Speedway: Ipswich slip further from top four with Sheffield loss
Sheffield are now five points ahead of Ipswich with a meeting in hand in the race for the top four
Ipswich Witches suffered a frustrating evening last night in the Premiership as they lost 51-39 to Sheffield.
The Suffolk side took a 12-point lead to South Yorkshire having recorded victory at Foxhall last month but started slowly at Owlerton as the Tigers built up an early six-point lead.
The away side hit back to level the score quickly before the hosts edged ahead to take a four-point lead with just four to race.
Sheffield then finished strongly to secure the victory on the night and with the aggregate score level after 30 races it went to a Super Heat to decide who took the bonus point.
Emil Sayfutdinov won the Super Heat but with the Sheffield duo in second and third it was the Tigers who claimed the extra point on a pretty miserable evening for Witches fans.
Sayfutdinov top scored with 16+1.
Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflected on Monday’s defeat to Sheffield: “I am extremely disappointed; we were in the meeting longer than we were last time we were here, but we dropped away again at the end.
"To even lose the bonus point is dreadful and obviously it really hurts our chances of making the top four.
“It was clear Erik really struggled tonight and that is as disappointing for him as it is for everyone.
"Doyley had a rare off night but the margins between the top boys around here are very minimal, and he wasn’t far off but he wasn’t quite his sublime self that he has been pretty much week in week out for the last 18 months.
“Emil was superb again as he was last time he was here, and he has been like that pretty much everywhere we have been. He was brilliant and a joy to watch around there.
“It really hurts our play-off chances, and everyone is leaving here very disappointed, but we go again on Thursday.
"We have got to pick ourselves up for that and keep fighting. We owe it to everyone and ourselves to keep fighting for the rest of the season and that is what we will do.”
Sheffield add three points to their tally after claiming the win and bonus point which cements their spot in fourth and puts them five points ahead of Ipswich with a meeting in hand in the race for the top four.
The Witches next race on Thursday, hosting Belle Vue.