve Salih Thorman to maximum points. Bonne and Thorman went on to secure the Panthers their third away victory of the campaign with the minor places in heat 14. Elsewhere a season best 10+2 from second string Ota Duch helped Wednesfield earn their first away win of the campaign at Tottenham, the Wanderers—who moved to within a point of the promotion places—43-47 victors at Tottenham. Hull picked up the only away point in this weeks division three fixtures, Libor Smid (12) top scoring for the Diamonds in a draw at Border.

A Hungarian double in the final two World Championship first round ties with victories for both Zsotl Mezo (14) and Rob Kollar (12). Bolsover’s Mezo secured his first WSO win outside of the national championship at the age of 32 with a superb race-off victory over current world champion Liam Marlow, Mezo passing the Brit on the final lap with a daring move around the wide outside of the third and fourth bends. A race-off too required to separate Kolla—who rides for Whiteley—and another of last years GP riders, Sven Roth. It was also Kolla’s—who has won the Hungarian Championship three times—first victory in a world championship meeting.