WEYMOUTH WILDCATS 49 KING’S LYNN 41 JAMES Cockle and Adam McKinna produced a grandstand finish to propel the Weymouth Weyline Wildcats off the foot of the National League table last night.

Needing to capture the final heat by a 5-1 margin in order to leapfrog the King’s Lynn Young Stars, talisman Cockle saved his best for last to take the chequered flag ahead of team-mate McKinna.

Young Stars’ skipper Simon Lambert (16), who until that stage had been invincible, trailed in third place as the Wessex Raceway faithful celebrated a momentous win.

For the first time this season, the Cats are not at the bottom of the pile, and their third consecutive victory on home shale was as timely as it was thrilling on a night of high drama.

Lambert inspired the Young Stars to an opening 4-2 triumph and it got no better for the Wildcats in heat two as Richard Andrews required medical attention.

Andrews had tumbled at the first turn, feeling the full force of an impact with Luke Chessell (4+2) who was powerless to get out of the way and who had flip- ped head-first on to the shale him- self.

With Andrews complaining of pain to his backside and knee, a lengthy delay ensued, but when the action finally did resume – minus the stricken Andrews – King’s Lynn asserted their authority with a 5-1.

However, Weymouth responded with a maximum of their own courtesy of Gary Cottham (8) and Tom Brown (8+2) before Cockle ensured that the home side moved in front.

The first uninterrupted race was also the first 3-3, as Lambert headed Cottham and Brown, and when Byron Bekker (6) and McKinna combined for another maximum, the Wildcats’ lead was six points.

Andrews remounted his bike for heat seven but propped up the rear as Mr Consistent Cockle took the chequered flag, before Lambert’s third victory kept King’s Lynn in the hunt.

The visitors reduced the deficit further thanks to a win for Adam Lowe in heat nine, but instalment two of the Bekker-and-McKinna Show dented the visitors’ hopes of mounting a comeback.

Lambert then boosted King’s Lynn with another imperious ride that oozed class before Brown opened his victory account to maintain Weymouth’s six-point advantage.

There was no surprise when Lambert eased to his fifth straight success but Bekker’s fall on the final lap, when he was on course to bag two points, left the door ajar for the Young Stars.

It was opened even further when Chessell false-started in the penultimate heat and incurred a 15-metre handicap, but Cottham remained unfazed and protected Weymouth’s four-point cushion.

Cockle and McKinna were the riders tasked with defeating the unbeaten Lambert and gaining the 5-1 that would ensure the Cats swapped places with King’s Lynn.

And the pair did not disappoint – scorching past Lambert and holding him at bay to record a result that will live long in the memory of Wildcats’ fans.