TEAM boss Stewart Dickson feels he has delivered on a promise after seeing his Leicester side reach the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-offs for the first time.
Monday’s 53-37 home victory over Oxford booked their spot, while all but mathematically ending the Spires’ hopes in the process.
After an indifferent start to the season the Lions have hit form at the right time and are now on an unbeaten run stretching back nine meetings.
Previous spells in the Premiership have seen the Lions struggling at the wrong end of the table and they came agonisingly short of play-off qualification on their return to the top flight last year.
A delighted Dickson said: “When we came back to the Premiership, I did promise that while I was here I would do everything in my power to make sure we didn’t have that sort of run again.
“Last year pushed me, and one or two of the guys who were here on. “Credit to the riders and to the Leicester supporters, we have had a great response from them, they have been through some tough times but we got the win and are in the play-offs.
On Monday Leicester roared into a 12-point lead after six heats only for Maciej Janowski to take out his British GP frustrations by inspiring the visitors to battle back to within two as the weather threatened to intervene.
Oxford were stretched using rider-replacement for injured number one Rohan Tungate and Leicester found a second wind with new dad Craig Cook leading team-mate Ryan Douglas home in heat 11 to swing the pendulum decisively to the east Midlanders.
Max Fricke led the way with four wins out of five and, crucially, halted the busy Janowski’s run of three straight race wins to all but seal victory in 13.
Dickson added: Oxford gave us a bit of a fright. They asked questions of my team and we found the answers after two or three heats.
“Credit to Oxford for pushing us hard without a number one. I am very relieved but very happy.
“There was a good feeling in the stadium tonight and we still have three matches to get as high up this league table as we can and go into the play-offs with momentum on our side.”
Leicester: Max Fricke 13, Ryan Douglas 10+2, Craig Cook 8+2, Richard Lawson 7+2, Sam Masters 7+1, Luke Becker 7, Sam Hagon 1.
Oxford: Maciej Janowski 15, Charles Wright 7+2, Chris Harris 6+1, Erik Riss 4, Ashton Boughen 3, Luke Killeen 2+1, Rohan Tungate r/r.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.