Belle Vue suffered consecutive Elite League defeats at the hands of Wolverhampton over Easter, leaving team boss Jason Attwood hugely disappointed.
The Rentruck Aces started their home campaign at Kirkmanshulme Lane with a 47-43 reverse, before succumbing 59-33 at Monmore Green four days later.
The huge losses in The Midlands upset Attwood, after a promising display in their pre-season challenge meeting in Birmingham.
“It was embarrassing to lose by that score but I’m hoping we can take some positives at least,” he said.
“We do know the potential the lads have got but we’ve got to start producing it on a consistent basis.
“Now I am hoping that disappointment will cause a good reaction in the Coventry matches and they will get back to the form they produced at Birmingham.”
Attwood – embarking on his first full season with the Aces – feels his riders made too many poor starts across the two meetings, an issue they need to put right.
“We have riders who have shown they can win races but they have also come last in others,” he explained.
“I have told them to concentrate on setting up their bikes to make good starts because that has been part of the problem.”
It was not all doom and gloom for the Aces though, as experienced Swede Magnus Zetterstrom impressed in both outings, with three wins on his home debut.
The 41-year-old also took 10 points at Wolves, accounting for almost a third of the Belle Vue total and Attwood was keen to champion the Aces’ latest signing.
“There were some things to encourage us at Wolverhampton,” he explained. “Magnus Zetterstrom had some good races again and may have scored more but for a bike problem.
“Zetterstrom, Kevin Wolbert, Artur Mroczka and Craig Cook all won races and Kauko Nieminen got amongst the action.”
New Aces number one Matej Zagar struggled for form, winning only once across the two meetings, picking up six and eight points respectively.
The Kirkmanshulme Lane meeting was tense until the final two heats when Wolves pulled clear, thanks in part to the dominance of their Grand Prix riders Tai Woffinden and Freddie Lindgren.
However the return was a different affair, with the Midlands club taking four 5-1 heat victories in the opening six races and Belle Vue never recovered.
The Aces now head to Coventry on Friday evening, before the return fixture on Monday, starting at 7.30pm.
Cook will be absent from Fridays encounter due to doubling-up commitments.
Picture courtesy of KGGucwa via wikicommons, with thanks.
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