Kent Royals visit Mildenhall for Sunday's Knock Out Cup Semi-Final Second Leg with a two-point deficit and a familar foe to contend with - but manager Jamie Willis insists all is not lost.

The Royals were beaten in last week's First Leg at The Old Gun Site - a defeat all the more painful with fans' favourite Alfie Bowtell returning to haunt his old club.

Bowtell completed his maximum as the visitors won a final-heat decider to take a 46-44 advantage into this weekend's meeting. The Fen Tigers are favourites to progress, but Willis reckons it's not over yet.

He said: “We would’ve liked to have won but unfortunately it didn’t happen.

"As a team we aren’t firing on all cylinders at the moment but that will come with more bike time. A two-point deficit isn’t ideal but we haven’t given up. A lot can happen in 15 heats.”

The Royals will take heart from a battling display last week with only four points separating their top five.

Ben Morley top-scored with 10 but a lack of heat wins - five to Mildenhall’s 10 - proved decisive.

Among the positive moments were Rhys Naylor notching his first paid win and captain Tom Woolley bookending his afternoon with two tapes-to-flag victories.

There was also a paid win and a race win for the returning Joe Alcock in his 8+1 haul.

Racing was fast and occasionally furious, with the sides only twice separated by more than two points throughout.

Bowtell took the first of his five wins in the opening race in the quickest time of the afternoon - just half a second shy of his track record set for Kent last season.

Kent briefly led when Woolley and Alcock took a maximum heat advantage in the third race but Mildenhall, who also won the opening league meeting of the season between the sides, hit straight back.

Royals fans were used to final-heat deciders last season and the first home meeting of the new campaign went the same way after Kent were awarded a 5-1 in the penultimate race to level the scores.

Bowtell won it and with Luke Harrison third, it was enough to hand Mildenhall a two-point cushion.