LEICESTER made it back-to-back away wins in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a solid all-round effort to come away with a 50-40 result at Birmingham on Monday.
The Watling JCB Lions got off to a blistering start at Perry Barr with 5-1s in the first two races, and although their lead for most of the meeting was reduced to a narrower margin, they always held control of the contest.
Skipper Max Fricke led from the front with four unbeaten rides until he was denied a maximum by a fine move from home No.1 Tobiasz Musielak in Heat 1, but by then the Lions’ win was already in the bag.
Fricke combined with Luke Becker for another Heat 1 5-1 over Musielak and Jonas Jeppesen, and more fast gating followed in Heat 2 as Drew Kemp hit the front to be quickly joined by Dan Gilkes to make it 10-2 after two races.
Birmingham fashioned a comeback with a 4-2 in Heat 3, Ryan Douglas preventing a 5-1 by passing Lewis Kerr in the early stages, but the home side did pick up a maximum in the next with a dose of fortune as Sam Masters suffered mechanical trouble when in second place, enabling Jason Edwards to follow Michael Jepsen Jensen home.
The sides traded 4-2s with Becker passing Kerr for third place in Heat 5 as Fricke won again, but a first bend fall for Kemp in Heat 6 saw him disqualified with Musielak beating Masters in the re-run when the initial staging had seen the Leicester man out front.
Howarth did well to retrieve third place from Antti Vuolas in Heat 7 after being forced wide by Jepsen Jensen on the first bend, whilst Douglas held off the Dane up front to make it 23-19.
Lions held the four-point margin across two shared races but Heat 9 could have been better but for Kemp over-sliding on the exit of turn two which enabled Kerr and Keynan Rew to take advantage.
And the Brummies had further hope when Douglas was next to suffer gremlins in Heat 10 as he lost power going into the first bend, so a home 4-2 cut the gap to just two.
Lions responded well, though, with Fricke winning a key clash with Jepsen Jensen in Heat 11 whilst Becker supplied third place, and Kemp again showed his worth at this venue with a win in the next as the visitors stretched their lead to six.
The decisive moment came in Heat 13 when Fricke and Masters charged away from the start to win their clash with Musielak and Jepsen Jensen, the 5-1 making it 44-34 and effectively confirming victory.
Howarth made absolutely sure with a great effort to see off tactical substitute Musielak in Heat 14, but the Pole had the last word with a super move in Heat 15 to slice between Fricke and Masters off turn two to inflict the Leicester captain’s only defeat.
Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “It was a lot closer than on opening night, which I expected to be the case, but we got off to a very good start before we kind of let Birmingham back into it with a bit of misfortune.
“There are one or two things we need to be cuter at on the track, but all in all I’m happy we got the win, and a further two points on the league table, and it’s pleasing to have the team contributing throughout.
“I did say beforehand without being disrespectful other clubs will target coming to Perry Barr to try and win, and I know the dogfight that we’re in for what we’re trying to achieve this season before it gets to the serious stuff.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing – we’re doing well at the moment, and points throughout the team is the pleasing thing.”
Lions now take a break from league action but the club will be staging the British Semi-Final at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park on Thursday (May 1).
Details of the draw will be available on Tuesday evening, with supporters advised to watch out for the club social media.
BIRMINGHAM 40: Tobiasz Musielak 12, Keynan Rew 8+1, Michael Jepsen Jensen 7, Jonas Jeppesen 5, Lewis Kerr 4+1, Jason Edwards 3+2, Antti Vuolas 1.
LEICESTER 50: Max Fricke 12+2, Sam Masters 10, Luke Becker 7+1, Ryan Douglas 6, Kyle Howarth 6, Drew Kemp 5+1, Dan Gilkes 4.
Photo credit: PHIL McGLYNN
