LIONS WIN AT HEATED FOXHALL

LEICESTER completed the double over Ipswich with a late comeback to snatch a 48-42 win over Ipswich as the rival managers clashed over track conditions.

The Witches led 36-30 with four races remaining but the Lions turned things around with a 5-1 in Heat 12 as Ryan Douglas came in as a tactical substitute to team up with Drew Kemp, before Douglas and Sam Masters combined in Heat 13 to put the visitors ahead.

The match went down to a last heat decider but Douglas and Masters delighted the away fans with a 5-1 over Tobiasz Musielak and Scott Nicholls, as the Lions took match and aggregate points.

Douglas piled up 14+2 on a successful comeback from injury with Masters (10+1), Kemp (10) and Dan Thompson (10) all in double figures. Nicholls and Musielak both scored 12 for the hosts.

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “We’re very happy with the win, and as I’ve said previously sometimes it’s about timing at away meetings.
“You need to make the most of getting a result when the home team are not at their strongest, which was the case tonight.

“My riders, all of them, came to me with concerns about the track. Work was carried out, and although initially the first two or three races proved difficult, it did get better as the meeting went on.”

Ipswich manager Paul Hurry said: “I am pretty upset with the way Stewart carried on before the meeting, saying the track was dangerous – this was dangerous, that was dangerous, and we needed to tyre pack it.

“They forced the referee to make the track staff tyre pack it, and that made it even worse. They were saying it was too grippy and there was too much material on there. There wasn’t. Stewart knew what he was doing, and I left with total disgust.”

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Photo credit: JEFF HIGGOTT