Nottingham are facing only their second opening round exit in the KO Cup in nine years after suffering a first leg rout at familiar foes Bilston. John Wall’s third division outfit caused a shock when eliminating the Jazz on their way to the semi-finals in SL34, and they were undone again this week by the minnows, who had lost seven successive first round ties prior to last season. Odell Matthiesson (15) was back to haunt the East Midlanders’, the Norwegian led the scoring for Bilston in both legs last season, this time he opened up with an untroubled maximum, with his five race successes helping provide two of the six 5-1’s scored by the hosts. Second string Danny Fox (12+1) and Oksana Falin (7+2) picked up a couple of others, including the first of back-to-back heat maximums in the tie opener, which really got the ball rolling for the Bull Terriers. In all the top flight visitors were limited to just three heat wins as they went down 57-32, a result which leaves them as big outsiders to progress to round two. It’s looking good for the other top flight sides facing lower division opponents ahead of the second legs, although Newcastle have four points to make up on Dover following a 47-43 defeat at the Silkmen this week, a last heat 5-1 helping the Rebels close up on the hosts in a meeting they had trailed in by ten. Milton Keynes look to be heading out after they suffered a 41-49 home defeat in the first leg of their all top-flight tie against Reading, a last heat 5-1 from Philip Hart (12) and Craig Chapman (13+1) taking the Whiteknights into a commanding position ahead of their home leg.

All the talk ahead of this weeks Continental Semi Finals was who wasn’t in action rather than who was. After losing over a point and a half from his GSA this year, two-time defending World Champion Ruda Pala failed to make the cut for the highly competitive section, leaving the rider and fans both devastated, and demanding a rule change. More of the SL34 GP contingent joined him on the sidelines when the racing got under way, with three exiting at this stage, including world number five Alexandr Ivanov (5) who finished down in 13th in the Lublin qualifier. That meeting was won by Desford and Russian star Dmitry Bazarov (12), the 35 year old beating Jarek Pawlak in a race-off to claim his fifth WSO win in a career which spans 42 meetings. Brighton’s world number nine Klement Kobza (12) won the second of the semi-finals in Gyor, the success his second in as many years at this stage of the World Championship.

After a first defeat of the league campaign last week Kent got back to winning ways. Another set of back-to-back successes for the leaders, the latest win returned at Milton Keynes, 38-52, where visiting second string John Arthur (13+1) fell just a point short of scoring what would have been a remarkable maximum. Still by far a season best for the 31 year old, who joined from Bolsover for £55,000 at the start of the season. Kent remain three points clear at the head of the standings prior to what is perhaps their most difficult fixture of the season to date, a trip to in-form Peak Dean. It’s a top of the table clash, with the Plunderers moving up to second after extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight with a league victory at Reading. At 41-49 it looked a comfortable one on paper, but they were taken to a last heat decider by their hosts, a race in which the unbeaten Krzysztof Olszewski (15) and Mark Smith (9+1) scored the visitors second 5-1 of the meeting. The first had featured the reserves in heat two, Thomas Grinsall runner-up in that partnership on his way to scoring a season best 10+3 from seven. Elsewhere in the top flight more home woes for Nottingham, who lost out at Brune Park to Putney, 43-47, the Jazz replace Newcastle at the bottom of the table, who at least managed to get a home point when they took on West Ham, a meeting which ended 45-45.

Brian McKnights’s Lane End have set a course for back-to-back promotions after going three points clear at the top of division two. A 41-49 victory at Wordsley took them into the healthy looking position, as their closest challenger’s going into the week Cradley were suffering their second league loss of it. Their first came at home against Desford, 43-47, the Dynamos—who lost at home to Lane End last week—back to winning ways thanks to a late burst of scoring at The Wood, Dmitry Bazarov (14) and Peter Timm (11+1) combining for two 5-1’s and a 4-2 in the closing five races, with Dean Croxton (5+1) winning another 5-1 in the mist of the carnage. Elsewhere Liden opened their away account for the campaign with a 43-47 victory at Bolsover, while in division three Warrington and Lothian enjoyed 44-46 successes at Benfleet and then leaders Tresco respectively.