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| |  | BIRMINGHAM put in an improved showing but still remain without a league victory after a 53-37 defeat at Leicester on Thursday.
The final margin of 16 points was harsh on the Curtis Sport Brummies who only trailed by four at the halfway stage, but in the closing stages of the meeting they had little answer to the Lions’ top order.
Four of the visiting riders won a race, indicating the potential which exists, but generally the Brummies were not consistent enough, and they were punished for most mistakes on a night when gating was of paramount importance.
Former Wolverhampton captain Sam Masters was in dominant form for the Lions with a paid maximum and Max Fricke dropped just one point from five rides, whilst skipper Steve Worrall showed up well for the Brummies and will be encouraged by his paid-nine score.
Vaclav Milik gained a confidence-boosting win in Heat 1 as he defeated home track specialist Fricke, and it helped the visitors to keep things close in the early stages.
They had a potential opening in Heat 4 when Ryan Douglas touched the tapes and was disqualified, but home reserve Drew Kemp came in to win the re-run ahead of Piotr Pawlicki and Zach Cook.
The scores were level at that stage but the Brummies then conceded two damaging 5-1s on the trot, first when Milik wasn’t ready to race upon the expiration of the time allowance in Heat 5.
He took a 15-metre handicap but Masters and Richard Lawson raced to a 5-1 with Worrall third, and then Fricke and Luke Becker combined for maximum points over Pawlicki and Leon Flint in Heat 6.
Wiktor Lampart shot from the start to lead Heat 7 only to have to do it all again when Tom Brennan spun and fell on the fourth bend – and to the young Pole’s great credit he won the re-run by fending off the pressure from Douglas.
And when Worrall and Flint hit the front in Heat 8 with Flint riding strongly to keep Becker at bay, the 5-1 narrowed the home side’s lead to 26-22 and the Brummies were very much in the meeting.
Pawlicki split Masters and Lawson in Heat 9 as the lead edged back up to six points, and it became eight in Heat 10 with Fricke defeating Brennan and Becker taking third place.
The next two races were shared as Douglas and Masters took wins for the Lions, Heat 12 seeing the Brummies deploy Worrall for a tactical substitute ride but they had to be content with a 3-3.
And there was always the fear that Leicester would finish strongly, as was the case when Fricke eased out Milik in Heat 13 with Douglas completing the 5-1 to wrap up their win.
Brennan got the race win his performance deserved as he took the flag in Heat 14 ahead of Lawson, but neither he nor Pawlicki were able to do anything about Fricke and Masters in Heat 15 to leave the scoreline not truly reflective of the meeting as a whole.
Brummies now prepare for Monday’s huge home meeting with Belle Vue at Perry Barr (7.30 pm) when they will be desperate to get that elusive first victory on the board.
LEICESTER 53: Sam Masters 13+2, Max Fricke 13+1, Drew Kemp 8+2, Ryan Douglas 8, Richard Lawson 7, Luke Becker 4+1, Joe Thompson 0.
BIRMINGHAM 37: Steve Worrall 8+1, Piotr Pawlicki 7, Tom Brennan 7, Wiktor Lampart 5, Vaclav Milik 4+1, Leon Flint 3+2, Zach Cook 3+1.
Leicester win the aggregate point
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