Kerr returns to torment Lynn Stars

Lewi Kerr returned to torment his former club as King’s Lynn suffered a major setback with a 48-42 home defeat against Sheffield on Monday night.The PSH Environmental Stars found themselves chasing for much of the contest, although they did battle hard to set up a last-heat decider, but a 4-2 from Chris and Jack Holder secured the result for the Tigers.Whilst not all of the former Stars riders on show had their best nights for the visitors, West Norfolk racer Kerr, recently back in the Premiership with the Owlerton outfit, was undoubtedly the difference maker.Remarkably, he won each of his first five rides and finished with a huge 16+1 score.For the Stars, both captain Nicolai Klindt and Jan Kvech were in double figures, but there were too many costly last places with a couple of races where things went badly wrong.Stars manager Rob Lyon said: “The problem with the way we’re built is that you can’t cover rider replacement very well especially when it’s at the lower end of the team.“We got found out tonight with that, four points from Ben’s (Cook) rides is just not enough, and the better team won on the night. “Lewis Kerr had a terrific night for them and he was probably the difference. “We’ll have to think about Birmingham away next Monday and go again there, but at the moment it’s a sore one to take tonight.”There was nothing to choose between the sides across the first five heats, although double success for Kerr in Heats 2 and 4 – the second when he came in to replace Chris Holder who had mechanical trouble and was timed out – was a suggestion of things to come.Jack Holder and Justin Sedgmen were also early winners for the visitors, and for the Stars there was a decent third place from Ashton Boughen over Josh Pickering in Heat 3. Klindt became the first Lynn winner in Heat 5, lowering the colours of Jack Holder with Niels-Kristian Iversen third to make it 15-15.But there were problems in Heat 6 with early race winner Kvech going from first to last after Kerr forcefully moved inside him on lap two, and whilst Chris Harris passed Chris Holder at the same time, the Tigers rider reclaimed the place on the last lap when Harris went wide, as Sheffield took a 5-1. Klindt then took a heavy fall on the second bend in Heat 7, fortunately being able to walk away after treatment, and Richard Lawson won the re-run with Kvech taking a clear win in Heat 8.The Tigers duo gated in the next, with Iversen just able to get inside Chris Holder off turn two. However, the flying Kerr up front was not stopping the Tigers, who moved 30-24 ahead. Race of the night was Heat 10 as the Stars stormed back with Kvech leading again, and this time with Harris coming from the back to go around Pickering and then steam inside Sedgmen into turn three for a 5-1 to cut the gap to two points.But Kerr made it five wins out of five in Heat 11, Klindt doing well to salvage second place at the expense of Jack Holder, and although Kerr’s run was ended by Klindt in Heat 12 a last place for Kvech kept the Tigers four points up.The Holder brothers took Sheffield close to victory as they raced clear for a 5-1 in Heat 13, but Iversen and Kvech – the latter as a tactical substitute – set up a grandstand finale with a maximum of their own over Sedgmen and Leon Flint in the penultimate race.But securing another 5-1 over the Holder duo in Heat 15 was always going to be at tough ask, and it was effectively game over from the gate as Lawson was squeezed between them from gate two and did well to avoid a first bend accident, before bravely moving back around Jack Holder for second place – but with Chris out in front in any case, the Tigers’ points were safe. King’s Lynn 42: Nicolai Klindt 12, Jan Kvech 10+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8, Richard Lawson 7+1, Chris Harris 4+2, Ashton Boughen 1+1, Ben Cook r/r.Sheffield 48: Lewis Kerr 16+1, Jack Holder 9+1, Chris Holder 9+1, Justin Sedgmen 7, Josh Pickering 3+1, Leon Flint 3, Anders Rowe 1+1.Sheffield win the aggregate point