Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis says he won't throw the towel in on a play-off place following last night's spirited 49-41 defeat at Sports Insure Premiership leaders Belle Vue.
The Witches went into the meeting two points down on aggregate, having lost at Foxhall last week against the Aces, and there was nothing to separate the two sides at the National Speedway Stadium after nine races.
However, the table-toppers finished strongly with three maximums in the last six races to secure the win and the bonus point.
Heat 13 was stopped with Emil Sayfutdinov at the front as Jason Doyle came under Dan Bewley late on in the race to take second with the Belle Vue man hitting the deck. The referee decided that Doyle caused the fall, and he was excluded, with the race being awarded as a 3-3.
Stand-in team manager Chris Louis put Sayfutdinov back out in heat 14 as a tactical substitute but he was ruthlessly taken to the fence by Charles Wright in the first turn and did well to stay on the bike. However, he could not make up the ground as the Aces raced to a 5-1.
“I felt for the lads a bit because they hung in until heat 12 and then it got away from us a little bit," said Louis.
"We looked like we were bringing it back in heat 13 with Jason (Doyle) and Emil (Sayfutdinov) but the decision went against Jason. To be fair it was the decision I expected from the ref - that isn’t me saying it was the right decision, I thought Dan went down a bit softly and I feel Jason’s frustration. We have seen it so many times the other way round and he keeps getting excluded when he is taken off. I fully understand and appreciate why he was so frustrated after that.
“Emil wasn’t taken off in heat 14. It was a very hard move but that is speedway, when you need the result that is what you have got to do, so I didn’t have a problem with it. It was tough for Emil but overall, it was a better performance. I thought the lads tried very hard and it is a shame they didn’t get more for their efforts.
“Dan (Thompson) was excellent, I was toying with whether it should be Erik (Riss) or Dan in heat 14 and we had to make a change in that race obviously, but it wasn’t an easy decision who should be replaced."
The Witches, who are fifth in the table, now host the Peterborough Panthers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday night.
“With the position we are in, it wasn’t enough, that is the bottom line," admitted Louis.
"But we won’t throw the towel in whilst it is mathematically possible. In theory we have a few easier meetings, and we will see what we can do and all we can do is try to win.”
BELLE VUE 49: Dan Bewley 9+1, Norick Blödorn 8+1, Jaimon Lidsey 5, Charles Wright 8, Brady Kurtz © 8+1, Tom Brennan 10+4, Connor Bailey (RS) 1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon
IPSWICH 41: Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Keynan Rew 5, Danny King © 10, Erik Riss 1+1, Jason Doyle 5, Danyon Hume 3, Dan Thompson (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Chris Louis
REFEREE: S. Perkin
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