Coventry 47 King's Lynn 43

King's Lynn's injury jinx struck again last night with stand-in skipper Simon Stead crashing out of their defeat at Coventry –- but their depleted side still battled to a point.

Already without long-term victim Mads Korneliussen, and including Latvian youngster Andrej Lebedev for the first titme, the Stars were reduced to five men as early as the third heat. Track conditions were also a major talking point, and a lengthy interval was required as the home promotion tried to sort out a problematic second bend.

The first two races saw the visitors outgated but they still fought their way through for a share of the points, with Niels-Kristian Iversen coming from third to first in heat 1.

Richie Worrall then made a fine last-bend move to get the better of Michal Szczepaniak in heat 2, but the next race saw Stead go down heavily on the first turn with Stuart Robson fortunate to escape disqualification. Stead could take no further part after aggravating his previous shoulder injury, although Worrall initially prevented further damage by winning the re-run as the Stars edged ahead. But Scott Nicholls and Szczepaniak then got the better of Rory Schlein in heat 4, and Seb Alden could make no impression in the next race although Iversen cruised to another win.

Schlein split Danny King and Szczepaniak in heat 6 but the absence of Stead was being felt and track conditions weren't helping either as Alden fell in heat 7 after lifting on the tricky second bend.

That prompted a lengthy delay and Lebedev raced clear of Nicholls for an impressive win.

Schlein took his first win of the night in heat 9 but the next race saw Coventry take control for the first time as Nicholls and guest Danny King out-trapped Worrall for a 5-1 to take the Bees eight points clear.

A last-race 5-1 would have been enough for a draw, but Zengota held off Iversen and Schlein as the Bees edged home.

Coventry: Zengota 12+1 (6), Nicholls 10+1, King 8+1 (5), Robson 6+2 (5), Szczepaniak 6 (5), Lindgren 5+2 (5), Allen r/r.

Lynn: Worrall 13+1 (7), Iversen 13 (5), Schlein 10+3 (6), Lebedev 6+1 (7), Alden 1 (4), Stead 0 (1), Korneliussen r/r.