Rye House 61 Sittingbourne 28

SITTINGBOURNE Spray-Tex Crusaders speedway boss Chris Hunt hopes that a so-far jinxed July can end on a high after picking out the positives from another night of misfortune at local rivals Rye House.

A series of expensive crashes involving, among others, top pair Danny Warwick and Mark Baseby, spelt another defeat - a ninth in a row this term - for the Iwade-based side.

But Hunt felt it could all have been so different. He said: "When Danny [Warwick] stormed home for an opening heat 5-1 it did look as if it could be a much better away-day for us.

"But then our talented teenager Jerran Hart crashed when leading heat two and with his reserve partner Joe Reynolds shedding a chain in the rerun to gift the Raiders a 3-0 it was clear Lady Luck was again working her spell against us."

Warwick's crash was especially spectacular. Hunt added: "The impact was so great Danny's brand new helmet smashed in half and his bike was totalled, too."

Hunt is refusing to be downbeat, despite Crusaders' ninth-successive defeat this term, and is eyeing the side's final July fixture with a bullish determination.

"Our aim is to go to Buxton on the 29th with our heads held high, give 100 per cent and go for the victory."

Scorers: M Baseby 8; Felton 7; Hart 5; Warwick 3; Cross 2; A Baseby 2; Reynolds 1.