LIONS MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

LEICESTER warmed up for the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final with a 46-44 win at Oxford as they triumphed in a last-heat decider.

Skipper Max Fricke and Ryan Douglas collected a 4-2 from Heat 15 at Cowley to secure a seventh away win of the league campaign for the Lions.

The Spires had earlier clawed back from an eight-point deficit to briefly lead the meeting, before the visitors edged back ahead in the final two races.

Fricke won four times on the night to finish with 13 points for the Lions, with Douglas ending on nine, whilst Rohan Tungate (12+1) and Peter Kildemand (12) led the way for the hosts.

Leicester boss Stewart Dickson said: “We’re very pleased to get the win, and it was a good meeting. Both sides were going at each other and you wouldn’t think this was an end-of-season meeting.

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as a dead rubber, because riders only know one way to race, and that’s to race flat out.

“I think everybody did that, there were one or two surprise results, but that’s what speedway brings and certainly anybody that stayed away missed a good meeting.”

Kildemand said: “It’s a hard one to swallow when you lose by just a couple of points, but Leicester have a strong side.

“But we put on a good show and really ran them hard, and fair play to Leicester on taking the victory.”

Watch the action from Heat 15 (courtesy of OXFORD SPEEDWAY TV | https://livestream.oxfordspeedway.club)

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Photo credit: LES AUBREY