Barker breakage could cost Bees; SPEEDWAY: All the action from last night's Midland League meeting at Brandon.

Byline: David Rowe 

Buildbase Bees ........................ 43 Wolverhampton ....................... 50 COVENTRY'S trophy bid over the closing weeks of the season may be at least partially dependant upon X-ray results on key team member Ben Barker.

Barker, a huge crowd favourite at Brandon, crashed out of last night's Midland League match against Wolverhampton in an accident not of his making, and was taken to hospital with fears of a broken collarbone.

Ironically the crash was completely different to his horrific highspeed spill against Eastbourne ten days ago, from which he emerged with hardly a scratch.

This time Barker had no way of avoiding a fallen Chris Kerr in front of him, and as he broad-slid into the Amercian's machine, he was flipped off his bike in an incident which was more awkward than spectacular.

Summing up his character, Barker returned to the track after treatment for the re-run of Heat 6, and after four laps of hard chasing he snatched second place from Peter Karlsson on the line - the second time he had beaten the Wolves skipper.

The Buildbase Bees will now desperately hope the news on Barker is good, as he has proved to be virtually indispensable during recent weeks.

Without him, Bees went down to their second successive home defeat, contriving to blow an elevenpoint lead with six heats to go as their gating deserted them.

Barker's second place in Heat 6 gave them an 24-12 advantage after early race wins for Olly Allen, Rory Schlein and Edward Kennett, and Wolves' tactical ride in Heat 7 saw Tai Woffinden bank six points.

A rather subdued Karlsson conceded maximum points to Allen and Kennett in Heat 9 as Kerr fell for the third time in the meeting, but a 5-1 in Heat 10 put Wolves back in contention with Schlein suffering mechanical trouble.

Two more 4-2s followed as Wolves cut the gap back to three points, Nicolai Klindt taking Jordan Frampton on the last lap of Heat 11 for third place, and Adam Skornicki then holding Allen at bay to win the next.

And then Karlsson got himself together to win Heat 13 ahead of Schlein with Klindt again in third place, leaving the match at 41-40 with two heats to go.

Heat 14, so often a source of Bees fightbacks in the past, turned out to be virtually the killer blow on this occasion as Kennett missed out at the start and was headed not only by Woffinden but also Wolves reserve William Lawson.

Woffinden completed a brilliant maximum in Heat 15 with Bees having no comeback this time as the teenage sensation followed home Skornicki to compound Coventry's misery.

BUILDBASE BEES: Edward Kennett 11+2, Olly Allen 11, Rory Schlein 8+1, Ricky Wells 7, Ben Barker 4+2, Jordan Frampton 2+1, Chris Harris R/R.

WOLVES: Tai Woffinden 19+2, Adam Skornicki 11, Peter Karlsson 8, William Lawson 7+2, Nicolai Klindt 5, Chris Kerr 0, Fredrik Lindgren R/R.

CAPTION(S):

WIDE BOY... Rory Schlein takes the long way round at Brandon last night.