Nottingham are set to suffer an embarrassing first round exit in the this season’s KO Cup after going down to a 41-49 home opening leg defeat to lowly Wimbledon. It’s a third loss at the hyperfocused.co.uk Arena for the Red Stars since their promotion back to the top flight, this though the most surprising of the three, given the relative statuses of the two clubs. Last years quarter-finalists were behind for the first eight races, with Wanderers number one Tomasz Blasiak (13+1) and his new partner at two—Richard Berger (7+2)—taking the visitors in front with a 4-2 in heat one. Blasiak would win four out of five in the meeting, as would reserve Romet Lobanev, who began his journey to a season best 13+1 with victory in a heat two 5-1. The hosts got themselves back to within two points of their third tier opponents, before Lobanev and Berger combined for Wimbledon’s second maximum in heat eight to take their side six up once again. Two races later Nottingham had levelled the scores, surely from here they would go on to win? That would not be the case, with Wimbledon riders winning the last four races—Labanev and Blasiak picking up two apiece—more importantly those victories were converted into two 4-2’s and a 5-1, the latter returned in the final heat when Berger stole second on the line from home top scorer Skjold Likness (12), a move which summed up the night. Andy Fowler will aim to ensure there’s no complacency when Nottingham visit Plough Lane for the return leg next week, although given it would require a club record away win in this competition for the Red Stars to progress, he can count his team as favourites to reach the last 16 of the competition for the first time.

We have new leaders of division one with Chalvington going top once again thanks to a 42-48 victory at Boslover. Unbeaten in five the Chiefs made it two away wins on the bounce after scoring 5-1’s in heats 13 and 15 of the fixture, the unbeaten Jason Danoff (14+1) and Per Dalberg (13+1) picking up the decisive points as the hosts faltered late on. Bolosver have lost 11 from 13 in all competitions since their return to the highest level. Previous pacesetters Sedgemoor drop to second after they were smashed at Smethwick, 54-36, the loss their biggest in 27 visits to the venue. Elsewhere Bridgwater end the week unbeaten in four in the league after picking up a point for a draw at Cambridge, where 20 year old American Jonathan Macler raced to two wins on his way to a season best 11+2 in his new role at reserve.

After last season’s struggles it’s promotion Great Barr have on their radar in SL30. They back up into the top three in division two following a draw in their latest meeting at Wilmington, English duo Joshua Hooper (14) and Stephen Charnock (11) securing Peter Hay’s side their second away point of the campaign with a last heat 4-2. Bogdan Gerbajs (5+3) also impressed for the visitors following his £40,000 switch to the club, the Slovenian contributing at least a point in each of his outings to the track, including two behind Charnock in a heat seven 5-1.

Wimbledon’s fantastic week began with the first of three straight wins on their league visit to Werrington. Tomasz Blaziak (14) and reserve Romet Lobanev (10+1)—who is on loan from Plymouth—again the two top scorers in the club record 39-51 success, which saw them return to the promotion places in division three. In fact they are now just points difference off the pace set by Kesgrave, who hold on to top spot courtesy of their draw at Wordsley, it was more of point lost for the Kestrels however, they conceding a 5-1 in the last having gone four in front with a 5-1 of their own in the penultimate race from reserve Kostas Holub (10+1) and second string Kieron Godfrey (8+2).

A long awaited seventh WSO career victory for Dominic Little (13) completed in Plock this week. The Dartford number one—now 31—winning his World Championship first round tie 11 years after his sixth success, which came in the SL19 BU21 Final. Krakow’s world number two Taavi Raudnagel (12) won the second of this weeks ties at Netherton.