LEICESTER were unable to stop the Ipswich juggernaut as they went down to a 49-41 home defeat at the hands of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership leaders.
The Watling JCB Lions became the third team in the league – and the fourth overall – to be beaten on their own track by the side who are currently living up to their billing as title favourites.
And yet Lions will have some regrets, especially as they fought back strongly from six points down to level the scores with five races remaining.
But every time they did ask a question of their opponents, Ipswich hit straight back with a team showing impressive solidarity, even if Lions did make decent inroads into their top two.
Luke Becker was excellent with a run of three wins, Sam Masters also hit double figures, and captain Max Fricke was involved in three 5-1s to the home side, but they always found themselves chasing.
Becker and Fricke were on the receiving end of a 5-1 against Jason Doyle and Danny King in the first race, and in fact reserve Drew Kemp was the Lions’ only winner in the opening third of the meeting.
There was a let-off jn Heat 3 when Adam Ellis came to grief heading into the last bend when in third place, but a 4-2 to Ipswich in Heat 4 gave the visitors an early six-point lead.
Leicester hit back in Heat 6 with an excellent 5-1 as Becker and Fricke got the better of Emil Sayfutdinov on the opening lap, and the next two heats were shared with Masters and Becker winning races but the Witches packing the minor places at the expense of Kemp and Sam Hagon.
Former Leicester rider Dan Thompson managed to split Ryan Douglas and Kyle Howarth for third place in Heat 9 as Sayfutdinov took the win, but a fierce first lap in Heat 10 saw Becker and Fricke emerge clear of Ellis for a maximum advantage that left things all square with five races remaining.
But the Lions’ momentum was immediately punctured by Doyle and King as they took a 5-1 over Masters in Heat 11, and this was followed after the interval by another Witches maximum in the next with Thompson re-passing Douglas for second behind Ellis.
Leicester still had hope when Fricke and Masters grabbed a 5-1 over the Ipswich top pair of Doyle and Sayfutdinov in Heat 13, but Ipswich again responded straight away, this time through Tom Brennan and Jordan Jenkins who held off the challenge of Howarth to clinch the victory in Heat 14.
The last race was shared with Sayfutdinov making his way to the front on the opening lap whilst his partner Doyle was a retirement.
Becker said: “Personally it was good, but losing twice on the trot definitely isn’t what we’re aiming for, and we need to turn that around.
“I’m feeling good, the starts have been great which is something I’ve really been putting a lot of focus into, so I’ve got a lot of confidence and want to keep the momentum going.
“It’s a bummer to fall short as a team, but we’ll be hungry for Monday and I’m looking forward to it.”
Easter Monday sees the Lions in action twice in one day, starting at Oxford with a 1pm start, and the return at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park is at 7.30pm.
LEICESTER 41: Luke Becker 12, Sam Masters 10+1, Max Fricke 6+3, Kyle Howarth 5+2, Ryan Douglas 5, Drew Kemp 3, Sam Hagon 0.
IPSWICH 49: Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Jason Doyle 9, Tom Brennan 8, Danny King 6+2, Jordan Jenkins 5+3, Dan Thompson 5+1, Adam Ellis 5+1.
Picture: TAYLOR LANNING
