ON a night when free tickets were handed out to more than 450 scouts, Panthers found themselves being tied in knots again.

The city side just weren't prepared for a second home defeat in the space of five days and a third of the campaign.

And while plenty of valid excuses were available for their previous Alwalton setbacks at the hands of Poole (Elite League) and Lakeside (KO Cup), none sprung to mind at the end of 15 largely processional heats last night.

In fact this was a display so devoid of inspiration that it did little to convince the watching public some bold promises from club bosses will be fulfilled.

While messrs Swales and Horton might still think their side can clamber up the Elite League standings and turn a fight to avoid the first relegation into a play-off challenge, few of those who witnessed this latest blow could possibly concur.

"We have to admit we were beaten by a very good team," said team boss Trevor Swales. "And there is no getting away from the fact we are under-achieving big-time ourselves."

Swales is not wrong. Panthers look a team seriously devoid of the class required to compete at the highest level and the fact that fortress Showground is no more has to be of great concern.

Hans Andersen's 14 points aside – and a battling eight from Danny King – there was little to get impressed about last night

Kenneth Bjerre pocketed half-a-dozen points in his first Panthers appearance since his return from a broken femur but lacked his usual consistency and speed, while second string Henning Bager appears alarmingly short of power.

Claus Vissing continues to be a victim of his early-season success as he finds the going much harder in the main body of the team, and Morten Risager is showing flashes of points-scoring ability down at reserve but appears held back by a reluctance to race on the outside.

To make matters worse, under the sport's new rules home league defeats are more damaging than ever before.