A second successive competitive victory at Totton’s Testwood Arena wasn’t enough to see Mansfield through to the last-eight of this season’s KO Cup. Last years defeated finalists eliminated by two on aggregate despite the 44-46 win away from home this week, the damage done in leg one when Totton returned from their trip to Nottinghamshire with a 43-47 victory under their belts. Lewis Atkins (8+1) scored 17 that day, he didn’t manage half that as Mansfield came back at the Tigers in the return, taking them to a final heat decider, where a collective sigh of relief was exhaled after Simon Snow (12) and Adkins completed their nervy progression by both finishing ahead of Reece Hopper (11), who’d dropped just a point previously in the meeting. Totton go on to face division two leaders Hallamshire—who beat Sedgley by 16 in round two—in the quarter-finals, it’s the fourth successive season that John Shuttler’s side have made it this far in the competition. For Bournville it’s a fifth quarter-final tie in a row after they came through an all top-flight second round tie with Balham by ten, Wednesfield—four point winners over Stourbridge—await Steve Donaldson’s outfit. Holders Long Eaton made light work of dispatching Shetland in their first tie of this years competition, two down from the first leg the Rifles went in front by the end of heat five of their home return, adding 5-1’s in heats nine and 13 to secure their passage with two races to spare. Their tie with Caversham looks the pick of the third round match ups. The quarter-final line-up is completed by Swindon’s two-legged encounter with Houston.

Two-thirds of Long Eaton’s league meetings this season have been settled by four points or less. Two were added to that tally this week, with a first home loss suffered in the defence of their division once crown when Belfast paid a visit to their Perksdome home, the Sinks taking all three league points on offer with a 44-46 victory secured with a last heat Stephen Beck (13) winning 4-2. That was the first time Paul Hunt’s side had been in front all meeting, they having gradually clawed their way back from a six point deficit with the help of a paid 11 from 16 year old Paul Griffin, one of three Northern Irish riders in the visiting line-up. Long Eaton responded well to becoming the tenth different top flight side to lose at home in the league this season, they going on to inflict Balham’s second home defeat of the campaign, 43-47. All of the visiting top five picked up at least one heat win in that success, in contrast the Bombardiers only victories from the top five were earned by the unbeaten Marek Wieczorek (15). The results leaves Long Eaton fourth and seven points off the pace at the halfway point of the season.

Sedgley are now the only side left unbeaten at home in division two this season. That after both struggling East Hull and previous leaders Barnsley both suffered defeats on home shale, the former going down 43-47 to Hallamshire, who end the first half of the campaign five points clear at the top of the standings as a result. Barnsley meanwhile lost out to Sedgley at the Stairfoot Arena, and in the table, the Sprites climbing above their defeated hosts into a season high second. Also on the up—to fifth in their case—are Stirling following their first away success of the campaign, that recorded at Southend, 43-47, who slip below Stoke and to the foot of the standings. East Hull meanwhile are in no worse a position than they began the week in despite that home loss, they having broke their away duck for SL18 at Stourbridge, where two wins from reserve Alex Peck (8+1) helped them to a 43-47 victory. In division three there were away wins for Abdy (44-46 at Chesterfield) and second placed Wednesfield (40-50 at Kent), who were later held to a draw by leaders Dudley in their top of the table clash.

Hallamshire’s Marcin Jarworski (12) continued the defence of his world title with victory in his second round tie at Houston. Vadim Kozel (11) of Sedgley was the surprise winner of the final meeting at this stage of the championship, he taking the victory at Lublin after a race-off win over Garry Gould.