By Rob Binns
SCORECARD
BELLE VUE 48: Brady Kurtz © 12, Norick Blödorn 3, Jaimon Lidsey 5+2, Zach Cook 11, Dan Bewley 13, Tate Zischke 2, Jake Mulford (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon
IPSWICH 42: Emil Sayfutdinov 6+1, Danny King © 3+1, Jason Doyle 11+1, Dan Thompson 5, Tom Brennan 7, Adam Ellis 6+2, Jason Edwards (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
REFEREE: C. Durno
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 23 | 43 |
| Sheffield | 23 | 40 |
| Leicester | 23 | 39 |
| Belle Vue | 24 | 37 |
| King’s Lynn | 24 | 30 |
| Oxford | 23 | 11 |
| Birmingham | 24 | 6 |
PLAY-OFFS
SEMI-FINALS:
1st Leg: Belle Vue 48-42 Ipswich, 2nd Leg: Ipswich vs Belle Vue (11 Sep)
1st Leg: Leicester vs Sheffield (15 Sep), 2nd Leg: Sheffield vs Leicester (18 Sep)
THE REPORT
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches suffered a narrow defeat against the Belle Vue Aces in the first leg of their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-off semi-final at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday.
The Witches edged ahead early on, but the Aces pegged them back with the meeting level after six heats. Belle Vue started to hit their stride in the second half of the meeting, but Ipswich battled well to limit the deficit to six points going into the second leg on Thursday at Foxhall. Jason Doyle top scored with 11+1.
Heat one was shared as Norick Blödorn retired with mechanical issues at the back. Adam Ellis cruised to victory in heat two while Jason Edwards made a superb start out of gate four to join his teammate at the front for a maximum. Heat three saw an intense battle at the front between Zach Cook and Dan Thompson which was eventually won by the Aces number four in another 3-3. Dan Bewley set the pace as heat four was shared to take the score to 14-10 to Ipswich.
Cook and Jaimon Lidsey struck back with a maximum for Belle Vue in heat five. Brady Kurtz took the chequered flag in heat six with the two Witches riders keeping Blödorn at bay for a 3-3. Bewley was comfortable at the front in heat seven as Tate Zischke edged out Thompson at the back for a heat advantage to put the hosts 22-20 up.
The Aces hit a 5-1 in heat eight before Tom Brennan held off the challenge of Cook to pick up his first race win of the evening in a shared heat nine. Doyle produced one of the rides of the night to get past Kurtz and Blödorn on the back straight to the take the victory in heat 10 with Thompson in third for a 4-2. Bewley took the chequered flag in heat 11 despite the best efforts of Emil Sayfutdinov in a 3-3 that saw the hosts 35-31 in front.
Doyle made it back-to-back race wins in heat 12 as Ellis held off Jake Mulford at the back for a 4-2. A thrilling heat 13 ended in an Aces heat advantage with Bewley getting the better of Brennan at the back. Ellis was brought in as a reserve change for Edwards in heat 14 and won a fierce battle with Zischke at the back to ensure a share of the points. Doyle and Sayfutdinov came out for heat 15 and the Witches number three was able split the two Aces in a home 4-2 which made the final score 48-42 going into the second leg at Ipswich on Thursday.
RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat at Belle Vue…
“A six-point defeat and obviously we would have liked to done even better but overall, I am really happy with the lads and the way they rode. They stuck in the meeting and bounced back after heat eight in the second half of the meeting to keep it level from then on. It leaves things finely poised for Thursday and it was a great battle between two great sides and there was some great racing and I’m sure Thursday will be the same.
“Doyley did really well, it is the most speed he has had around here probably since he joined us. It is great to see him get there and you can see how he has progressed and if it wasn’t for that knock-back mid-season, I think he would have been back to his top form. To have him going like this is a massive bonus for us in the play-offs.
“There were a lot of 3-3s tonight where we filled in the minor placings and I think that really showed our battling qualities and determination. There was a lot of team riding, and we had our sensible racing heads on tonight. I am very happy with the boys tonight and everything they did tonight. I know a few of them feel they could have scored a few more points but as a collective I leave the meeting satisfied.”
RIDER OF THE NIGHT
Fans online voted for Doyle who top scored and produced two vital race wins for his team.
WHAT IT MEANS
Belle Vue take a six-point lead into Thursday’s second leg at Foxhall, with the winner booking their place in the play-off final.
NEXT FIXTURE
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 11th September in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Play-Off semi-final second leg fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.