Panthers signed off for 2006 amid an unforgettable blaze of glory which culminated in an expensively assembled firework display.

Last night 2007 began in clinical, commanding and comfortably successful fashion after another pricey set of explosives signalled the start of the season by illuminating the night sky over Alwalton.

The rain came down on opening night, but the fans turned out in force and the city side made sure this Elite Shield sizzler was anything but a damp squib.

With star performances galore, a stack of riveting races, plenty of splendid passing manoeuvres and more fallers than the Cheltenham Festival this was gripping viewing right from when the tapes rose for the first time.

Coventry pair Chris Harris and Martin Smolinski were the men lucky to walk away from particularly heavy spells, although Lukas Dryml, Kenneth Bjerre and Richard Hall joined them in gaining a plentiful covering of shale after testing out the new 'Briggo No Pain' air fence which appears to be living up to its title rather well.

If the action of last night is a sign of things to come, the people who made up the 70 per cent increase in season ticket sales are going to have a fair few good nights out.

And if Panthers can build on an accomplished debut display, plenty more visitors are going to leave in the way Coventry headed through the Showground exit – empty handed.

Captain Hans Andersen might have been relocated in the Panthers pecking order at number three, but the figure emblazoned across his back is clearly the only thing to have changed.

Andersen comfortably held Rory Schlein at a respectable distance twice, fought tooth and nail to stop arch nemesis Scott Nicholls coming past and led new partner Lukas Dryml home for a 5-1 during a 12-point, four-ride maximum.

But the Dane was knocked from his traditional position of centre stage by the performances of two Panthers team-mates.

Bjerre won many admirers by stringing four victories together (either side of an 11th heat tumble) on his return after three years away, but it was popular Polish reserve Piotr Swiderski who topped the Panthers' individual attainment list.

His handsome return of 11+1 featured a nerveless triumph over tactical-riding Coventry captain Scott Nicholls in an 11th heat re-run after Bjerre tumbled out.

"The season couldn't have started any better considering every rider managed a paid win at the least," insisted Andersen.

"Everything went very well and it is nice to see everyone settle in quickly. Last season we had six new riders and it took a while for things to fall into place, but that doesn't look like it is going to be the case this season."

Andersen is anxious to see his team-mates use this competition to prepare for the real business – the small matter of successfully defending the Elite League crown.

But the problems requiring ironing out were few and far between. Danny King experienced some engine troubles but still streaked to his first-ever Panthers triumph when storming clear to take the chequered flag in heat eight, while it didn't take Dryml long to become re-acquainted with the Showground fence after he and Andersen got their wires crossed after making lightning getaways in heat five.

It was the heat prior to that which saw Panthers take a grip on proceedings and Harris (who was going off a 15-metre handicap after missing the two-minute deadline to reach the start) escape injury following a spectacular back-straight dismount.

Hall followed home partner Bjerre for a maximum in the re-run and, from then on, Panthers never looked back.

"I don't know what the riders have been feeding on during the winter, but I reckon I could do with some of it," quipped impressed Panthers team manager Trevor Swales.

Their lead was gradually increased to a high of 14 points after Andersen and Dryml had left Harris and Morten Risager miles behind in heat nine.

Rory Schlein defeated new Panthers number one Niels Kristian Iversen to slash that deficit back to a dozen points in the next before it was cut to 10 despite Swiderski successfully foiling Nicholls' double-points mission in heat 11.

The main flashpoint arrived in the 12th race when Andersen shut the door as Smolinski challenged round the outside of the second bend, and the German rider came crashing down.

The heat (already being re-run after Hall had been excluded for going into the fence in the initial staging) was stopped again and Smolinski thrown out.

It was an incident that left Coventry officials questioning the eyesight of referee Paul Carrington and the travelling fans embarking on their favourite pastime of howling abuse at Andersen.

But the home skipper kept his cool to see off Schlein in a match race and complete his maximum before countrymen Bjerre and Iversen had no trouble in keeping Nicholls and Harris at bay in heat 13.

Swiderski and Bjerre took the chequered flag as the final two instalments were shared to leave Panthers hot favourites for Shield glory in tonight's second leg at Brandon.

SCORERS
Panthers
Niels Kristian Iversen 9+1 (2, 3, 2, 2*)
Danny King 3 (0, 0, 3, 0)
Hans Andersen 12 (3, 3, 3, 3)
Lukas Dryml 2+1 (0, f/exc, 2*, 0)
Kenneth Bjerre 12 (3, 3, f/exc, 3, 3)
Piotr Swiderski 11+1 (3, 2*, 3, 3, 0)
Richard Hall 4+1 (1, 2*, 1, f/exc)

Coventry
Scott Nicholls 12 (3, 2, 4 t/r, 1, 2)
Billy Janniro 5+2 (1, 1*, 2, 1*)
Rory Schlein 9+1 (2, 1, 3, 2, 1*)
Olly Allen 4_1 (1*, 0, 1, 2)
Chris Harris 3 (f/exc, 2, 1, 0)
Morten Risager 4+1 (2, 1, 1*, 0)
Martin Smolinski 1+1 (ret, exc, 0, f/exc, 1*)
HEAT DETAILS

1 - NICHOLLS, Iversen, Janniro, King. 2-4, 2-4.
2 - SWIDERSKI, Risager, Hall, Smolinski (ret). 4-2, 6-6.
3 - ANDERSEN, Schlein, Allen, Dryml. 3-3, 9-9.
4 - BJERRE, Hall, Risager, Harris (f/exc). 5-1, 14-10.
5 - ANDERSEN, Nicholls, Janniro, Dryml (f/exc). 3-3, 17-13.
6 - IVERSEN, Harris, Risager, King. 3-3, 20-16.
7 - BJERRE, Swiderski, Harris, Allen. 5-1, 25-17.
8 - KING, Janniro, Hall, Smolinski. 4-2, 29-19.
9 - ANDERSEN, Dryml, Harris, Risager. 5-1, 34-20.
10 - SCHLEIN, Iversen, Allen, King. 2-4, 36-24.
11 - SWIDERSKI, Nicholls (t/r), Janniro, Bjerre (f/exc). 3-5, 39-29.
12 - ANDERSEN, Schlein, Smolinski (f/exc), Hall (f/exc). 3-2, 42-31.
13 - BJERRE, Iversen, Nicholls, Harris. 5-1, 47-32.
14 - SWIDERSKI, Allen, Smolinski, Dryml. 3-3, 50-35.
15 - BJERRE, Nicholls, Schlein, Swiderski. 3-3, 53-38.
Key: * = paid points, ret = retired, f/exc = fell and excluded, t/r = tactical ride for double points.

TURNING POINT
Panthers took control when grabbing a 5-1 in a re-run fourth heat after Harris had spectacularly come to grief in the back straight.

RACE OF THE NIGHT
The rain was falling hard but heat 14 was anything but a damp squib. Panthers man Swiderski roared from third to first on a thrilling final lap after leader Smolinski had reared coming out of the second bend and gone the other way down the field.

RIDER OF THE NIGHT
That man Swiderski again after charging past both Coventry riders in one back straight swoop in heat seven. The Pole left GP rider Harris and Allen trailing in his wake before following home Bjerre for a 5-1.