CRADLEY boss Will Pottinger praised his side for securing a 47-37 win over Kent in what he described as 'difficult circumstances.'
An injury to Kent reserve Luke Clifton in the second race of the night saw the meeting delayed by over an hour. The 35-year-old, who was making his return to racing following a recent rib injury, suffered a suspected broken femur, tibia and fibula and was eventually transferred to a local hospital.
When the action did resume, the Motor Market Heathens were forced to battle hard and the visitors held the hosts with the scores tied after eight races.
But Pottinger's side dug deep in the second half to seal three more Travel Plus National League points with a race to spare - a heat which saw the meeting cut short with the result standing after reaching the curfew following a shoulder injury to Kent skipper Luke Bowen.
Said Pottinger: "First and foremost we would like to send our very best wishes to Luke Clifton. We certainly hope it's not as bad as first feared and we hope he makes a full recovery.
"We also send our best to Luke Bowen who made our lads work very hard for their points tonight in what was a good meeting barring the injuries to their riders.
"We knew we'd got to get the job done though and considering the difficult circumstances with the delay, I was pleased with the way our riders applied themselves.
"To race at Monmore for the first time in six weeks, get a win and deny Kent a consolation point is a brilliant effort from the team and we've got to be happy.
"The league is going to be very tight when all fixtures have been completed and you'd imagine Kent will be there-or-thereabouts along with ourselves and in the mix for the play-offs.
"So who knows how important tonight's result could be and there were plenty of positives to take from this one."
Heat-leader duo Tom Perry and Danny Ayres, who was up against his former club, provided plenty of entertainment for the supporters and their double point hauls deservedly reflected their efforts.
Dan Greenwood and Luke Harris provided solid support in the engine room of the team while reserve duo Ryan Burton and Conor Dwyer chipped in with encouraging, impressive performances too.
It was a tough first night in the main body of the side for Joe Lawlor who will be eager to bounce back when the Motor Market Heathens travel to the Isle of Wight for their rearranged fixture on Tuesday, June 27.
CRADLEY 47: Tom Perry 11, Danny Ayres 10, Dan Greenwood 7+1, Ryan Burton 7, Conor Dwyer 6+3, Luke Harris 6+2, Joe Lawlor 0. KENT 37: Luke Bowen 10, Jack Thomas 8+2, Ben Hopwood 6+1, Anders Rowe 5, Bradley Andrews 4+1, Nathan Stoneman 4+1, Luke Clifton 0 (withdrawn) Abandoned after 14 heats - Curfew - RESULT STANDS.
