SCORECARD

KING’S LYNN 48: Richard Lawson 9, Peter Kildemand (G) 3+1, Nicolai Klindt © 3+1, Chris Harris 13, Niels-Kristian Iversen 4+1, Jan Kvěch 16+2, Ashton Boughen (RS) 0 (Withdrawn). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

IPSWICH 42: Emil Sayfutdinov 11+1, Jason Doyle R/R, Adam Ellis 2+1, Tom Brennan 10, Danny King © 10, Simon Lambert (G) 2+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 7. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: W. Dishington

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

First Leg: Birmingham 33-57 Leicester. Second Leg: Leicester 46-44 Birmingham

First Leg: King’s Lynn 53-37 Oxford. Second Leg: Oxford 37-53 King’s Lynn

First Leg: Belle Vue 40-50 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich 67-23 Belle Vue

SEMI-FINALS

First Leg: Leicester 54-36 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield v Leicester (June 5)

First Leg: King’s Lynn 48-42 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich v King’s Lynn (June 5)

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches were beaten by six points in the first leg of their Knockout Cup semi-final at King’s Lynn on Monday.

Ipswich arrived in Norfolk without two key riders with Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson absent through injury with rider replacement in operation for Doyle and Simon Lambert in as a guest for Thompson. The hosts were without Ben Cook with Peter Kildemand guesting in his place. Despite the injury woes the Suffolk side battled hard and there was nothing between the two teams after 11 races, but King’s Lynn finished strongly to build a six-point lead ahead of the second leg at Foxhall on Thursday. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11+1.

The Stars recorded a 4-2 in heat one with Sayfutdinov retiring early on in the race as heat two ended in a 3-3. Heat three was another share of the points as Chris Harris passed both Witches to win. Heat four was stopped with Ashton Boughen falling at the back with partner Niels-Kristian Iversen at the front. In the re-run, Danny King got the first Witches race win of the night in a heat advantage that levelled the score at 12-12.

Sayfutdinov produced a fine ride in heat five, hunting down Harris to win as the points were shared. King picked up another three points in heat six with Lambert holding off Kildemand for a point to edge the away team ahead. Adam Ellis was replaced by Lambert in heat seven after missing the two-minute time allowance and King’s Lynn registered 4-2 to level the score again as Tom Brennan did well to split the home pairing. The struggling Boughen was withdrawn from the meeting with an injury, and he was replaced by fellow reserve and Grand Prix rider Jan Kvěch in heat eight and he and Kildemand raced to a maximum to put the home team 26-22 ahead.

King’s Lynn extended the lead in heat nine as Harris won but King did well to reduce the damage to a 4-2, passing Nicolai Klindt for second. The visitors pulled two points back in heat 10 with Brennan taking the chequered flag ahead of Richard Lawson as Ellis clung on for the point in third under pressure from Kildemand. It was all square again after heat 11 as Brennan and Sayfutdinov teamed up for a maximum.  The hosts went in front in heat 12 with a 4-2 as Kvěch picked up another three points and Jenkins won the battle for second against Klindt with the pair exchanging moves all race leaving the score 37-35.

Sayfutdinov couldn’t be caught in a shared heat 13 but King’s Lynn secured the victory on the night with a 5-1 in heat 14. Sayfutdinov won the final race of the night, but partner Brennan couldn’t find a way past Kvěch at the back meaning King’s Lynn took the first leg of the semi-final by six points.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat at King’s Lynn…

“I’m disappointed not to win, a couple of the boys had tough nights, I feel we should be good enough to win there still even missing Jason and Dan, so to come away with a defeat is disappointing. Six points is not disastrous, and it leaves the tie finely poised and exciting going into Thursday.

“It was a long, drawn-out meeting which isn’t ideal, but it is the same for both teams but is often the case at King’s Lynn where the meetings take a long time. It is something you have to deal with and there are always things to deal with when you come here, so it is no surprise, it didn’t affect the result though.

“Adam had a tough night, but I think he rode better than the couple of points he scored but he had machinery problems and never got a break tonight. I’m sure he will make up for that on Thursday and earn those points back. Obviously when you are already a couple of riders down that puts pressure on everyone else.

“It was a great effort from Jordan, I’m really pleased with him, and I thought Simon came in and did well. Number six is a very tough position but he did well and contributed. I can’t complain about the effort from the team, it was superb as always and it will need to be the same on Thursday and it will be a big task to pull the points back, but we are more than capable of doing it.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for Sayfutdinov who top scored with 11+1 and registered three race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

King’s Lynn take a six-point lead into the second leg of the semi-final at Foxhall on Thursday with a place in the final up for grabs.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall on Thursday 5^th June in a Knockout Cup semi-final second leg fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.