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SCORECARD

IPSWICH 43: Jason Doyle R/R, Danny King © 10+1, Adam Ellis 9+1, Tom Brennan 6, Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1, Danyon Hume (G) 2+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 4+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER 47: Max Fricke © 8+2, Luke Becker 12+1, Ryan Douglas 5+2, Kyle Howarth 7, Sam Masters 6+1, Drew Kemp 9, Joe Thompson (RS) 0. Team Manager: Jen Crossland

REFEREE: C. Turnbull

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Sheffield	8	17
Ipswich	9	17
Belle Vue	8	15
Leicester	8	11
Oxford	10	6
King’s Lynn	8	4
Birmingham	7	0

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches were beaten by Leicester on Thursday night at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The home team were without the key injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson with rider replacement being used at number one and Danyon Hume guesting at number six. Ipswich raced into a six-point lead early on but were pegged back by heat seven and the Lions edged ahead in heat nine. Another 2-4 in heat 13 gave Leicester a four-point lead and they held on for the away victory as Ipswich took the aggregate bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 12+1.

Visiting number two Luke Becker won a shared heat one and heat two was stopped with the Lions in a good position as Joe Thompson fell on the third bend and was excluded. Jordan Jenkins took victory in the re-run as Ipswich got the first heat advantage of the night. The hosts extended their lead in heat three as Tom Brennan picked up three points and Adam Ellis raced past both Lions in style to join him for the maximum. Sayfutdinov won heat four in a 3-3 leaving the Witches 15-9 up.

The Lions responded in heat five with a 1-5 of their own and it was a 3-3 in heat six won by Sam Masters. Heat seven was stopped with the away side at the front as Hume fell at the back and was excluded. Ryan Douglas won the re-run to level the score and the Leicester race winners kept on coming with Becker taking the chequered flag in a shared heat eight, making it 24-24.

The visitors went ahead in heat nine as Drew Kemp beat Ellis and Masters finished third. Danny King stopped the run of away race winners in heat 10 but with Brennan at the back it was a 3-3. Sayfutdinov followed suit in a shared heat 11 and the run of 3-3s continued in heat 12 with Ellis first across the line meaning Leicester held a 35-37 lead going into the business end of the meeting.

Max Fricke won heat 13 ahead of King and with Masters third it edged his side closer to an away win. The home duo of Brennan and Hume made the gate in heat 14 but Kyle Howarth got the better of both Witches to win the race for a 3-3. Sayfutdinov won the final race of the night but with King at the back it meant the Witches fell to their first defeat of the season at Foxhall although they did pick up the aggregate bonus point.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s defeat to Leicester…

“I know we were weakened but it was our worst home performance of the season against a very good team who rode well. They were better than us and deserved the victory, but we have got to look ahead at what is to come and write it off because we are still in a great position in the league, and we have a massive meeting in the cup semi-final up next.

“It doesn’t feel like a positive right now, but we picked up the aggregate bonus point. I know there was a lot of talk at the start of the season of us going unbeaten all season but that was never realistic in our heads, but I do feel if we could go the whole season not being beaten on aggregate that would be amazing, and it is something I would like to achieve. So, the aggregate bonus point tonight is good and now we have a break before the cup to know how the injuries are progressing before then.

“Dan went and saw someone today and they are not going to operate which is probably a good thing and he has started treatment to speed up his recovery. Jason is home now and is recovering and we know both want to be back as quickly as possible and they are doing everything they can to do so.

“It is very difficult to replace them, they are arguably the hardest two to replace. When you have a rider at reserve riding like a heat leader that is a massive miss to us, but we have a break now and then the cup that we need to get through and then another break and by the time the league resumes for us hopefully we will have one of them or both back.”

CYCAS HOSPITALITY RIDER OF THE NIGHT

King picked up the award after scoring 10+1.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich add one point to their total having won the aggregate bonus point after their eight-point win at Leicester earlier in the year but drop to second in the table on points difference. The Lions take two points away from Suffolk and remain fourth.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to King’s Lynn to take on the Stars on Monday 2^nd June in a Knockout Cup semi-final first leg tie. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.