SPEEDWAY WIGHTLINK Islanders defeated both the King’s Lynn Young Stars and the weather conditions at Smallbrook on Tuesday night, to get their season back on track.
After a disappointing performance at Stoke over the weekend, where management duo Chris Hunt and Kev Shepherd had promised changes if results did not improve, Islanders answered in style, collecting all three National League points in a 53-40 victory.
The win also moved them back into third place behind leaders Dudley and Mildenhall.
At one stage, however, it looked like the match would not be completed, when a heavy shower interrupted proceedings. Thankfully it did not last long and the meeting was able to continue.
Ex-Islander Brendan Johnson showed he still remembered the fastest way around the circuit by romping to victory in the first heat of the match and then the visitors collected a 4-2 advantage in the next heat to lead by two points after the opening two heats.
But the Islanders soon got back into the lead and recorded no fewer than eight consecutive heat winners and when Kyle Hughes — recording his second 11-point haul in four days — overtook Lewis Kerr on last bend of heat ten to join Ben Hopwood for a maximum 5-1 heat win, the Islanders moved 14 points clear at 37-23 with just five races left.
Conditions became a little tricky for the next couple of races thanks to the sharp shower, but Islanders held on, winning 12 of the 15 races to take victory.
The win came after a disappointing away defeat to Stoke Potters last weekend.
The side lost 58-37, another storming performance from Hughes proving the main highlight.
Prior to the meeting, Hunt and Shepherd had hoped their side would at least collect the bonus point available for away sides who lose by six points or less.
"We felt let down by one or two riders," said Shepherd. "And those who got on with racing rather than moaning about conditions got the rewards their efforts merited."