FOXES 47 IPSWICH 43

NORTHAMPTON Foxes kept up their encouraging home form with a hard-earned 47-43 win over play-off chasing Ipswich at the Shaleway on Thursday.

In an entertaining contest featuring plenty of overtaking and incidents, the lead swung between the sides before the Foxes opened up a six-point advantage, and they then defended that margin even though the Witches forced a last-heat decider.

The visitors could point to a couple of mechanical issues as well as a dramatic moment in Heat 6, but the Foxes put in a strong team performance with both Jaimon Lidsey and Niels-Kristian Iversen scoring heavily, whilst Adam Ellis added two wins and Mitch McDiarmid continued to gain speed around the Shaleway.

Northampton made a positive start with Iversen comfortably winning Heat 1 before their reserves collected a 5-1 in Heat 2 as McDiarmid took a clear victory whilst Luke Harrison fought his way through from fourth to second when both Witches riders went wide.

The visitors hit back when Tom Brennan made the start in Heat 3 with Danny King passing Nicolai Klindt for a 5-1 of their own, and they gained a 4-2 in Heat 4 to edge ahead after Foxes appeared to have had the better of the opening start until a tangle between Harrison and Jason Edwards brought it to a halt.

Ellis won a shared Heat 5 before a key incident in the next race where Kye Thomson and Iversen held a 5-1 for Northampton with Tobiasz Musielak battling to split them up. The Pole looked to go round Iversen on the back straight but ended up crashing heavily, and after SCB referee Phil Griffin studied video replays it was the Ipswich rider who was disqualified, and thankfully unhurt.

Thomson and Iversen raced to a 5-1 in the re-run to put the Foxes back ahead, and they added a 4-2 in the next as Lidsey took the win with McDiarmid riding strongly to get the better of King.

But Ipswich guest Lewis Kerr was in good form and he won Heat 8 as the visitors clawed two points back, before Klindt made his best start of the night to take Heat 9 ahead of the thrusting Musielak, with Ellis supplying third place.

Foxes added another 4-2 in Heat 10 from Iversen and Thomson to put them six points up, and they then enjoyed a piece of good fortune in the next race when Kerr and Richard Lawson looked set for a 5-1 only for Lawson to slow momentarily on lap three enabling Lidsey and McDiarmid to both go through.

That did mean the visitors could bring in a tactical substitute in Heat 12 and it worked out as King and Lawson combined to reduce the gap to two points, whilst Heat 13 saw Musielak pull off a stunning ride to pass Lidsey on the outside in a shared race as the Foxes remained just ahead.

Heat 14 was crucial and it was Ellis who produced the big move, slicing Brennan and Edwards off turn two before Brennan’s machine expired on lap three with McDiarmid the beneficiary.

That made it 44-40 meaning Ipswich needed a 5-1 from the last race to snatch a draw, but it was never really on as Lidsey and Iversen made sure of the home win, although Musielak’s race victory gave the Witches the aggregate point by the narrowest of margins.

Iversen said: “It’s really good to get another win, and it’s just a shame that we’re coming to the end of the season.

“It’s still fun to come and ride here, and it’s especially more fun when we win! We can’t make the play-offs unfortunately, but it’s still good to come here and get some wins.”

The Foxes round off their away programme at Sheffield next Thursday (September 10) before the home league finale against King’s Lynn on Thursday September 17.

NORTHAMPTON 47: Jaimon Lidsey 11, Niels-Kristian Iversen 10+3, Adam Ellis 7, Mitch McDiarmid 6+1, Kye Thomson 6, Nicolai Klindt 4, Luke Harrison 3+1.

IPSWICH 43: Tobiasz Musielak 11, Lewis Kerr 9+1, Danny King 7+1, Richard Lawson 5+2, Tom Brennan 5, Jason Edwards 5, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 1.