Reading fight hard at Hull.

Reading headed north to take on the reigning league champions Hull Vikings on Wednesday night, but put in a spirited performance before finally going down to a 47-43 defeat at Craven Park.

This was always going to be a tough match for Reading with Zdenek Simota and Richard Wolff riding the track for the very first time in their careers, but after being eight points down after heat 3, and again with three heats
remaining, the Ideal Video Racers acquitted themselves very well and made the Vikings work hard for the final result.

It was a familiar story at the top of the Racers scorechart with Matej Zagar leading the way with 14 points from five rides, but the Slovenian did get some back up with Wolff impressive for his 8 (paid 9), Andrew Appleton 7
(paid 8), Mathieu Tresarrieu 6 (paid 7) and Simota 6.

Skipper Paul Thorp led the way for the Vikings with 12 (paid 13), with Emiliano Sanchez 9 (paid 11) and Simone Terenzani 8 being the next best.

The home side got off to a flyer in heat 1 when Thorp and Sanchez shot out of the start for a 5-1 over Simota, with Steve Masters retiring with mechanical problems. Terenzani and Joel Parsons then repeated the feat in heat 2, over Racers guest Danny Norton, although Tresarrieu was lying second before pulling out with what appeared to be visibility problems.

In heat 3 the Racers stopped the rot when Appleton and Wolff slotted in behind race winner Emil Kramer for a shared 3-3 heat, making the progressive score 13-5. However, Reading struck back in heat 4 with Zagar and Tresarrieu picking up a 4-2 over Garry Stead, with Parsons retiring.

Young Czech rider Simota is looking like Racers have struck gold with his signing, and he proved it again in heat 5 when he made a super start to lead all the way to the chequered ahead of Kramer and Craig Branney. Masters fell whilst third, and after examination from the medics pulled out of the remainder of the meeting complaining of back pain.

Heat 6 then saw Hull increase their lead to eight-points (22-14), courtesy of a 4-2 from Thorp and Sanchez over Zagar. Reading hit back and narrowed the gap to just four points in heat 7, when Wolff and Appleton both made good starts and linked up for a good 5-1 over Stead and Terenzani.

With Masters ruled out team manager Tim Sugar brought in Norton in heat 8 as a reserve replacement, and the move actually paid off. Tresarrieu made a great start to beat Thorp, and with Norton defeating Parsons for third place
the Racers 4-2 brought the scores to just two points (25-23) at the half-way stage.

Zagar won heat 9 ahead of Kramer and Branney for a shared heat, but the Vikings opened up a six-point lead (33-27) when Thorp and Sanchez raced to a 5-1 in heat 10 ahead of Wolff, with Appleton retiring whilst second.

Unfortunately Hull's lead was back to eight points after heat 11, as Terenzani and Stead took a 4-2 over the Racers pair of Simota and Tresarrieu. Appleton then won heat 12 for a 3-3 drawn heat which made the scores 40-32 with three races remaining.

Zagar won heat 13 for shared heat, but the Racers came back again in heat 14 when Wolff and Tresarrieu rattled in a 5-1 over Kramer and Terenzani, bringing the scores back to 44-40 going into the final race of the night.

Reading's hopes of snatching a draw were not be unfortunately, as although Zagar signed off ready for his Slovenian Grand Prix appearance on Saturday with the win, Sanchez and Thorp kept Appleton at the back, and the resulting 3-3 gave the Vikings the four point victory of 47-43.

So all-in-all a pretty respectable performance by Reading and although they come away empty handed on the night, the four-point deficit at least gives them a good chance of picking up the aggregate bonus point when the two teams meet at Smallmead later in the season.

The Ideal Video Racers are next in Premier League action on Bank Holiday Monday, when the Kings Lynn Stars come to Smallmead - please note the earlier start time of 6.00pm.