COVENTRY opened their Sunday double-header with a seven-point win over King's Lynn in a meeting which boiled up to a dramatic finale.
Two late race results were changed due to technical issues with the machines, and the Young Stars were left just short of a league point.
The Storm had raced into a ten-point lead after seven races, despite two excellent rides from the Young Stars’ reserve Josh Bailey, who made it three out of three by winning a tactical ride in Heat 8.
But at that stage their No.1 Jake Knight had failed to score, having fallen on turn four in Heat 5 after a tough battle with Knuckey, whilst Baseby had charged from fourth to second in Heat 3 for a 5-1 with Knuckey, snatching the place on the line from Shane Hazelden.
Bailey’s six-pointer in Heat 8 cut the gap to seven points as Conor Dwyer secured third place against Scott Campos, and the Storm took charge as Shuttleworth and Dan Greenwood combined for their third 5-1 of the meeting in Heat 10 to put them 11-points to the good.
A King’s Lynn 4-2 in Heat 11 narrowed the gap to nine, and the Storm were then unlucky in Heat 12 when Baseby dropped a chain whilst holding third place, allowing Ryan Kinsley through for a 3-3.
Greenwood appeared to have won Heat 13 to virtually make the match safe - but a post-race protest from King’s Lynn resulted in the Storm rider being disqualified for a missing heat-shield on his bike to hand the visitors a 5-1.
With the gap at five points, the pressure was on Knuckey to win Heat 14 which he did as Bailey and Shane Hazelden almost tripped over each other on lap one - a debate which continued into the pits after the race and may well have contributed to Bailey appearing for Heat 15 with no rear spoiler.
The Storm looked set to wrap up maximum points until Shuttleworth fell on the last bend, which seemed to have handed the Young Stars a 3-3 - but this time it was Coventry’s turn to protest, and Bailey was duly disqualified with the remounting Shuttleworth promoted to third place, leaving the visitors one adrift of a league point.
COVENTRY 50: Rob Shuttleworth 12, Martin Knuckey 11, Dan Greenwood 9+3, Darryl Ritchings 7, Conor Dwyer 6+1, Mark Baseby 4+2, Jamie Halder 1. KING'S LYNN 43: Josh Bailey 16+1, Tom Stokes 12, Jake Knight 5+1, Shane Hazelden 4+1, Scott Campos 4, Ryan Kinsley 1+1, Layne Cupitt 1.