LEICESTER boss Stewart Dickson praised his side’s “fighting spirit” after salvaging an away point in a tough night at Redcar.
The Watling JCB Lions found it hard going down 48-42 on Teesside as they were missing broken ankle star Richie Worrall and recently retired Jack Thomas.
But Dickson’s men kept battling despite going 10 points down and a last heat 5-1 from Ryan Douglas and guest Chris Harris grabbed what could a vital point.
Dickson said: “We’re not quite firing like we were at the start of the season. It’s been a hard week to lose Jack and then Richie. This side has a great fighting spirit.
“Richie was just in a really hot streak of form and that’s a blow. Perhaps we just lacked something because it was tough tonight.
“But I have to praise the boys for grabbing something out of a difficult night. That’s when you learn so much about a team, when the chips are down.
“This side never seems to know when they are beaten. They had a good pair out in Heat 15 so I was delighted to get the 5-1.
“We move on now. We can afford to lose the odd match away from home but we must keep winning on our home track.”
The Watling JCB Lions found it hard to impose any grip on the match and trailed by eight points after Heat 8.
Team boss Dickson then played his tactical substitute move in Heat 9 and it was an absolute classic.
The home pair of Broc Nicol and Ulrich Ostergaard got away from the start to lead Harris and Scott Nicholls. But the Lions hunted them down in sensational fashion.
First they got past American Nicol before swooping either side of Ostergaard going into the first bend on the last lap to narrow the gap to just four points.
But a tape touching offence for Nicholls was costly in Heat 11 as the Bears extended their lead and when Charles Wright and Michael Palm Toft held off a fierce challenge from Harris and Nicholls in Heat 13, the home win was sealed.
However two wins for the impressive Douglas in Heats 14 and 15, with Harris backing him up and passing Palm Toft in the last race, that snatched a fighting point.
Redcar 48: Michael Palm Toft 12, Charles Wright 10+1, Broc Nicol 7+1, Nathan Greaves 7+1, Ulrich Ostergaard 5, Tom Bacon 4, Jack Smith 3.
Leicester 42: Ryan Douglas 11, Chris Harris 10+2, Scott Nicholls 6+1, Josh Bates 6+1, Ellis Perks 6, Connor Mountain 2+1, Jason Edwards 1.
