Elite League
Ipswich 78 : Richard Fellgett 18 , Lewis Roberts 16 , Jordan Stant 9 , Jamie Chittock 7,Leon Mower 7, Leigh Cossey 7 ,Will Clark 7, Matt Hill 7 .
Leicester 101 : Craig Marchant 17, Jason Ashford 16 ,Lukasz Nowacki 16 , Phil Howells 14, Dan Pike 14 , Kev Burns 14 ,Nicky Whitehead 5 , Ashley Doughty 5 .
Referee : Terry Ashford (Suffolk ) .
Leicester were the visitors to Ipswich in their last home fixture this season in a bottom of the table clash ,the home team having already being dealt a blow with the loss of Josh Brooke due to an accident he was involved in which had cut his season short..With senior riders missing once again due to work commitments and non availability they once again looked to promote from within with three combinations riders stepping in to bolster the squad,in fact the Ipswich team had seven riders aged twenty and under with three being under sixteen .
The Leicester team on the other hand bolstered a world champion and several ex-british champions as well as plenty of experience ,right from the off Leicester meant business and after an unlucky exclusion to Chittock from the re-run they saw off Mower to claim a 7-2 – not the start the Suffolk side had dreamt of ,but to their credit secured a fine 6-4 in the next heat with Roberts/Cossey getting the better of Howells /Pike partnership.
Heat three saw Marchant /Burns brush aside Clark /Stant 7-3 to open up a seven point lead. The early signs looked ominous but Ipswich came back and managed to share the next two heats. Leicester then took control of the match with 7-3’s in heats six and seven and suddenly there was daylight between the two teams.
A shared heat in eight before some more joy for the Suffolk side in nine when youngsters Clark and Hill secured a 6-4 over Howells /Whitehead leaving the home team trailing at the break by thirteen .
After the break Ipswich got off to a great start when Fellgett collected his third of four heat wins for the afternoon and was well supported by Stant managed to edge out Pike/Doughty 6-4. Ipswich’s luck wasn’t with them in the next heat when Cossey ended up in the fence and was unable to continue in the re-run which enabled Marchant/Burns to collect a comfortable 6-4 over Roberts/Hill as the replacement rider.
The rest of the half Leicester were able to pick off the spirited challenge of this plucky Suffolk squad but in the end in truth the Midlanders had just a little to much know-how for their opponents on the day .
Ipswich will finish the season bottom of the league – nothing to be ashamed of with the progress they are making. Who knows, maybe with some new faces next season they will continue their climb up the table and with the likes of Roberts who can boast he beat the World champion twice today ,Fellgett who top scored for the Eagles today and Clark and Hill getting another taste the future is looking bright and healthy .