Elite League: Belle Vue Aces battle back in final heats to draw with Lakeside Hammers
Wednesday 11 June 2014 11:20, UK
Matej Zagar came up trumps in his final two rides to salvage a 45-45 draw for Belle Vue Aces against Lakeside Hammers on Monday night.
Having led ever since a 5-1 result in the opening heat, the visitors looked set to come out on top in the televised fixture when they held a 38-34 advantage with just three races remaining in Manchester.
However the Aces - in desperate need of points in their bid to move up the Elite League table - played their top card by putting out Zagar in combination with Scotty Nicholls in the 13th heat.
The duo recorded a 5-1 result that levelled the scores and it seemed Belle Vue would be set to finally move in front in the next race, only for Rory Schlein to pip Simon Stead on the line to grab a 3-3 at the flag.
Any hopes the home team had of clinching victory in the deciding and final heat disappeared when Nicholls touched the tapes before they had gone up, forcing the British rider to accept a 15-metre penalty.
But Zagar - who had done the same thing as his team-mate in the opener, paving the way for Lakeside to grab a 1-2 finish - squeezed in between Schlein and Peter Karlsson to record his third victory of the night and make sure honours ended even.
The Hammers pick up two points for the result, rather than one for the Aces, meaning they have cut the gap to runaway leaders King's Lynn at the top of the table.
Guests Schlein, who will be cursing his inability to stay upright in heat seven when he was ahead, and Stuart Robson did excellent jobs in place of Richard Lawson and Lewis Bridger, who had both been called up to the full line-up for the re-arranged Grand Prix Qualifier at Berwick.
Stead managed 10+1 as a stand-in for Belle Vue who remain down in eighth place in the standings.
