WEYMOUTH WILDCATS 18

MILTON KEYNES KNIGHTS 18

WEYMOUTH Wildcats kicked off their 2019 Midland and Southern Development League season with a thrilling 18-18 draw with Milton Keynes Knights at Poole’s Wimborne Road.

After watching reigning SGB Premiership champions Pirates thump Belle Vue 55-35, a crowd well in excess of 500 people stayed on to watch the Wildcats’ maiden home fixture of the campaign.

Loyal fans were rewarded with a pulsating second meeting of racing as Weymouth counted themselves unlucky not to take victory from the encounter.

James Laker was the star performer, claiming a total of nine points while debutants Cesca Kirtley-Paine and Sam Peters scored one and two respectively.

However, it was the score of fourth rider Jacob Clouting, who ended with six points, that might have swung the balance in the Wildcats’ favour.

Weymouth looked on course for a near-certain 5-1 during heat one only for Clouting to suffer an engine failure as two points slipped away from the hosts’ grasp.

As a result, Wildcats settled for a 3-3 draw, reflecting on what might have been as reliability gremlins prevented a 20-16 win.

Speaking to Echosport, Wildcats’ co-promoter Martin Peters enthused over a positive opening to the campaign.

He said: “We could have won, Jacob had an engine failure which could’ve turned a 3-3 into a 5-1 and Cesca would’ve had a 4-2 in the last heat which would’ve given us the win.

“But she led for three and a half laps and got overtaken literally on the last half a lap going down the back straight into the third bend.

“It was a good meeting all in all with it being close and well received from the Poole fans.”

On the support shown to the Wildcats, Peters added: “It’s something they’ve never had on a regular occurrence.

“We’ve done a little bit of Twitter and Facebook work over the past week or so just to drum it up.

“Swindon had 500 people stay behind the other day to watch the Reading meeting and I think we did, if not more. They stayed behind and all loved it.

“A big cheer went up for Cesca when she got her third in the first race, which was great to hear.

“A lot of them have been tweeting throughout saying they can’t wait for us to come back for our next meeting.”

Weymouth’s fixture at Carmarthen today was cancelled due to adverse weather, meaning the Wildcats next race on Wednesday, May 22 at Birmingham.