Post by miltonkeynescats on Jul 20, 2017 21:03:18 GMT
With three league weeks down in the new season, the cats have started strongly, with two victories from their three league fixtures. It's an especially strong start with only one of those fixtures being at The Grovedale, meaning that cats have already picked up a win on the road.
It all started with what could be considered a demolition of local rivals Wednesfield, with a thorough 58-32 victory at The Grovedale. "I think we got lucky, we caught them cold, and they were hampered by the loss of Federenko in heat 4, they just couldn't cover for him, but taking nothing away from my side though, they were sublime, they put the wanderers to the sword and then some."
Moving on to week 2's visit to Wantage, and the Cats again started like a train, with the Cats leading the Kings by 12 points after just 4 races. The home side fought their way back into the fixture, only to end up back to 14 points down, they pulled a couple more heat advantages out, but it was not enough, and we left The Ridgeway Raceway with the points. "The team were sublime again. They hit so hard so early, it knocked the kings for six, we won 9 of the 15 races, with 7 heat advantages, i'm so delighted with that performance, what more can a manager ask for? A special shout out to Ryan Betts though, stepping up from the AL to the UL in only his second season in team speedway, and paid 9 for us. Away from home. Superb." said manager Sean Wood after the meeting.
Week 3 saw the cats take to the road again with a trip to Falmouth. A meeting that was tight throughout, and the cats never more than 6 shy of the home side, but in spite of being just 2 down with 2 to go, the cats had their first taste of defeat for this season. "Plenty of other teams will go their and get demolished. They sent Hampden packing with a defeat by the best part of 20 points, they're strong at home, so I can take going down by 4."
"We've started well this season, but i'm more aware than anyone we got a strong start last season too, so we need to continue as we have, that's the greatest test, last year our form fell off a cliff, and we barely kept our place in the UL. I want to be up at the top, I want to challenge, and keep on challenging for the title once more, so I'm delighted with how we've started, but we need to focus on the next meeting, and the one after that, and so on, and keep this going."
Week 4 saw the cats in KO Cup action, with home and away fixtures with Tilbury. The Cats again started strongly and after 4 races were 4 up. The Dockers hit back though, with a maximum in heat 5, but we hit back again with a 4-2 in heat 6. That pattern continued, with both sides exchanging 4-2s, leaving the Cats 2 shy with just heat 15 to go, cue a sublime Maciej Tercjak and Sepp Manzbach 4-2, to snatch a draw.
The home leg was similarly close, and were it not for an injury to Akumbaev, the Cats could have been bested. "In all honesty the team seemed to lack focus, they thought the job was done and it was a foregone conclusion that victory and the fixture was in the bag, but we sure it truly wasn't" and with 3 races to go the Cats were 3 points down, and needed the big boys to get them out of jail, and get them out of jail they did, with a 5-1 and a 4-2 courtesy of Kryznowek & Tercjak sandwiching a race win for Manzbach in 14. The Cats will therefore be in the draw for the KOC Semi Finals in week 13.
Week 5 however? Back to league action, with the Cats welcoming Sheffield for the first time.
It all started with what could be considered a demolition of local rivals Wednesfield, with a thorough 58-32 victory at The Grovedale. "I think we got lucky, we caught them cold, and they were hampered by the loss of Federenko in heat 4, they just couldn't cover for him, but taking nothing away from my side though, they were sublime, they put the wanderers to the sword and then some."
Moving on to week 2's visit to Wantage, and the Cats again started like a train, with the Cats leading the Kings by 12 points after just 4 races. The home side fought their way back into the fixture, only to end up back to 14 points down, they pulled a couple more heat advantages out, but it was not enough, and we left The Ridgeway Raceway with the points. "The team were sublime again. They hit so hard so early, it knocked the kings for six, we won 9 of the 15 races, with 7 heat advantages, i'm so delighted with that performance, what more can a manager ask for? A special shout out to Ryan Betts though, stepping up from the AL to the UL in only his second season in team speedway, and paid 9 for us. Away from home. Superb." said manager Sean Wood after the meeting.
Week 3 saw the cats take to the road again with a trip to Falmouth. A meeting that was tight throughout, and the cats never more than 6 shy of the home side, but in spite of being just 2 down with 2 to go, the cats had their first taste of defeat for this season. "Plenty of other teams will go their and get demolished. They sent Hampden packing with a defeat by the best part of 20 points, they're strong at home, so I can take going down by 4."
"We've started well this season, but i'm more aware than anyone we got a strong start last season too, so we need to continue as we have, that's the greatest test, last year our form fell off a cliff, and we barely kept our place in the UL. I want to be up at the top, I want to challenge, and keep on challenging for the title once more, so I'm delighted with how we've started, but we need to focus on the next meeting, and the one after that, and so on, and keep this going."
Week 4 saw the cats in KO Cup action, with home and away fixtures with Tilbury. The Cats again started strongly and after 4 races were 4 up. The Dockers hit back though, with a maximum in heat 5, but we hit back again with a 4-2 in heat 6. That pattern continued, with both sides exchanging 4-2s, leaving the Cats 2 shy with just heat 15 to go, cue a sublime Maciej Tercjak and Sepp Manzbach 4-2, to snatch a draw.
The home leg was similarly close, and were it not for an injury to Akumbaev, the Cats could have been bested. "In all honesty the team seemed to lack focus, they thought the job was done and it was a foregone conclusion that victory and the fixture was in the bag, but we sure it truly wasn't" and with 3 races to go the Cats were 3 points down, and needed the big boys to get them out of jail, and get them out of jail they did, with a 5-1 and a 4-2 courtesy of Kryznowek & Tercjak sandwiching a race win for Manzbach in 14. The Cats will therefore be in the draw for the KOC Semi Finals in week 13.
Week 5 however? Back to league action, with the Cats welcoming Sheffield for the first time.