King’s Lynn favourite Richard Lawson says the team must look to bounce back next week after Leicester dashed their trophy aspirations.
Stars’ best hope of honours this season was in the KO Cup Final, but their only defeat in a six-match run in the competition came when they were thrashed 60-30 last Thursday as the Lions took the silverware.
And the East Midlands side then returned to the Adrian Flux Arena on league business on Monday and romped to a 54-36 win, which all but extinguished Lynn’s outside chance of pushing for the play-offs.
Lawson insists there’s still plenty to race for, and two matches against bottom club Birmingham next week offer a strong possibility of major points.
Lynn lost on their previous visit to Perry Barr when track conditions cost them the services of Jan Kvech and Ben Cook, but since then, the Brummies’ results have gone into a tailspin.
So an away win on Monday, to be followed up by home success next Thursday when Cook is due to return, is essential for the Stars, as well as a return to the kind of form they are accustomed to on their own track after falling well short this week.
Lawson said: “It’s a must, 100 per cent, and that will be the target for all of us.
“We want to finish the season on a high. We’ve worked hard all year, despite the injuries and whatnot, but you don’t want meetings like Monday against Leicester, so we have to put a stop to it.
“I’m not going to blame to the track because it’s the same for all 14 riders, so you’ve got to adapt.
“We didn’t adapt, so we were beaten by the better team, and it was just a frustrating night for all of us.
“I think each and every one of us will probably have different reasons – I’ve blown up two engines in the last two weeks, so I’m all out of good engines at the minute!
“I’m waiting to get those back so it’s a struggle, and it’s a shame, but I’m not going to sit around and make excuses.
“We got beat and it’s not good enough, that’s how it is. Sometimes you need these kicks up the backside now and again to rein yourself in and regroup.”
There is better news for the Young Stars, who are strong favourites to win the National Development Trophy and will clinch it with victory at Kent on Sunday.
Should that be the case, they will be able to celebrate the achievement when they host Plymouth at the Adrian Flux Arena next Wednesday.
