MJJ stars in last-heat drama as Panthers grab all the points off the Bees

Friday, June 29, 2012
9:52 AM

Peterborough 49 Coventry 41

MICHAEL Jepsen Jensen’s dramatic last-gasp pass of Coventry captain Chris Harris secured maximum points for the Readypower Panthers from a terrific contest at the Showground.

The visitors looked set to come away with a point, and limit the Panthers to two, when Harris and Scott Nicholls tucked in behind the back-to-form Kenneth Bjerre in Heat 15.

But Jepsen Jensen moved alongside Harris exiting turn two on the final lap, and then resisted Harris’s attempts to clamp him on the last bend, winning the race to the line for a vital third place.

It was enough to see the Panthers through an awkward encounter in which Coventry’s reserves - former Peterborough man Henning Bager and the very impressive Adam Roynon - kept them in the meeting.

But Panthers had a trump card at reserve themselves as Norbert Kosciuch recovered from a slow start to post three wins on his way to a paid-14 total - which was crucial as Olly Allen crashed out of the meeting in Heat 7.

The resultant 5-1 to Coventry in the re-run brought them back to within two points, but the visitors also lost a rider, Kenni Larsen, when he fell whilst leading the next race.

Panthers edged their lead up to six points when Kosciuch cleverly overtook Edward Kennett to win Heat 11, and three shared heats followed as the meeting boiled up to a tense climax.

Jepsen Jensen just missed out on passing Harris in Heat 12, and although Roynon won Heat 14 the third place for Richard Lawson over Bager was an important one.

Bjerre, who looked right back to his best, shot away to win Heat 15 with the never-give-up Jepsen Jensen salvaging the vital third to send the Panthers fans home happy.

Bjerre said: “It’s a good result for us and of course I’m happy with how it went for me. It’s just nice to have a meeting without any rain, and the track was great.

“I felt fast and I know in Heat 1 I was close to the track record so I had plenty of speed in the bike. We’re all pleased and looking forward to the meetings after the World Cup.”

PETERBOROUGH 49: Kenneth Bjerre 14, Norbert Kosciuch 12+2, Michael Jepsen Jensen 9+2, Linus Sundstrom 9+1, Richard Lawson 5+1, Olly Allen 0, Krzysztof Buczkowski R/R.

COVENTRY 41: Adam Roynon 11, Chris Harris 9, Scott Nicholls 8+1, Henning