STOKE ended a run of four successive defeats as they beat local rivals Buxton 46-44 in the second leg of the KO Cup clash at Loomer Road on Saturday night.

The narrow win means the A.R. Richards Potters go through to the next round of the competition beating the Hitmen 100-79 on aggregate meaning they will face Mildenhall in the next round and Potters team manager Malcolm Vasey was delighted to be going through saying “It was an extremely hard-fought match between the two sides and it showed how the changes that the Buxton management have improved their side. We obviously missed Tony (Atkin) but the lads showed a lot of character to keep their noses in front on the night and deserved the victory. Josh Embleton tried his best but the rest of the side scored solidly to get us the victory.”

The Hitmen edged in front with a second heat 4-2 from Lee Geary and Carl Basford over Shaun Tedham with the Potters levelling the score in the following heat with one of their own as David Wallinger took victory from Tom Woolley with Ryan Terry-Daley taking third.

The Potters gained a maximum 5-1 heat advantage in heat eight as Mitchell Davey took the chequered flag ahead of partner Tedham with Geary third to open up a four- point lead as the Potters led the Hitmen 26-22. The lead was extended a few heats later as Davey again took victory from Woolley with Wallinger third to give the Potters a 33-27 lead.

The Hitmen were not finished though as they took three 4-2 heat advantages in the final in the last five heats as Hitmen number one Max Clegg led the way in all three of those heats completing a 15-point maximum, but the Potters had managed to gain a 4-2 of their own in heat fourteen from Wallinger and Tedham over Geary.

STOKE 46: Luke Priest 14, David Wallinger 9+2, Ryan Terry-Daley 8+1, Mitchell Davey 8, Shaun Tedham 7+3, Josh Embleton 0, Tony Atkin r/r.
BUXTON 44: Max Clegg 15, Ben Wilson 9, Lee Geary 8+1, Tom Woolley 7, Shelby Rutherford 4+1, Carl Basford 1+1, Ben Basford r/r.
Stoke win 100-79 on aggregate.