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| |  | BIRMINGHAM suffered more last heat home heartache as they were edged out 46-44 by Midlands rivals Leicester.
For the third meeting in a row at Perry Barr, the Curtis Sport Brummies couldn’t get over the line despite taking the contest down to the final race.
Captain Freddie Lindgren tried every line possible to try and force a Super Heat, but Leicester’s Ryan Douglas held on with Max Fricke taking third ahead of Zach Cook for a 4-2 to seal victory for the visitors.
There were several restarts in the opening block of races but after a bright start, it was the Brummies who held a narrow advantage.
Wiktor Lampart and Lindgren opened with a 4-2 before five shared races followed.
Heat Two saw Michael Palm Toft and Leon Flint take the minor placings before two moments of drama for Lampart in Heat Three.
First bend bunching saw the Pole take his second tumble of the night before he then exceeded the two minute time allowance and was excluded.
Palm Toft came in as a reserve replacement and he tucked in behind Zach Cook with Sam Masters taking the win for the Lions.
Tom Brennan and Flint were the next to take the minor placings for the hosts before Cook took the chequered flag in Heat Five.
Brennan initially partnered him out front, but he was relegated to the back by Richard Lawson and Max Fricke by lap two.
Lampart and Lindgren couldn’t stop Douglas who made another electric start to take Heat Six before the visitors drew level in the seventh with Brennan and Palm Toft on the wrong end of a 4-2.
The Brummies retook the lead in Heat Eight however; Lampart eased to victory but after a thrilling battle with Lawson, Rising Star Flint repassed the Leicester man around the outside on the final bends to bring the house down.
Douglas made it three out of three for the visitors in Heat Nine before Lindgren picked up his first win of the night in the tenth after an impressive opening lap.
Leicester were back on level terms when Fricke and Lawson again made sure that Brennan and Palm Toft were on the receiving end in Heat 11 before the visitors moved ahead with a 4-2 in Heat 12.
Things got almightily tight in the opening exchanges of Heat 13 before Fricke battled his way to the front with Lindgren and Brennan becoming the first two Brummies to keep Douglas at bay.
And the hosts sent the contest into a last heat decider all square when a terrific ride from Cook saw him take up the lead on lap two whilst Flint beat Kemp for third.
Birmingham had the choice of gate positions in the finale - but it was Leicester who gated on a maximum.
Lindgren found a way past Fricke and despite his best efforts, couldn’t reel in Douglas who picked up his fourth race win of the night and sealed the deal for the visitors.
The Brummies are back on their travels this Thursday (August 15, 7.30pm) when they take on champions Sheffield in South Yorkshire.
BIRMINGHAM 44: Zach Cook 12, Freddie Lindgren 9+1, Wiktor Lampart 8, Tom Brennan 6+1, Leon Flint 5+3, Michael Palm Toft 4+2, Piotr Pawlicki r/r.
LEICESTER 46: Ryan Douglas 12, Max Fricke 8+1, Sam Masters 8+1, Richard Lawson 7+1, Luke Becker 7, Drew Kemp 4, Sam Hagon 0.
Leicester win the aggregate point
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