IPSWICH are through to the Sports Insure Premiership play-offs following a heavy defeat for Leicester at Peterborough on Thursday night.
The Lions needed a single point from their final league fixture at the East of England Arena to move above the Witches in the table and join Belle Vue, Sheffield and Wolverhampton in the last four. Leading 57-33 from their home meeting, they were strong favourites to clinch the aggregate bonus point but crumbled to a 58-32 defeat in the face of a resurgent Peterborough onslaught. The aggregate scores were level going into the final race and with Artem Laguta winning the heat for the Panthers, team-mate Vadim Tarasenko passed Richard Lawson for third on the third lap, the resulting 4-2 eliminating the Lions from the play-offs and sending Ipswich through instead. Leicester team manager Stewart Dickson said: “I said before the meeting that we couldn’t afford to let them get off to a flying start, the momentum would be high in their pits. “I’m not going to have a pop at my riders, they gave everything all season and they’re all very disappointed, as the supporters are and I went over and spoke to them after Heat 15. “I’m disappointed myself – we wanted to get into the play-offs, of course we did, although you have to say on tonight’s performance we didn’t deserve it. “But we’ve still had a good season. It’s been difficult at times, and unfortunately we just ran out of steam at the vital time.” The semi-final ties were confirmed after the meeting: Monday September 18: Belle Vue v Ipswich Thursday September 21: Ipswich v Belle Vue Monday September 25: Wolverhampton v Sheffield Thursday September 28: Sheffield v Wolverhampton
PHOTO: Artem Laguta leads the last heat decider from Max Fricke, Richard Lawson and Vadim Tarasenko. Picture: JEFF DAVIES
