HOMECOMING hero Hans Andersen was powerless to stop Panthers escaping the Elite League relegation zone . . . and sending his beaten side Coventry plunging into the mire.

Andersen might have produced comfortably the best individual performance on his first racing return to Alwalton since an acrimonious mid-season exit, but his Bees brigade were found badly wanting in numerous other areas as the city side moved onwards and upwards.

The Danish ace suffered only one defeat at the hands of countryman and newly-crowned GP rider Kenneth Bjerre on his way to a paid 17-point haul, but a Panthers outfit oozing solidity and class deservedly left the danger area behind.

Sullivan, led the way with a paid dozen points and World Championship-bound Bjerre added another 10 despite a cruel mechanical failure when at the head of heat 10 affairs.

Sizzling hot reserve pair Karol Zabik and Claus Vissing were paid for a whopping 20 between them, Danny King returned from illness with 9+1 and Henning Bager was the lowest contributor to the tally of a home side missing injured Lukas Dryml despite adding a respectable paid eight from his four outings.

"We can't have any complaints about the result," admitted Andersen.

"It would have been nice to come back and get a maximum, but Kenneth is a quality rider around this place and he was fast out of the gate.

"Having not ridden the Showground for a couple of months I will settle for dropping one point."