ACES ARE GRAND FINALISTS

LEAGUE leaders Belle Vue booked their place in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final with an emphatic 58-32 home win over Ipswich.

The Aces, who were already 14 points up after the first leg, secured the aggregate triumph as early as Heat 9 when Zach Cook and Peter Kildemand raced to the fifth of six 5-1s to the Aces on the night.

Jason Doyle scored a four-ride 11+1 paid maximum against his former club with captain Brady Kurtz adding ten, and all seven Belle Vue riders were paid for at least seven points.

The Witches’ main resistance was supplied by skipper Danny King with 9+2 and Tom Brennan who won three races on his old home track as he scored 11.

Aces boss Mark Lemon said: “The boys executed to perfection really, to get a win away at Ipswich in convincing style, and the performances on the road this year have been tremendous.

“Obviously to come home and finish it off in front of our home crowd was the perfect recipe, and we’re in the Grand Final which is an amazing achievement from the boys – but we’ve got some more work to do.

“Whichever team we come up against, I have faith in these boys to do the job they’ve done all season. The processes and routine will be as normal, but just with a little bit more riding on it!”

Ipswich manager Paul Hurry said: “It’s always tough going to Belle Vue. You have to take your hat off to them. What can you say?

“We were just beaten by the better team, and it’s odds-on that they are going to go on and win the league.”

Belle Vue will now face the winners of the Leicester/Sheffield semi-final, which concludes in the East Midlands on Thursday with the South Yorkshire side holding a 24-point lead.

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Photo credit: IAN CHARLES