Panthers sorry season ends in a damp squib

Peterborough Panthers’ sorry season came to a soggy conclusion on Sunday.

The city club’s rearranged SGB Premiership Supporters’ Cup clash at Wolverhampton was abandoned after just two completed races.

Panthers trailed 7-5 at the time of the stoppage having conceded a 4-2 in the opener and been gifted a 3-3 when Wolverhamtpon man Luke Becker tumbled out of the second race.

Another home rider, Jacob Thorssell, then hit the deck in the initial staging of heat three and the action was halted after Panthers man Scott Nicholls had to take evasive action to avoid the out-of-control Nick Morris in an attempted re-run.

The meaningless meeting, which was also abandoned back in April, is now not expected to be restaged.

Panthers team boss Carl Johnson said: “It was a common sense decision to call the meeting off.

“We were prepared to go out there but the Wolverhampton boys didn’t seem so keen.

“It’s a disappointing and frustrating way for the season to end – especially after what I went through in the last few days trying to get a team together.

“But we can’t predict what the weather is going to go and hopefully Wolverhampton don’t get a fine for not fulfilling the fixture.”

Panthers were boosted by the inclusion of number one Charles Wright and reserve Ulrich Ostergaard after the postponement of the SGB ChampionshipKOCupsemifinal between Newcastle and Redcar earlier in the day.

They had booked Ipswich man Richard Lawson to guest for Wright and Eastbourne rider Kyle Newman to cover for Ostergaard. Those two riders were still involved with Lawson deputising for Rohan Tungate and Newman replacing Ty Proctor.

The absence of Tungate has not been explained by Panthers whereas Proctor suffered a dislocated shoulder when riding for Leicester in their SGB Championship Grand Final against Glasgow the previous evening.