Newport 51, King's Lynn 41: Holders King's Lynn failed to pick up a Premier Trophy point yesterday in their seasonal opener at Newport. Stars' skipper Tomas Topinka and Kevin Doolan went to the tapes for the finale needing a full house to claw back a losing point but former Elite League star Leigh Lanham proved too strong for the hosts.

Newport 51, King's Lynn 41

Holders King's Lynn failed to pick up a Premier Trophy point yesterday in their seasonal opener at Newport.

Stars' skipper Tomas Topinka and Kevin Doolan went to the tapes for the finale needing a full house to claw back a losing point but former Elite League star Leigh Lanham proved too strong for the hosts.

Lynn team chief Rob Lyon will have been buoyed by Casper Wortmann's paid ten haul from reserve but Ricky Wallace and Linus Eklof failed to score.

Alex Davies notched paid four on his first official outing for the Wasps against the club he was poised to join for 2010 before problems securing a British passport.

Lynn started brightly in their first Premier Trophy South pool fixture - Topinka opening his account with a smart cut back up the inside but Lanham overhauled Eklof to square the race.

Wallace was forced off 15 metres in the next for touching the tapes and then excluded in the re-run for rolling at the start line. Outgunned Dane Wortmann trapped to the flag from his one-time intended team-mate Davies.

Kyle Legault edged Kozza Smith to anchor a home maximum behind Anders Mellgren before Doolan split Kim Nilsson and Todd Kurtz.

Topinka continued his unbeaten start to the campaign to comfortably subdue Mellgren. Watson had too much gas for Doolan down the back straight in the next as Newport moved ten clear.

Smith and Joe Haines hit back in kind following a lengthy delay when Nilsson smacked the shale exiting turn one.

Watson used his track nous to hold up Wortmann in the early heat eight sparring and then Doolan fired out of turn four to head Mellgren.

Lynn's hopes of a late fightback ended when Smith over-cooked it after diving past Watson and Lanham to gift the hosts another maximum. Lyon moved into tactical territory but Topinka trailed in last although Smith fared better in the next in tandem with Wortmann.

Topinka claimed heat 13 but Doolan's exclusion prevented the visitors making any inroads. Haines prevailed in the penultimate tour to move Lynn back in range but Lanham hunted down Topinka and Doolan in the finale.

Wasps: Lanham 9+4, Watson 11, Mellgren 10, Legault 6+3, Nilsson 8, Davies 4, Kurtz 3+1.

Stars: Topinka 11, Eklof 0, Smith 8, Haines 6+1, Doolan 7+1, Wallace 0, Wortmann 9+1.

t James Brundle inspired the club's Young Stars' National League squad to a 50-40 Good Friday win over Scunthorpe at the Norfolk Arena.

Brundle notched paid 15 with experienced team-mate Darren Mallett (paid 14) also leading from the front.

Dale Allitt's youngsters head to the Saints today for a National League return meeting which will follow Scunthorpe's senior septet against Redcar in the Premier Trophy (6pm).

Young Stars: Brundle 13+2, Campos 5+2, Widman 3+1, Lowe 5+1, Mallett 14, Naylor 2, Knight 8

Saints: Compton 8+1, Wrathall 6, Isherwood 6+1, Irving 7, Richardson 6, Worrall 5+1, Birks 2+1.