Ipswich Witches secured their place in the Premiership Knockout Cup Final with a 47-43 victory over Northampton Foxes at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday evening.
The result sees Ipswich progress from the Southern Section and set up a final clash with defending cup holders Leicester.
Northampton made a strong start to the meeting, racing into a 15-9 lead after the opening four heats, including back-to-back 5-1s which put the visitors firmly in control early on.
Ipswich responded well, turning the meeting around with a series of heat advantages to move into the lead and eventually build a ten-point cushion during the middle stages of the contest.
The Foxes fought back strongly in the latter part of the meeting, reducing the deficit and ensuring a close finish, but Ipswich held on to secure the win by four points.
Polish rider Tobiasz Musielak led the way for the home side with 12 points, including three race wins, while skipper Danny King added nine paid ten. Philip Hellstrom-Bangs also impressed, claiming his first race win in British speedway on his way to five paid six.
For Northampton, Jaimon Lidsey topped the scoring with 13 points after a string of impressive rides, while Kye Thomson also reached double figures with 10+1.
Ipswich team manager Paul Hurry felt his side showed resilience but admitted there is still room for improvement.
“We all feel, and every one of them said, ‘There is still something we need to work on.’ Everyone went away thinking they are still chasing that goal, which is good,” he said.
“Team spirit is good, and everyone is happy. But everyone is still feeling there’s a little bit missing at the moment. We’ll see what happens and keep working on it. But onwards and upwards – we’re into a cup final! It was only our second home meeting, so to achieve that is really good.
“We can’t become too complacent. Now we move on to the league. This is when the serious business starts.”
Hurry also highlighted the early conditions as a factor in the slow start.
“The track was a little bit wetter to start with. The boys just thought the track was going to be grippier than it was. But no excuses – it’s the same for everyone. It’s our home track, and once the boys got dialled in, they made improvements.”
Northampton manager Chris Adams was encouraged by his team’s performance despite the defeat, saying on the club’s website:
“Once again there were lots of positives during the night. We’re still trying to find our form a little bit, but there are some very encouraging signs,”
“Jaimon again did a brilliant job at No.1, and I thought Kye had a fantastic night at reserve.
“But all in all Ipswich are pretty strong at home, so I have to say to come away with a four-point loss, I’m happy with that performance.”
Ipswich will now prepare for the Knockout Cup Final against Leicester, while Northampton take positives into the return fixture between the sides next week.
Ipswich Witches 47 Northampton Foxes 43
ipswich_23.04.26_resImages courtesy of Ipswich Speedway
