Topinka shines for Stars
King's Lynn's captain fantastic Tomas Topinka guided his men to another Premier League romp last night against injury-hit Workington.
Stars 63, Workington 30
King's Lynn's captain fantastic Tomas Topinka guided his men to another Premier League romp last night against injury-hit Workington.
Lynn's double Czech champion turned back the clock with a virtuoso display, laced with a masterclass heat 11 success.
The maximum man (15 from five) spent three laps fending off Workington's Elite League starlet James Wright before powering out of the final bend to glide past team-mate Chris Mills.
Even Workington's Polish sensation Tomasz Piszcz (12 from six) was forced to play second fiddle in an explosive heat seven - Topinka diving inside the Comet who was then cut down on the line by an inspired John Oliver.
The Premier Trophy semi-finalists arrived minus Paul Thorp (foot) and lost skipper Gary Stead (concussion) after a terrifying tangle with Daniel Nermark in heat six.
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Lynn's Swedish heat leader soldiered on until withdrawing in the closing stages of another one-sided Saddlebow encounter.
Nermark flew to victory in the opener, but Trevor Harding was relegated to third after a last-lap clutch problem. Mills took the reserves with Oliver celebrating his man-of-the-month award by reeling in the outgunned Comets duo exiting turn two.
Troy Batchelor led home the customary Aussie heat three procession - rocketing around within a second of Topinka's 2003 lap record.
Lynn's pied piper needed all his track craft to down Stead in a battle of the skippers - the luckless Oliver grinding to a halt seconds after the start.
Kevin Doolan took the honours in the next with Batchelor edging a titanic tussle with Wright before the maximum was confirmed.
Stead's promising night ended abruptly after clipping Nermark in a first-bend burst - Stead catapulted over his bike before careering into the fence.
The Comet limped away after treatment trackside but was immediately withdrawn. Nermark held his nerve to claim the re-run.
Oliver's heat seven heroics stretched Lynn's advantage to 22 points, but Piszcz re-emerged in the next to land a big tactical raid.
Barely a bike length separated Batchelor and Doolan as they completed the hat-trick. Piszcz hit back again, but Topinka's sublime heat 11 demonstration triggered a late surge from the rampant hosts.
Stars: Nermark 8, Harding 6+2, Batchelor 10+2, Doolan 13+2, Topinka 15, Mills 6+1, Oliver 5+2.
Comets: Wright 7, Hawkins 1, Piszcz 12, Stead 2, Dennis 2, Collins 6+2.
