National Trophy

WEYMOUTH WILDCATS 41 BUXTON HITMEN 53

WEYMOUTH Weyline Wildcats were dealt a double blow tonight - losing Byron Bekker for the remainder of the season and then seeing their National Trophy hopes severely dented.

The disappointing news regarding Bekker's fitness was announced in the build-up to this evening's clash with Buxton. And to compound the Wildcats' misery, the Hitmen then inflicted a 53-41 defeat on the hosts in a scrappy meeting.

It was revealed beforehand that the South African speedster, who snapped his collarbone and broke a knuckle seven days ago, will be out of action for at least another four weeks, with the possibility of that timeframe being extended to three months if the injury fails to heal sufficiently.

Team manager Phil Bartlett said: "It's not good news for him, which is why we had to move swiftly to get Adam McKinna in. He's been good for us all year but having two injuries in one season isn't great.

"We've been plagued by injuries all season long and had no luck whatsoever on that front.

"It happens in speedway and you only need to look at Poole last year, who struggled with injuries and finished near the bottom."

Reflecting on the loss to Buxton, which leaves the Cats 10 points adrift of the Trophy table-topping Hitmen, Bartlett added: "We were clawing it back at one stage but Buxton had already done the damage. They are top of the league for a reason though, while we're near the bottom."

The club chairman was pleased with the efforts of James Cockle (13+1) and Dan Halsey (8+1) yet remains concerned by the failings of skipper Tom Brown (3).

He said: "We said we had concerns with him at the Isle of Wight on Tuesday and to see him score zero points in three of his four rides tonight is abysmal by his standards."

A fall from visiting reserve Lewis Dallaway helped the Cats to a 3-3 draw in the opening heat. However, they found themselves four points adrift after the next outing as Jason Garrity and Dallaway led the Hitmen to their opening maximum.

Adam McKinna hit the shale in race four and was excluded from the re-run which, predictably, Buxton won to stretch their lead to eight.

Brown repeated the trick in the second attempt at staging heat five - after initially being pulled up for an unsatisfactory start at the first time of asking - and as a result Craig Cook spearheaded another 5-1.

The Wildcats responded by claiming their first race advantage of the night. Cockle, promoted to number one in Bekker's absence, finished second while on a tactical ride and he was followed home by team-mate Halsey.

The deficit stood at 14 after seven heats and another spill from McKinna before the Cats clawed two points back with Halsey, although finishing second to Adam Allott, profiting from a tactical ride.

The Hitmen, operating rider replacement for Nick Morris, were reduced to five when Garrity, still feeling the effects of a crash in heat four, withdrew from the meeting.

Weymouth sensed an opportunity and saw Cockle take their first chequered flag in race 10 with McKinna doing likewise immediately after - breaking Cook's unbeaten run in the process.

Brown then held off the challenge of Jonathan Bethell to make it three race wins in a row as the Cats, now 10 points behind, continued their late surge.

Heat 13 was shared while Gary Cottham lost control in the penultimate race to extinguish any remaining hope.

And a final heat 3-3, which although being won by the impressive Cockle, secured a 12-point victory for the Hitmen.