Ipswich Tru7 Group Witches team manager Paul Hurry says his side is still chasing perfection after storming into the Premiership Knockout Cup Final with victory over Northampton on Thursday.
Witches triumphed 47-43 over the Premiership’s newest club at Foxhall Stadium, inspired by a 12-point haul from Polish star Tobiasz Musielak, while skipper Danny King continued his strong start to 2026 on nine paid 10.
It was a night when the Foxes forced Ipswich to dig deep, flying into a 15-9 lead in the Southern Section showdown after four races. But the Witches fought back to secure the victory needed to set up a date with cup holders Leicester in the final after the Lions won a 46-44 thriller at home to Sheffield on Thursday to top the Northern Section standings.
Hurry admits the Foxhall track caught his side out in the early stages, and he was pleased to see Witches get the victory needed, despite the fact his stars are still finding their best form.
He said: “We all feel, and every one of them said, ‘There is still something we need to work on.’ Everyone went away thinking they are still chasing that goal, which is good.
“Team spirit is good, and everyone is happy. But everyone is still feeling there’s a little bit missing at the moment. We’ll see what happens and keep working on it. But onwards and upwards – we’re into a cup final! It was only our second home meeting, so to achieve that is really good.
“We can’t become too complacent. Now we move on to the league. This is when the serious business starts.
“The track was a little bit wetter to start with. The boys just thought the track was going to be grippier than it was. But no excuses – it’s the same for everyone. It’s our home track and once the boys got dialled in, they made improvements.”
Hurry was far from surprised by a classy display from Musielak, which saw him pick up three race wins. He added: “That’s what Tobi is capable of doing. He is world-class. When I was working with Peter Karlsson and Tobi came over to me for the very first time at Wolverhampton, you could tell straight away that he was going to be a class act. That’s what he is proving. His setup is brilliant, and he has tremendous ability. I think he’s only going to improve and go further.”
Swedish racer Philip Hellstrom-Bangs picked up his first race win in British speedway in heat two on his way to five paid six points.
“That first race gave him a lot of confidence,” Hurry said. “When there’s grip on the track, you can just see Philip going further. It’s a big learning curve for him. Previously, he had only raced at Belle Vue in the Speedway of Nations, so he’s still learning and developing. He can only get better and improve. I look forward to his future.”
Hurry is expecting a tense, two-legged tussle between two evenly-matched sides as Witches face Leicester – another side packed with strength in depth – in the Premiership Knockout Cup Final, with the dates to be confirmed.
He said: “It’s quite interesting that – we don’t have a Speedway GP rider in either team. Leicester is a good track and a great team. We will have to get our backsides in gear and keep moving.
“Every race is going to be competitive. It will be a cup final, and we will have to go out there all guns blazing and do the job. We can’t become too complacent, and we need to keep charging.”
Next up for the Witches is their final Premiership Knockout Cup Southern Section meeting away to Northampton on Thursday – the Foxes’ opening night at their Brafield base.
Ipswich then hosts East Anglian rivals King’s Lynn in a Rowe Motor Oil Premiership derby contest at Foxhall on Monday, May 4 at 2.15pm. Tickets for the Stars showdown are available online HERE now, with live coverage also available on WitchesTV HERE.
RIDER SCORES
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES 47: 1. Tom Brennan 5+1, 2. Danny King 9+1, 3. Richard Lawson 6+1, 4. Scott Nicholls 6+1, 5. Tobiasz Musielak 12, 6. Philip Hellstrom-Bangs 5+1, 7. Jason Edwards 4+2.
NORTHAMPTON FOXES 43: 1. Jaimon Lidsey 13, 2. Troy Batchelor 3+1, 3. Matej Zagar 8+1, 4 Niels-Kristian Iversen R/R, 5. Nicolai Klindt 6, 6. Kye Thomsen 10+1, 7. Luke Harrison 3+1.