Long Eaton reach the first change of GSA’s as leaders of division one after going above Totton on points difference with the help of a 28 point home win over Harringay. Harringay—who slip to the foot of the standings—would also lose their home fixture in the week, Daniel Pesola (15) scoring his first maximum of the season as Balham snatched a 44-46 victory in the capital with a last heat 4-2. A successful trip to Bournville for Totton to start the week, they making it four straight league wins in SL18 with a two point success in a meeting in which second string Izak Zaloudek scored a season best 9+1 from his four rides. The Slovakian scored just four in the Tigers later home meeting against Mansfield, in which they went down to a surprise 42-48 defeat, retirements in two races for Simon Snow (9+1) not helping the host’s cause. For Mansfield—who’d lost all their previous meetings at the Testwood—it was heat nine, 13 and 15 5-1’s from Samuel Hill (14+2) and Reece Hopper (13+1) that turned the clash their way, they had trailed by six before the first of those maximums. Elsewhere in the top flight Bradford went down 43-47 at home to Houston, the Colts bouncing back from their double loss of last week by making it two wins out of two this time around thanks to a penultimate race 5-1 from Leon Henrichsen (11+1) and reserve Bradley Morton (7+3).

Belfast have only made it out of the Division One Cup group stage twice in the ten years since they lifted the trophy for a fourth time in SL8. They’re now a short odds-on shot to make it out for a third time after winning at Balham, 44-46, in the competition, visiting reserve Marcus Vincent was paid for 11 from his seven rides. Totton matched the Sinks result in the same first round group when they visited Mansfield, second string William Rahman (10) picking up a couple of heat wins in his four rides. In the other half of the draw Ross Nicholls scored an 18 point maximum as Bradford fought back from eight down to earn a draw at Houston.

Division Two Cup away success for both Barnsley and Sedgley has taken them top of their respective first round groups. 18 year old second string Petri Couri top scored with 12 for the former as they won at Southend, 42-48, while another young Scandinavian—Rad Widing (10+1)—impressed at reserve as the Sprites scored a 44-46 victory at Stourbridge. In the Division Three Cup Boris Manyak (16+2) went through the card unbeaten by an opponent as Abdy recovered from a 35-25 deficit to win at Kent, 44-46, scoring three 5-1’s in the final four races.

Dudley’s 100% start to the SL18 season remains in tact. But only just. Their eighth win from eight came courtesy of a last heat 5-1 from Lachlan Taylor (16+1) and Aleksandrs Ousov (14+1) at Ernsford, where the hosts went down to a 44-46 defeat as a result. Both Taylor and Ousov won their tactical substitute rides in heats which finished 5-1 in favour of the visitors.

Braintree teen Andrea Bianchi (11) made a winning WSO meeting debut at Hallamshire. The Italian topped the standings in his WU19 semi-final by a point from Daniel Weber (2nd) and Mikhail Ousov (3rd). Swede Niklas Kling scored 14 to win the second of the ties from Buxton’s Danilo Franchini (13) in Kekava.