Ipswich team manager Paul Hurry offered no excuses as the Tru7 Group Witches went down 52-38 at home to Belle Vue in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership play-off semi-final, first leg at Foxhall on Monday.
The 2025 champions held their own in the opening exchanges of their biggest meeting of the season so far, but four straight 5-1s for the table-topping Aces in heats 10 to 13 left the Witches with a mountain to climb in next Monday’s second leg at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium.
Polish star Tobiasz Musielak tallied 10 points for the hosts, with skipper Danny King notching nine. But the Aces were inspired to victory by 11 paid 12 points from Speedway GP winner Peter Kildemand, while former Witches favourite Jason Doyle bagged 10 on his Foxhall return.
Hurry admits his side could not match Belle Vue from the tapes. He said: “They just weren’t reacting out of the start. Tobi was and Danny gave it his all. So did Tom Brennan. But when Belle Vue has two current GP riders in their team and another former GP winner, they raise the bar that much higher.
“We didn’t have the manpower to do it. I’m not saying they’re not capable of doing it; they all are. We have said that all the way along this season. At the end of the day, we were just beaten by a better side.”
Hurry admits the defeat eases the pressure on the Witches for what could be their final meeting of 2026 in Manchester.
He said: “There is no pressure on us now. We are definitely going there as the underdogs. At the end of the day, they just have to do what they do and what they are capable of doing.
“The pressure is off, so they can just enjoy their riding. If they want to try things they didn’t think would work earlier in the season, now is the time to try them.”
While Witches’ grip on the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership trophy was severely weakened by the Aces, Hurry believes the team can be proud of its 2026 achievements in a year when the side was only assembled weeks before the season started following Mayfield’s takeover of the club on March 1.
“What a year it has been,” he said. “We came in late with Richard Coleman and Andrew Chisholm putting everything together. Were we expected to be in the play-offs and the Knockout Cup Final? Probably not, so we have done well.
“They have all got on and did the best they could. We have all taken a little bit of flak, but it’s a big learning curve.
“I want to say thanks to the supporters, management and all the volunteers, who turn up week in and week out.
“I also want to say thank you to Bob Ellis, who does the track with his brother Keith. That was Bob’s last meeting after so many years. I would like to wish him well, and I hope he enjoys what he does next.”
FINAL SCORES
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES 38: 1. Richard Lawson 3, 2. Scott Nicholls 6+1, 3. Danny King 9, 4. Tom Brennan 6+1, 5. Tobiasz Musielak 10, 6. Kevin Juhl Pedersen 3+1, 7. Jason Edwards 1+1.
BELLE VUE ACES 52: 1. Brady Kurtz 9+1, 2. Norick Blodorn 6+1, 3. Peter Kildemand 11+1, 4. Zach Cook 4+2, 5. Jason Doyle 10, 6. Tate Zischke 8+3, 7. Will Cairns 4.