Leicester Lions v Ipswich Witches

Report

IPSWICH kept their Sports Insure Premiership play-off hopes alive with a stunning performance to win 53-37 at Leicester.

The Witches smashed the Lions’ eight-match winning run with Jason Doyle scoring a 14+1 paid maximum, whilst Emil Sayfutdinov added 13+1 and skipper Danny King was in double figures with ten.

But the visitors’ hero was Rising Star Dan Thompson, who had been released by the Lions earlier in the season and came back to haunt his former employers with 9+4, including defeats of Chris Harris and Richard Lawson.

Harris scored nine for the home side who drop to third in the table, whilst the Witches move to within three points of fourth-placed Sheffield, albeit having ridden more matches.

Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It was a brilliant performance and a great result. Leicester have been in great form, but we turned up there and the majority of the team rode to their capabilities, which hasn’t happened too often this season.

“Dan Thompson put in an outstanding performance tonight and he has got better every meeting. You can see his confidence has grown so much since the British Under-21 Final and having your No.7 score paid 13 from five rides makes you a strong team.”

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “I don’t want to be too hard on my riders. Too many of them had off-nights together, but at the same time I’ve got to give credit to Ipswich. Maybe not every team manager does it, but I do.

“It was one of those nights that no matter what we did, you just felt it wasn’t going to happen. Sometimes it’s not your night, but fair play to Ipswich, they thoroughly deserved it, and some of the moves from Doyle and Sayfutdinov were frightening!”

LEICESTER 37: Chris Harris 9, Max Fricke 8, Drew Kemp 7, Richard Lawson 6, Justin Sedgmen 4, Troy Batchelor 2+2, Jake Allen 1+1.
IPSWICH 53: Jason Doyle 14+1, Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Danny King 10, Dan Thompson 9+4, Keynan Rew 3, Danyon Hume 3, Erik Riss 1.

OFFICIAL REFEREE SCORECARD
Available here

Photo credit: STEVE DIXON