LEICESTER are up to second place in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership after a convincing 55-35 win over champions Ipswich at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park.
The Watling JCB Lions came out on top in a thoroughly entertaining meeting where both teams had to make changes to their regular line-ups, the home side being without injured duo Ryan Douglas and Kyle Howarth.
The Witches already knew they would be missing Danny King, but they suffered a further blow when Richard Lawson was reported ill en route, and with no facility in those circumstances they called up locally based youngster Freddy Hodder – a Lion Cubs regular – to step into the top-flight.
The absence of Lawson made the Lions strong favourites but the early stages were far from plain sailing with Ipswich taking good advantage of gates one and three in several of the opening races.
Visiting manager Paul Hurry went strong in Heat 1 and was rewarded with a 5-1 from Tom Brennan and Tobiasz Musielak, but the Lions turned that around as a very impressive Drew Kemp won Heat 2 with Joe Thompson third for a 4-2, whilst Dan Thompson quickly worked his way through the field in Heat 3 to join skipper Sam Masters for the Lions’ first 5-1.
Ipswich hit back immediately as Musielak and Jason Edwards hit the front in Heat 4, and when the chasing Nick Morris fell on the fourth bend the visitors were awarded a maximum advantage to put them back ahead.
The next two races were shared with Musielak riding strongly to keep Lions guest Josh Pickering at bay in Heat 6, whilst Kemp slotted inside Kevin Juhl Pedersen at the end of the first lap for a 3-3.
But the meeting turned decisively in the next four races, all of which saw the Lions off gates one and three, and all of which resulted in home 5-1s.
Morris overcame Scott Nicholls early in Heat 7 but Kemp provided the drama, despite only just making it to the start in time, as he cut back inside the former Leicester captain just as his opponent was sizing up a move for the lead.
Morris was then a clear winner of Heat 8 with Joe Thompson holding off Juhl Pedersen for second, and Masters held on for a paid win behind Dan Thompson in Heat 9 despite the strong challenge of the previously unbeaten Musielak.
Pickering and Kemp combined for maximum points in Heat 10 as Kemp moved Nicholls aside on the first bend, and the league points were virtually in the bag with the score at 37-23.
Kemp managed to split Brennan and Musielak when the Pole took a tactical substitute ride in Heat 11, and some excellent racing in Heat 12 saw Joe Thompson squeeze around Juhl Pedersen into bend three before Masters powered through on the inside at the start of lap two.
Musielak returned to winning ways by winning a shared Heat 13 by a distance, before the final two races produced some incredible action.
Nicholls made the start for Ipswich in Heat 14 only for Kemp to make it through on the inside, and Dan Thompson then brilliantly worked his way past both Nicholls and Juhl Pedersen to complete a Lions 5-1.
But even that was overshadowed by the events of a remarkable Heat 15 where the Lions looked set to finish with another 5-1 as Masters and Pickering held the advantage, only for Musielak to wind up the outside to pass Pickering at the end of lap three and then dive inside Masters going into the final bend, edging out the Leicester captain on the run to the line.
It was a spectacular ride which denied Masters a paid maximum, but it was also warmly applauded by the home crowd.
Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “It was a very good, entertaining meeting and obviously we’re pleased to get the win.
“I was particularly pleased with our reserves, both Drew and Joe were very strong, and I know the Thompson twins are really close to the supporters because of how long they’ve been here.
“As you’d expect, the atmosphere in the pits was good because everyone was having a decent night, and I think there was a lot of entertaining racing.
“When you watch Heat 15 I don’t care who’s in it, sometimes you just have to tip your hat and say Tobi deserved to win that, and it was very exciting.
“I do think we might have got the gate choices wrong – although it certainly wasn’t my decision! – so there’s a lesson learned on that, because one and three are so much better, so we have a bit of work to do on that.
“There are one or two wee things but all in all it was a good win, and also a good crowd considering we had two meetings in five days, so thanks to everyone who came out to support us.”
Lions go into the return fixture against the Witches at Foxhall on Thursday awaiting fitness news on Douglas and Howarth, with Douglas in particular hopeful of a return.
LEICESTER 55: Drew Kemp 13+3, Sam Masters 12+2, Josh Pickering 9+1, Dan Thompson 7+2, Nick Morris 7+1, Joe Thompson 7+1, Kyle Howarth r/r.
IPSWICH 35: Tobiasz Musielak 15+2, Tom Brennan 8, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 5, Scott Nicholls 3+1, Jason Edwards 3, Freddy Hodder 1, Danny King r/r.
