Speedway: Witches beat Tigers to get back to winning ways in Premiership

Ipswich Witches are back to winning ways in speedway's Premiership, after a 47 - 42 victory of visitors Sheffield Tigers last night.

It all came down to the final race of the night, with the scores level on 42 - 42 before Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov nipped past Tigers' Scott Nicholls on the third lap.

Witches were without Erik Riss, who's recovering from a viral infection.

Speaking after the race Ipswich team manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “I’m delighted to get the win against a very strong team."

"At this stage of the season any victory against strong teams like Sheffield are good ones. Missing Erik Riss is making it hard now, and I’d have taken a four-point win at the start of the night to be honest.

“Right now, we just need to win meetings and keep ourselves in the play-off race, so that when the boys get a bit more experience, we can step it up another level come the summer.

“Obviously there were some top performances again tonight from our heat leaders, but Danyon Hume was also very good for us. He’s gone up a level these last two meetings this week. That’s probably him having more time on the bike, as he’s coming back from injury from last season.

“His determination is so good. He doesn’t care who he’s racing against, beating Max Fricke and Dan Bewley the last two meetings before tonight. It’s such a massive bonus having him at reserve because he can beat anyone, as he’s proving.

“At the end of the meeting we had a little team talk out on the track. I just wanted to say well done to everyone, I was so pleased with their determination and getting the job done. We’ve got a week off now, but I wanted to emphasise to them the importance of our next meeting here, against King’s Lynn. We very much want to win that, and the riders know that.”

Ipswich are third in the Premiership table on four points, after three meetings.

Scores:

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 13+1,Erik Riss R/R, Danny King © 9+1, Keynan Rew 4, Emil Sayfutdinov 11+2, Danyon Hume 8+1, Joe Thompson (RS) 2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD 43: Jack Holder 4+2, Kyle Howarth © 6+1, Adam Ellis 7, David Bellego 1, Scott Nicholls (g) 11, Lewis Kerr 10+3, Dan Gilkes (RS) 4. Team Manager: Simon Stead