Ipswich came north for this re-arranged fixture expecting 4 points to continue their title push whilst Glasgow were still looking for their first win since May. With Tigers struggling to get an equivalent guest to Joe Screen’s scoring ability it looked like the former would be the likely outcome.
Glasgow 36: Grieves 12, Jacobs 6+3, Bager 6, Lemon 5, North 5, Ringwood 2, Thomsen 0
Ipswich 56: Barker 13, Heeps 10+4, Lanham 10, Tungate 9+1, Ellis 6, Hawkins 5+2, Risager 3+1.
It was, not for the first time, a disastrous start for the Tigers with successive 5-1s lost in the opening two heats, Hawkins passing both Joe and Joey in heat 2. Henning split the Witches in heat 3, although this was after Anders had let Lanham pass him after a mistake. The score stood at 4-14 at this point.
James and Joe then recorded a welcome 5-1 in heat 4, which was immediately wiped out by Barker and Heeps doing likewise over our Danish duo in heat 5.
This allowed a TR to be used and it was Dakota who donned the BW helmet in heat 6. Mark Lemon made the start and led, Dakota picked his way eventually past both visitors but wasn’t close enough to take the full points. The Tigers had cut the deficit to 17-21 though.
Unfortunately the roof fell in in the next three races. James passed Tungate in heat 7 for a 2-4 but Ipswich then scored two 5-1s in successive races to lead 35-21 after heat 9.
This meant double points time again and it was Lemon who took the BW. He was nowhere near scoring however and it was Dakota who took the fight to the visitors. He quickly passed Tungate and chased after Lanham and he looked to have got by him on the final lap on the third bend when Lanham fell. It looked like a good pass but for the second week running the referee excluded the home man, resulting in yet another 1-5.
With the points now sewn up it was a case of how many and James put in a good race to fend off Barker in heat 11 to keep the deficit to 18.
A 3-3 followed in heat 12 before James again just got the better of Barker in heat 13, with Lemon ahead of Risager to at least cut the gap slightly to 16.
Another 3-3 in heat 14 made the score 35-51 before Barker got revenge over James in heat 15; unfortunately James was also passed by Heeps.
Ipswich pretty won as they pleased with Lemon being an ineffectual guest although it’s debateable whether the result would’ve been any different with Joe Screen although it would’ve been closer. Dakota seems to be getting no luck from referees whilst inconsistency is still a problem for the younger members of the team.
Ipswich look a good bet for league honours and cannot be discounted but will rarely get an easier away win.
Tigers have two winnable home matches left but need to get good guest replacements to have any chance of actually winning them.
<report by Derek Watson>