Plymouth demonstrated their potential ahead of a proposed switch to a higher level of speedway next season with an entertaining 47-43 win over the Premier League stars of the Isle of Wight at the St Boniface Arena on Friday evening.

The Islanders had the edge in providing nine race winners to Plymouth’s six, due to the success of their captain Jason Bunyan, who won his five races and set a new track record in the opening heat.

He clocked 50.43 seconds for the 216 metres circuit, clipping over half a second off the time of 51.00 set by Plymouth’s Mark Simmonds in the last meeting, a fortnight previously.

Devils skipper Seemond Stephens top-scored for the home team with 10 points from his four rides, suffering his only defeats when he was beaten by Bunyan on each of their two clashes.

Plymouth:
Mark Simmonds 9+1 (5 rides), David Gough 1+1 (4), Tom Brown 8+2 (5), Kyle Hughes 7+2 (4), Seemond Stephens 10 (4). Res: Jason Prynne 6+2 (4), Paul Starke 6 (4).

Isle of Wight:
Jason Bunyan 15 (5), Cory Gathercole 5 (4), Glen Phillips 8+2 (5), Richard Sweetman 3 (4), Paul Fry 4 (4). Res: Andrew Bargh 8+1 (5), Danny Stoneman 0 (3).