In a period of six days in which the Lakeside Hammers are in action three times, twice away and once at home, they got off to a flying start on Monday evening with a win away at last year’s treble champions, the Coventry Bees.

It was the second time that the Hammers had visited the Bees Brandon Stadium this season and come away with a win. Having already won there in May the victory last night showed all other Elite League clubs that they mean business this year in the chase for play-off places at the end of the season. The six vital League points acquired from these two wins has put the Essex Club in a good position with half of the League campaign still to go.

The victory at Coventry did, however, initially appear to be at a cost as the Hammers star, Leigh Lanham, was involved in one of the bad crashes at Brandon, which resulted in three riders having to be withdrawn from the meeting.  Fortunately after tests it has been revealed that Lanham escaped serious injury as no bones were broken in the incident that saw Andreas Messing, a Hammers asset on loan to Coventry, collide with the Hammers rider. Lanham was very battered and bruised but may be fit enough to take his place in the Hammers next match, which is at the Arena-Essex Raceway his coming Friday when the Ipswich Witches are the visitors.

The other two riders who had to withdraw were from the Coventry side – both Oliver Allen and Chris Harris lost control of their machines on a track that was quite difficult to ride. The condition of the track seemed to affect the home riders more than the Hammers side who were never behind in the match. The match was effectively over after heat 13, when the Hammers Swedish pairing of Andreas Jonsson and Jonas Davidsson claimed a maximum 5-1 heat advantage to put them 12 points up with only two heats to go. The pair, who performed well for their Country at last week’s World Cup round at Brandon Stadium, continued their fine form and were well supported by Hammers captain Adam Shields although each member of the side chipped in with important points.

The Hammers riders provided eight out of the 15 heat winners up at Coventry, but more importantly, had riders in last place on only three occasions with one of those being when Joonas Kylmakorpi had machine problems in heat No.3.

The Hammers will be determined to continue their winning ways at their Raceway on Friday but they are fully aware that Ipswich could pose a treat as the Witches are the only club to defeat the Hammers at the Arena-Essex circuit this season when they won back on Good Friday in a Craven Shield qualifying group encounter. The Suffolk club are currently in fifth place in the Sky Sports League table two places behind the Hammers although the Essex based Club have a match in hand.

The Hammers then travel down to Sussex on Saturday to face the fourth placed side, the Eastbourne Eagles, who are just one point behind the Hammers although they have raced six more matches than the Essex Club. 

The action gets underway at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday at 8pm, although there will be the usual series of junior heats between 6.45pm and 7.15pm.