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Stars: Ward's cup of joy
Lynn Stars 58 Berwick 32
DARCY WARD'S breathtaking 15-point maximum on Wednesday helped Lynn Stars take a firm grip on this KO Cup quarter-final.
The return leg is at Berwick in a month's time and Lynn's 26-point lead should be enough to keep them on the cup trail.
On a night when Lynn had a number of bike problems, Ward stole the show with some spectacular speedway – adding to his reputation as the Premier League's most exciting rider.
Club boss Buster Chapman, standing in as team manager while Rob Lyon was at the British Final in Poole, enthused: "The lad's just got it. There's something special about him and I just hope and pray he stays away from injury and keeps this momentum going."
Chapman added: "I had been hoping for a 20-point lead to take to Berwick because they can be a useful outfit on their home track, so this is a bonus.
"I thought they put up a fighting performance here tonight, and their racing and their attitude to the meeting was fantastic.
"But we proved just too strong with some good track craft and some wizardry from Darcy.
all the way
"I think we are a good enough side to go all the way through to the cup final, but you can never be too sure as things can go wrong."
The bike problems for the Roger Warnes Transport Stars started in the second race when unlucky Kozza Smith, after leading from the start, coasted through the last lap when his fuel hose split. Emiliano Sanchez and Chris Schramm also had their engines coming to a halt.
But as Chapman commented, Lynn had too much power down the order and it was only after the interval break and the final six races where Berwick managed to stem the onslaught.
The Bandits, however, had no answer to Ward who wowed the fans with a Heat 7 win after reeling in Paul Clews and then – right on the line – race leader Joseph Franc.
In Heat 15 there was another win from third place for the young Aussie, this time ducking inside Franc off the third bend of the final lap and somehow powering through to the line.
Lynn: Tomas Topinka 9+2 (4 rides), Linus Eklof 7 (4 rides), Emiliano Sanchez 8+1 (4 rides), Chris Schramm 10+1 (5 rides), Darcy Ward 15 (5 rides), Kozza Smith 1+1 (4 rides), Jan Graversen 8+3 (4 rides).
Berwick: Andre Compton (guest) 6 (4 rides), Tero Aarnio 2+1 (4 rides), Paul Clews 7+2 (5 rides), Joseph Franc 10, Michael Makovsky 3 (4 rides), Greg Blair 1+1 (4 rides), Gino Franchetti 3 (4 rides).
Lynn travel to Glasgow on Sunday for their second Premier League fixture.
Lynn Barracudas tonight host Rye House in the National League.
l DARCY's Lynn News award – see page 111.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 1 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
