CONTROVERSY dogged Southampton Cycle Speedway Club's National Premier League opener against Wednesfield Aces in Wolverhampton.

Saints team manager Colin Wheeler opted for a mixture of youth and experience in a side that included 13-year-olds Tom Colling and Paul Janaway alongside British champions Gavin Wheeler and Dennis Hubble and reigning world junior champion Shaun Woodhouse. Heat one was re-started five times. Aces' top rider, Lee Aris, was excluded for moving under starter's orders and teammate Kevin Marson escaped with a warning. Marson eventually won but Saints pairing Lee Galley and Toby Millen filled the minor places to put their team 5-4 ahead.

Heat two saw both Wednesfield riders excluded, Leon Yellend for moving under starter's orders and Chris Jukes for being lapped after losing his chain. It gifted the Saints a 12-point lead.

Wednesfield took maximum points from heats five and six to level the score at 23-23 but the Galley/Millen pairing took maximum points from heat eight as Saints led 45-41 at half-time.

Controversy erupted again in heat 12. Woodhouse led for Saints into the third lap but Lee Aris drove aggressively into him to enable Aces teammate Ricky Gregory to pass. Woodhouse hit back with a similar manoeuvre to allow Saints' Hubble through, only to be excluded for slowing the race down and a 7-2 result awarded to Wednesfield.

With Southampton riders incensed, tempers almost boiled over - even more so after heat 13 when Galley was excluded for moving at the start - after Wednesfield's ex-British champion Shaun Ellis moved first.

Ellis was only warned by the home referee after a similar offence and ended up scoring a 7-2 with Polish teammate Grzegorz Pawliczek to give Wednesfield a six-point advantage they maintained for the rest of the match.

Southampton's top performer was skipper Wheeler, who dropped one point in five starts.

Final score: Wednesfield Aces 90 Southampton Saints 84.

Saints scorers: Gavin Wheeler 19 (5), Shaun Woodhouse 14+1 (5), Denis Hubble 14 (5), Lee Galley 11+1 (5), Toby Millen 10+1 (5), Nathan Harris 9+2 (5), Paul Janaway 4 (3), Tom Colling 4 (3).

Saints are on the lookout for new young riders at their Winchester Road, Shirley Ponds track, on either a Tuesday or Thursday at 7.30pm. Bikes will be available for anyone interested.

Tomorrow Saints youngsters Paul Janaway and Tom Colling travel to Exeter to compete in the British Junior League Grand Prix Individual Series.