Kent Kings were narrowly defeated 48-41 by Mildenhall Fen Tigers on Sunday in their first National League match of the season.

The Kings showed great team spirit at the Mildenhall Stadium following the loss of their 2014 rider-of-the-year Danny Ayres who broke his hand in a crash last weekend.

Kings boss Chris Hunt said: "It was a good fighting performance from the lads.

"If Danny had been fit and riding I’m certain we’d have won, so we have to be positive going forward from here."

The rider replacement system only gained the Kings four points as regulars James Shanes and Danno Verge did their best to fill Ayres' boots alongside reserves Jamie Couzins and Adam Sheppard.

A pivotal eighth heat changed the game as Verge was penalised for a tapes offence which the Tigers pounced upon to gain a five-point lead, a misdemeanour Verge would again commit in heat 14 to give Mildenhall a third maximum win.

Kings No.1 Ben Morley took four immaculate heat wins but an exclusion in the first heat for tangling with former team-mate Jack Kingston marred the captain's near-perfect personal scorecard.

Kingston showed his former club what they were missing by gaining Mildenhall's highest tally of 10 points, with captain Daniel Halsey and reserve Luke Ruddick earning nine each.

Shanes and Morley kept Kings in the game by collecting over half the team's total, with 13 and 12 points respectively, but they went back to Kent empty-handed.

In heat five, Mildenhall guest rider Nick Laurence was catapulted off his bike and suffered a broken collarbone, meaning he will miss Monday's Futurama meeting at Central Park.