The Panthers skipper felt he had the chance to go all the way to glory at the Millennium Stadium, but cut a frustrated figure when leaving Cardiff following a semi-final exit for the second successive year.

Andersen bounced back from a first race accident to advance to the latter stages before his involvement was ended by an ambitious passing move from old rival Scott Nicholls.

Double world champion Jason Crump emerged victorious after beating Greg Hancock in the final. Championship leader Nicki Pedersen spectacularly crashed out of the showpiece after Nicholls had been excluded at the start for touching the tapes.

The event was again blighted by terrible track conditions – something Andersen insists contributed to his downfall and meant he couldn't capitalise on poor displays from several front-runners in the overall standings.

He said: "Of course I'm disappointed not to have reached the final because I felt really fast and thought I could win it, but I live to fight another day in one piece.

"The move Scott made was always going to be all or nothing and I'm really glad it was all otherwise we could have both been off our bikes.

"I didn't want to take risks riding the inside line where the track was really bad, but he was prepared to do it.

"It was a chance for me to make up some ground in the standings and it has to go down as a missed opportunity, big time."

Andersen's first outing in heat four lasted only one-and-a-half-laps as he spectacularly came to grief on the back straight.

The Panthers man lifted violently when attempting to power down the inside of countryman Bjarne Pedersen for second place and couldn't avoid hitting the deck.

"I don't know how I managed to avoid doing myself some serious damage," admitted Andersen.

He responded with a comprehensive victory in heat six but couldn't repeat the dose from the outside gate in heat 11 and had to settle for third place behind Rune Holta and Scott Nicholls.

That left him desperately in need of big points from his fourth heat, but the presence of Jason Crump and Leigh Adams on either side – and the fact he was starting from the unfavoured gate three – made it a seriously tough mission.

The odds might have been against him but Andersen rocketed out of the traps and was a clear leader when the race was stopped at the end of lap two after Freddie Lindgren came down awkwardly in the fourth bend.

It was a cruel blow to the Panthers captain who could not make lightning strike twice in the re-run. This time he beaten from the traps by both remaining rivals and had to suffer in third spot.

"I just wish people would stop crashing when I'm in front," said Andersen.