Ipswich Witches 47-43 Leicester Lions: Speedway report

The visitors were without the injured Richard Lawson with rider replacement in operation in his absence, but they started strongly and led after the opening five races.

The Suffolk side managed to turn things around in the middle part of the meeting and held a four-point lead with two to race.

However, the away side levelled to take it to a last-heat decider in which Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov prevailed to give Ipswich victory. Sayfutdinov top scored with 13+1.

Justin Sedgmen won heat one for the Lions and it looked like it might be an opening heat maximum to the visitors as Max Fricke went by Ben Barker for second, but Doyle managed to split the Leicester pair on the run to the line, reducing the damage to just a 2-4.

Jake Allen made the gate in heat two, but Danyon Hume bided his time to pass the Australian late on in the race in a 3-3.

Ben Barker was back in action for the Witches (Image: Steve Waller)

The away side did record a maximum in heat three though thanks to Fricke and Chris Harris.

Heat four was stopped due to Nick Morris falling and he was excluded. The Witches took full advantage in the re-run as Sayfutdinov and Hume, in as a reserve switch for Joe Thompson, raced to a 5-1 to hit back immediately but the hosts found themselves 11-13 down after four heats.

Danny King went through the tapes in heat five and was replaced by the in-form Hume and the reserve produced a fine ride to win the race and hold off Grand Prix rider Fricke as the points were shared.

The hosts took the lead for the first time in heat six as Doyle won and Barker came second for a 5-1.

There was a good battle at the front in heat seven as Harris got the better of Sayfutdinov and with Sedgmen third it levelled the overall score.

Barker got his first race win back in Ipswich colours in heat eight as Joe Thompson won the battle at the back against his twin brother Dan for a 4-2 which edged Ipswich ahead in the tie, with the score 25-23.

Hume came in for Keynan Rew in heat nine, but the race was stopped as Morris hit the deck again and was excluded.

King won the re-run ahead of Dan Thompson with Hume third for a 4-2. Doyle won a shared heat 10 and Sayfutdinov did the same in heat 11.

Hume was back out again in heat 12 in a reserve switch and was amongst the points with Harris leading but then fell which resulted in a heat advantage to the Lions with King in second. That left the score at 37-35 with three to race.

Jason Doyle charges under Max Fricke in the opening heat (Image: Steve Waller)

Sayfutdinov won heat 13 ahead of Fricke with Doyle third for a 4-2 to Ipswich.

Leicester levelled the score with a maximum in heat 14 taking it to a last-heat decider. Doyle and Sayfutdinov came up trumps in heat 15 and were in a 5-1 position when Harris fell and the race was awarded, handing Ipswich a narrow win.

Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins said: "I’m pleased with another win, we certainly scraped through it and Leicester put in a great performance.

"They looked like a team in form and rode really well so credit to them."

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 12, Ben Barker 5+1, Danny King (c) 6, Keynan Rew 1, Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Danyon Hume 9+1, Joe Thompson (RS) 1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER 43: Max Fricke 11, Justin Sedgmen 8+2, Richard Lawson R/R, Chris Harris (c) 12+2, Nick Morris 3, Jake Allen 6+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson