Heat by Heat Results - May 1984

May began with a home win over Coventry. With the new averages in force, Steve Finch moved into the team, with Steve Baker dropping to reserve. And with Craig Pendlebury having joined Edinburgh on loan to cover for the injured Dave Trownson, the Dukes brought in Erik Knudsen on loan from Eastbourne, with the debut of Hansen still a few weeks away. Five of the Dukes were in top form, led by guest Alan Grahame, with only Knudsen and Eric Monaghan struggling. Similarly, the Bees were reliant on guest Lance King to keep them in the tie after Guglielmi fell whilst leading heat 1, but the Dukes never looked in trouble.

The Dukes slipped to defeat at Wimbledon despite the efforts of Neil Evitts, Steve Baker, and the excellent guest Bobby Schwartz. Halifax seemed content on a damp track in the early stages, keeping the gap to only 4 points after 5 races, with gating essential. As the track dried however, the Dons eased away, completing a comfortable win as early as heat 10. Most of the home riders managed to come from behind, as the Dukes ran out of steam. Worryingly, Finch, Wyer, Knudsen and Monaghan all failed to beat a home rider all night. The night was capped by both Davis and Kennett passing Evitts and Schwartz in the last race to turn a 1-5 into a 5-1.

Halifax limped out of the Knockout Cup in disappointing fashion to local rivals Sheffield. Already 20 points down from the first leg, the task seemed unlikely, but a first heat 5-1 for Shawn Moran and Dave Morton put any unlikely recovery out of reach. The Dukes managed to pull into a 6 point lead, but even contrived to squander that, leading to a last heat decider - which the Tigers inevitably won. Evitts, Baker, Finch, Wyer and guest Kai Niemi all managed a solitary heat win - but nobody could get near Moran and Morton all night as they both eased to maximums. Erik Knudsen had still to register a point for the Dukes...

The Dukes completed their League Cup campaign with a comfortable home win over the Diamonds - their biggest win of the season to date. Operating R/R for the injured Carter, the Dukes were solid, with Neil Evitts scoring an impressive paid 14, beaten only from the back by Joe Owen. Evitts was strongly supported by Baker and Finch, whilst Monaghan and Wyer also had good nights. For Newcastle, Rod Hunter continued to show a liking for the Shay track, earning his points from the back. Erik Knudsen, meanwhile, finally got his first points for the Dukes - but they would prove to be his last...

Neil Evitts and Kenny Carter arrived at The Shay by helicopter following their heroics at Oxford the previous night. Evitts responded with 3 fine victories in a comfortable win over the Stars, although he was denied his maximum by ex-Duke Louis in heat 11. Doug Wyer and guest Alan Grahame also hit double figures. Kings's Lynn were well beaten but felt aggrieved at refereeing decisions to exclude 3 riders for tapes-offences - a topic which was causing a lot of consternation following a change in league rules to exclude for merely touching the tapes rather than breaking them. Infamously, former Star Michael Lee had walked out of a test-match the previous week in frustration over the changes...

Several weeks earlier, Reg Wilson had been released by Sheffield, and joined Newcastle, and a pointless visit to the Shay suggested his best days might be behind him. But Wilson proved the difference in the league match at Brough Park with a superb 10 points from reserve. The Dukes opted to use rider replacement, but the move back-fired as Carter's rides netted Halifax a mere 5 points, with nobody able to consistently challenge Wilson, maximum man Owen or Bargh. Only Doug Wyer offered much resistance for Halifax with 3 heat wins, although Evitts, Baker and Monaghan had flashes of form.