EDWARD Kennett couldn’t take advantage of his superb start to the meeting as his British title bid ended at the semi-final stage last night.

The Swindon Robins rider won his opening three rides at Wolverhampton to set him well on course for a place in the final, but defeat to the eventual winner Tai Woffinden and then a third place in his final ride saw him slip into the semi-final, where he ran wide and was beaten by Craig Cook and Scott Nicholls.

Woffinden went through the card to claim his first national crown in style at his home track ahead of Nicholls, Chris Harris and Cook, but Kennett was a frustrated man at the end of the meeting after letting his shot at glory slip away.

“I am very disappointed because I was feeling good, riding well and my bikes were working great, but it just didn’t happen for me,” he said.

“I made the perfect start to the meeting, but in the semi-final I blew it and I struggled at the back.

“Fair play to Tai, he rode really well and deserved his title.”

Kennett’s fellow Robin Ashley Birks was also competing at Monmore Green, but could only manage two points from his five rides.

The meeting got off to a false start as Richie Worrrall hit the deck in the first corner of heat one and was excluded, but in the re-run Belle Vue star Cook jumped out the start to win with ease.

Home hero Woffinden started his night in the best possible way with victory in heat two, but Nicholls had to fight for his life for the single point before eventually taking Ben Barker on the final lap.

Birks made a good start in his first outing of his British championship career and made it to the first corner first, but he was eventually passed by both Danny King and Harris and had to settle for third.

Kennett was up in heat four, and after initially finding himself behind Josh Auty the Robins man was able to take advantage of the Birmingham Brummie’s slip on the second lap to pass him for the win.

Cook made another superb start to win heat five, before Woffinden won the next race by the length of a straight while Auty pipped Oliver Allen for second behind him.

Robins man Kennett got lucky after hindering himself by moving at the start, and after the red lights were slammed on he took full advantage in the re-run to secure his second win of the evening by holding off both Nicholls and Harris. The 26-year-old learned from his mistakes in his first outing, and rode a perfect line through turns three and four to beat the former GP duo.

King picked up his first win of the night before Woffinden extended his run of victories to three, and Kennett had to do things the hard way in heat 10 as he missed the start and then stormed round the outside of King in turns one and two to take his third straight win.

Barker slipped off in heat 11 as the race was awarded to Worrall before Nicholls got his night going with a win in the next, but at the back Birks stayed patient and did well to work his way past Haines for a single point.

Nicholls stalked King to win heat 13 and ignite his challenge as Harris continued his charge with victory in the next, before Birks looked to have made the perfect start to heat 15 before running out of room in turn two. The youngster was squeezed out, and in the very next corner hit the deck before getting up and finishing the race as Garrity took victory.

Woffinden and Kennett put their unbeaten records on the line when they clashed in heat 16, and after the Wolves man came out on top the Robins rider saw his place in the final slip away in the very next race as he lost to Cook who in doing so went ahead in the battle for a last four berth.

Nicholls pressed his case with a third straight win before Woffinden completed his maximum, and in the final qualifying heat of the night Harris struck to secure his path straight through to the final.

Kennett’s night ended in the semi-final after running wide, before Woffinden made the start of the night to charge to his first title in front of a ferocious Wolverhampton crowd.