BELLE Vue's hopes of making the Elite League play-offs ended last night when Coventry clinched the fourth and last qualifying place with a 51-42 home win over Wolverhampton.

It consigned the Fonestyle UK Aces to fifth place behind Reading, Peterborough, Swindon and Coventry. The Aces, who are still bidding for the Knockout Cup and Craven Shield, complete their Elite League programme with a home match against Reading tonight, when Jason Crump bids to complete a remarkable clean sweep of maximum scores.

The Australian has been unbeaten in 18 matches this season. He has ridden against Reading three times and they are the only club in the league against whom he has failed to score a maximum.

Team boss Ian Thomas said: "The message went in very quickly when I pointed it out to him and there's no doubt it will be in his mind."

BELLE VUE: S Stead, J Wright, K Bjerre, J Screen (rider replacement), J Crump, P Morris, T P Madsen or J Parsons.

READING: G Hancock, J Kolodziej, T McGowan, C Gjedde, M Zagar, M Lemon, A N Other.

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