WITCHES THROUGH IN EPIC FINALE
IPSWICH are through to the Sports Insure Premiership Grand Final after toppling champions Belle Vue in a sensational semi-final in Manchester.
The Witches led by 18 points from the first leg but came under huge pressure in the closing stages of the return at a packed National Speedway Stadium, with back-to-back Aces 5-1s in Heats 13 and 14 bringing the margin back to just two.
The decider turned out to be one of the best races ever seen in play-off speedway as home duo Brady Kurtz and Dan Bewley initially appeared to hold a 5-1 position only for Witches stars Emil Sayfutdinov and Jason Doyle to both come through to win it for the Foxhall side.
Belle Vue won the meeting 51-39 with Jaimon Lidsey scoring 11+1 whilst Kurtz and Bewley scored 10+1, as their first leg deficit proved just too high.
Sayfutdinov scored 11 for the Witches with Doyle on 9+1 as they now await their Grand Final opponents next week.
Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It was only fitting that it came down to our top two to do the business in heat 15. What a ride from both of them and for Jason to step it up after what he has done for the club in the last two years showed what he is all about.
“It was phenomenal from them both and it is hard to put into words at the moment, but we need to enjoy tonight – but we are only through the semis, and we have bigger meetings to come next week.
“It shows we have come a long way with what we have been through this year to get here. That has made us very strong, and I didn’t see any panic when things were going wrong for us tonight. We just kept fighting for every point and they stuck to the task very well.”
Kurtz said: “It’s hard to know what to say really. The damage was probably done at Ipswich last week but we never stopped believing that we could turn it around.
“To come as close as we did and trip at the final post is painful. Everybody worked so hard all night and I don’t think we could’ve given more than we did. We did our best.
“Congratulations to Ipswich on their progression to the Final. We’re not ungracious in defeat, they were the better team over two legs and we wish them the best of luck.”
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Photo credit: IAN CHARLES
