King’s Lynn captain Nicolai Klindt says it will be a proud moment to lead the team into the Knockout Cup Final next week.
Stars face Leicester over two legs, starting at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday, with major silverware on the table in what is most definitely a Final for the underdogs.
But whilst the Lions’ semi-final win over holders Sheffield would probably register as a slight upset, it was nothing compared to the sensational drama of Foxhall last week as Lynn took out overwhelming favourites Ipswich.
It seemed hugely unlikely that a weakened Stars side without Niels-Kristian Iversen and Ben Cook could do enough to defend a six-point first-leg advantage against a full-strength powerhouse Witches side.
But as Lynn moved closer and closer to their target, the cracks appeared in the home team, and a 5-1 from Klindt and Chris Harris in Heat 12 left them under maximum pressure.
It was all decided in Heat 14 with a key ride from guest Lewis Kerr, who drove inside Dan Thomson heading into the last lap, and with the Ipswich rider falling unassisted, the tie was all over and the celebrations could begin.
Klindt said: “Being without Niels and Ben again is one thing, but to go to Ipswich and draw on the night, as well as take the aggregate win, is an achievement in itself.
“I learned from the mistakes we made last time here, and it worked out nicely, and it was an amazing feeling to get the result.
“As captain, I’m very proud of the boys, and now we’ve got a big chance to finally get some silverware back to King’s Lynn.
“Obviously we’ve been in the Cup Final before, but that’s a few years ago, and this gives us extra motivation to turn Leicester over in the Final.
“We went to Ipswich with real motivation. They had a lot to fight for with being six points down, and also with us beating them in the league on the Monday.
“We just came with a positive mindset, and we went heat by heat.
“Before the meeting, we talked about needing to focus on the starts, and also to look for each other, and to look at how the track was developing through the evening.”
Turning their attentions to the Final, the Stars will certainly need to build a lead on their own track on Monday, as Leicester’s home form through the summer has been very impressive.
Kerr will once again guest for Cook, on the basis that he was booked for both legs should he be able to help Lynn through the Ipswich tie, but there are still doubts over Iversen.
The Dane has been struggling with rib injuries after a recent crash in Sweden, and an attempted comeback in Poland last weekend saw him withdraw after two rides.
