Three wins out of four were not enough to see Peak Dean progress into the semi-finals of this years Division One Cup. Swanage go through as winners of their group with Liden taking the runners-up spot, that despite the duo managing just two wins apiece from their first round meetings, bonus points crucial in the final reckoning as points difference went on to settle the final placings of the lead trio. All three finished on eight group points, with Liden earning half of those in their 59-31 victory over the Plunderers this week, host riders scoring at least a point in all but one of their combined 30 appearances on the track, the decisive second bonus point clinched in heat 14 with a 5-1 from reserve Michael Wells (11+1) and Tivadar Szabo (7+2). Both Szabo and his fellow second string Kinga Brody (8+1) contributed race wins on the night, in contrast their opposite numbers—Jake Mitchell (1) and Matus Duron (0)—failed to beat an opposition rider all meeting, while the Peak Dean reserves only did once between them. Liden’s reward for the rout is a last four tie with Group A winners Lane End, like the Wildcats the Trappers will be making their first semi-final appearance in any the three versions of the competition. Lane End booked their place in the knock out stage with a 53-37 home victory over Kent, the Steelers ending the qualifiers without a win. West Ham had already qualified for the semi-finals prior to the final first round clashes, but dropped into the runners-up position after an eight point defeat at Desford, the SL8 winners face SL9 and 32 winners Swanage in the last four.

Out of the Division One Cup but an otherwise good week for Peak Dean. They boosted the prospect of a successful league title defence with home and away wins, the latter a 43-47 success at Desford where Pavel Marijanovic contributed a career best 10+1 from his five rides. Signed for £20,000 in pre-season, the 18 year old has been hit and miss in a Plunderers race-jacket in SL36, with five scores below three in his first six league meetings. He showed his really worth though at Desford, the Slovenian victorious in the match winning 4-2 for the visitors in heat 14, beating home second string Dean Croxton (7) having also picked up a win in a heat eight 5-1 ahead of team mate, Matus Duron (8+1). Earlier Peak Dean relied on their top four to take them to a 20 point European Cup first round first leg win over Lublin, the result setting them up nicely for the return in Poland as they bid to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the fourth time in their history. Stuart Smith has targeted the European Cup this season, their only previous success having come back in SL11. Both Kent (56-34 over Pori) and West Ham (53-36 over Prague) also enjoyed comfortable successes in the competition this week, however Brighton face an uphill struggle to reach the semi-finals after they were defeated 44-46 at home by a Krakow side led by former Dudley Wood rider, Izaiah Hejl (14).

Nottingham moved back into the division two promotion places for the first time in two months with a win at Wirral. The two clubs began the week level on points, they end it separated by five points and four places following the Jazz’s success, their first on the road of the campaign. It looked an unlikely one after the first six races, with the Warriors storming into a 24-12 lead in the meeting after taking three 5-1’s in the opening skirmishes. They didn’t gain another heat advantage all night however, that despite seemingly have weathered the use of three visiting side tactical substitutes in the space of two races, which earned Nottingham just four meeting points. The deficit though was down to eight prior to heat ten, then Adriano Fontana (12+1) and Valentin Koltsov (6+1) slashed it further with a 5-1, three races and two Jazz 4-2’s later the scores were level. Nottingham wouldn’t though take the lead in the clash until the finale, a second 5-1—this time from Solt Bodor (14) and Fontana—earning them a 43-47 victory.

Having lost just one of their first nine in the league it’s now just one win in the five since for Warrington. They drop from top to third in division three this week following back-to-back defeats, the second come at home against a Cradley side who have now taken at least a point at the Chemzcal Stadium in three of their last four visits there. Graham Weaver’s visitors were trailing for much of the meeting, going eight down at one stage after their riders failed to win any of the first five heats, they were still six down with three races to go. Cradley turned the clash on it’s head with successive 5-1’s, Philip Strome (9+1) becoming only the second Comet to win a race with victory in the first of those in heat 13, Danny Forbes (14) won the second, which took his side into the lead heading into the last. Strom and John Green (8+2) secured the minor places in the decider to complete their side’s 43-47 victory.