ACES ADD THREE POINTS

BELLE Vue kept up the pressure at the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a 53-37 home win over Birmingham.

The Aces took maximum points from the meeting and are now within five of leaders Ipswich, although they have raced one more fixture.

Brady Kurtz scored 14 from five rides against the Brummies, dropping his only point to Fredrik Lindgren in Heat 11, whilst Ben Cook chipped in with 11+1.

Tom Brennan scored nine for the visitors who did make a comeback after going 16-points down after just seven races, before the Aces finished strongly.

Belle Vue star Jaimon Lidsey (9+2) said: “It was a tough away leg but we were able to hold on for the win, but we knew we needed something much bigger from our home performance to secure the three points.

“There was a point where they managed to cut the lead we had established in half but we didn’t panic, we just kept our heads down and chipped away at them.

“After the rain and in the second half of the meeting, Birmingham did find something that was working for them but I think we had some of the strongest heats in the second half of the night.”

Birmingham boss Sam Ermolenko said: “We got off to another unbelievable start and the Aces definitely got their hand in the pot quick and started grabbing those points.

“We started finding it a little bit and then the interval came along and things went their way again after that so it was difficult to fight on.

“It’s a little frustrating, but more for the riders I think.”

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Photo credit: PHIL McGLYNN