BUXTON Bulls slipped to a 41-49 defeat in the first leg of their NDL Challenge fixture against the Leicester Lion Cubs at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
The Lion Cubs took the lead in heat three with a 4-2 from Ryan Ingram and Max Perry over Jack Roberts after Alex Spooner had fallen and been disqualified at the first time of asking, Ingram taking the track record with a time of 56.03. They extended their lead to four points in heat five as veteran racer Ben Morley took the chequered flag ahead of Roberts and Tom Spencer, taking third for the visitors after Spooner had retired from the race.
The Bulls took their first heat advantage of the afternoon as Alfie Bowtell stormed to victory ahead of Freddy Hodder, who managed to keep Arran Butcher at bay, but it was 4-2 to the Bulls.
Ingram once again took victory in heat seven over Roberts with Max Perry third as the Lion Cubs restored their four-point lead with the scores 19-23 at the midway point of the meeting.
The Lion Cubs then put the pressure on the home side with a 4-2 from Hodder and Eli Meadows over Spooner in heat nine, and then a 5-1 from Morley and Spencer over Luke Harris and a further 4-2 in heat eleven from Perry and Meadows over Roberts left the Bulls trailing 30-42 after twelve heats with three heats remaining.
Alfie Bowtell and Arran Butcher teamed up for a maximum 5-1 heat advantage for the Bulls over Morley and Hodder, but the Lion Cubs struck back with a 4-2 in the penultimate race from Ingram, who took his fourth race win of the afternoon and Seth Norman over Luke Harris.
Bowtell and Butcher took a 4-2 in the final race after Morley managed to pass Butcher to give the visitors an eight-point lead going into the second leg at Leicester.
BUXTON 41:
Alfie Bowtell 15+1, Arran Butcher 10+2, Jack Roberts 8, Luke Harris 6, Alex Spooner 2, Jack Shimelt 0, Bailey Fellows (no.8) 0, Jack Smith r/r
LEICESTER 49:
Ryan Ingram 12, Ben Morley 9, Tom Spencer 7+2, Freddy Hodder 7, Seth Norman 5+2, Max Perry 5, Eli Meadows 4
