MEETING SPONSOR

George Baker Shipping – George Baker (Shipping) Ltd has been a household name within the freight community for over 40 years. Despite its growth and success, George Baker Shipping continues to adhere to the same core values on which the company was founded. To this day, the business remains in the Baker family and is now under the ownership of George and Libby’s children, David Baker and Sharon Binns. Over 40 years on, the company is renowned as customs specialists, whilst also being recognised for its diversified

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 43: Emil Sayfutdinov 10+1, Danny King © 6, Jason Doyle 10, Dan Thompson 2+2, Tom Brennan 8+1, Adam Ellis 5, Jason Edwards (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD 47: Jack Holder 11+2, Leon Flint (RS) 7, Chris Holder 5+1, Nick Morris 7+1, Josh Pickering © 9+1, Anders Rowe 8+3, Jye Etheridge 0. Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: W. Dishington

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

THE REPORT

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

In what was the last fixture of the regular league campaign the away side edged ahead early on and held a six-point lead after seven races before the hosts levelled the scores after 10 heats. The meeting went all the way to a last-heat decider which went the way of the Tigers. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 10+1.

The visitors registered a heat advantage in heat one as Sayfutdinov limited the damaged, passing Leon Flint for second as Jack Holder won. The points were shared in heat two and it was the same result in heat three as the run of Sheffield winners continued. Tom Brennan got the first Ipswich race win of the evening in heat four, but it was in a 3-3 which left the away team 13-11 in front.

Doyle, who arrived late to the stadium after flight issues, won a heat five 3-3 and the run of shared heats continued in heat six as Sayfutdinov took the chequered flag. Sheffield extended their lead with a maximum in heat seven and in heat eight the first Ipswich heat advantage of the night arrived as Danny King won, making it 26-22 to Sheffield.

It was a shared heat nine before the scores were level after heat 10 as King and Sayfutdinov teamed up for a maximum. Brennan won heat 11 in a 3-3 and Doyle followed suit in heat 12 with the scores level at 36-36.

The tie was still level after a 3-3 in heat 13 and Adam Ellis got his first three points of the evening in heat 14 but with Dan Thompson at the back it left it all square going into the final race of the night. The Tigers secured victory with a maximum in heat 15 as attentions now turn to the play-offs.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“It was a bad result and not what we wanted going into next week. We started way too slowly, and they looked really up for it, we didn’t. We nearly got away with it at the end, but they were too good. We have got no choice but to write that off very quickly and things can turn back around very quickly, it is one bad result. We need to go to Belle Vue with a fresh mindset and a lot sharper and more determined. Maybe because we knew we were guaranteed top and there was nothing on the meeting we relaxed too much but we quickly need to switch back to what we are because that was far from the standard we are capable of.

“100% we should be going into tonight looking to win the meeting, but we were very relaxed, and we got punished. We have done that before and got punished for it and we know the same result will happen whenever we do that. It is pointless dwelling on it now, we have got a massive meeting on Monday at a place we have gone well at this season, and we are going to need to perform again. Belle Vue have been the champions twice out of the last three years, and we are the only team to beat them in the play-offs in that time. They know how to win these meetings, so every one of us needs to be at 100% to win the meeting and be committed to win every race. We have spent all season racing for this time and we need to be ready for it.

“We had a slow start to the meeting, Danny had a tough couple of rides where he got in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he managed to turn it around. Adam had a tough start to the meeting as well and you would expect with him being at reserve to score big points, but it took him a few races to get his gating gloves on. In that sense, where we could have been really strong with Adam at reserve, we weren’t but Adam won his last ride and said he was trying something tonight for next week and he felt like he learnt stuff, so in that sense it is good that he is focused on next week. I’m sure when it comes to the play-offs the boys have got a little bit more there.”

“Doyley arrived really late but managed to make heat three. He literally got out the van, on a bike and into heat three. He missed his flight so had to get another flight over and it was a big rush and stress today, but he got there.”

GEORGE BAKER SHIPPING RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov picked up the award after top scoring for the Witches with 10+1.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich finish top of the table going into the play-offs which means they take on fourth-placed Belle Vue in the semi-final next week. Sheffield move into second in the table with this victory and will face Leicester.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to the National Speedway Stadium to take on the Belle Vue Aces on Monday 8^th September in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Play-Off semi-final first leg fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.