Coventry Buildbase Bees completed their Elite League programme on a low note when they lost to Belle Vue by 50 points to 40. It must be said however, that the home team had more riding on this match than Bees. Bees were already clear of the play-off positions but their hosts needed a win to put themselves above Peterborough and out of the bottom two.
Bees still could not escape the misfortune that has dogged them all season, with both Chris Harris and Hans Andersen failing to complete the meeting. One bright spot for Bees was Joe Haines, who after being called in to replace the absent Filip Sitera turned in a magnificent performance to top Bees score chart with fourteen points.

Belle Vue 50, Bees 40.
Elite League 'B'

Although the rain had held off and enabled this twice-postponed fixture to finally go ahead it soon became obvious that track conditions were far from ideal, due to heavy rain over the weekend.
Belle Vue were without Lukasz Jankowski and Patrick Hougaard and operated rider-replacement with former favourite, Jason Lyons stepping in for the latter.

Lyons was soon in action, combining with Jason Crump for an opening 5-1.

Haines was soon ahead in the next with Ben Barker taking third place behind Tomasz Piszcz, another rider who had at one time appeared in Bees colours. Aces other reserve, Billy Forsberg was the first of many to find trouble on the second turn.

Lyons was a good winner of heat three with Harris just getting the better of Charlie Gjedde after a good scrap.

Simon Stead made his comeback after his shoulder injury but was unable to prevent the Aces from taking another 5-1 to go eight points up.

Andersen and Allen combined in heat five to inflict the first defeat on Lyons and bring Bees back to within four.

The home side quickly hit back with two comfortable maximums to go twelve up.

Haines and Allen led in heat eight before Joe Screen hit problems on the third turn and took an awkward fall. Fortunately he was unhurt but was excluded from the rerun. Although Haines was again led from the start, Allen found trouble on the first turn and although managing to stay on, was too far behind to have any say in the outcome.

Stead was slowly finding his feet after his lay-off and followed Barker home for maximum points in heat nine.

Harris was still feeling the effects of his GP crash and was withdrawn from the meeting. Barker took his place in heat ten but soon became another victim of the treacherous turn two. Janniro, after two scoreless races, almost caused an upset when he led Crump for most of the race, only to lose out on the last turn.

Andersen was the next to take a tumble, falling on turn three after challenging Screen. Although not seriously hurt, his meeting was over. In the rerun, Screen defeated Allen with Piszcz getting third place after a brush with the turn two air-fence.

After just one point from his first three rides, Gjedde recovered to record a win in heat twelve. Bee's reserves took the minor places to leave them ten points adrift.

Stead was given a tactical double ride in heat thirteen, but despite a good effort was unable to split the Screen-Crump pairing.

Heat fourteen was rerun after Lyons came to grief. Haines recorded his third race win of the night with Janniro following him home.

With the outcome now settled, both teams nominated a reserve in the final heat. Gjedde was the winner with Haines and Stead holding out for a share of the points.

With none of the three heat leaders at their best it was up to Bees reserves and they responded well. The track, which left many of the more experienced riders more than a little wary, held no fears for Haines and allied with some fast starting, he was undoubtedly Bees rider of the night.

Bees' scorers: Haines 14, Allen 6(1), Stead 5(2), Barker 5, Janniro 4(1), Andersen, Harris 3.
Bees now have just the Craven Shield final to ride before the season end. This takes place next week.

On Saturday, the last GP of 2008 takes place at Gelsenkirchen in Germany. Both Andersen and Harris are expected to take part, but it now looks, barring a miracle, that Harris will have to rely on a nomination if he is to ride in next year's series.