SHEFFIELD endured another frustrating evening as they slipped to a narrow 51-42 defeat in an entertaining clash against Ipswich at Owlerton.
The Tigers put in a determined effort, with skipper Simon Stead leading their efforts with a spectacular display.
However, they fell just short of a third consecutive home win with the play-off chasing Witches in inspired form.
It was a tough night for the Tigers as they missed out on the chance to move back off the bottom of the Premier League table.
Team boss Joe Screen admitted it was a night to forget as he was left lamenting some sluggish starting.
Said Screen: "It was one of those nights again to be honest. I thought we could have done it, but we were just slow away from the start all night.
"We weren't riding particularly badly, but fair play to Ipswich they had their gating gloves on and when you aren't making starts it's tough.
"It was a disappointing result, but we've just got to put it behind us and try to move forward."
No.1 Stead was in inspired form for the hosts, hunting down Morten Risager to take a tactical ride win in heat ten on his way to a spectacular 17 point haul.
But he was left short of substantial support despite several promising moments from his colleagues.
The remaining five Tigers all proved solid but were plagued by inconsistency, with 12 last places proving costly for the Owlerton outfit when the meeting drew to a close.
It was a frustrating night for Screen's side, but they will aim to bounce back when they travel to Ipswich for the return fixture on Saturday.
SHEFFIELD 42: Simon Stead 17, Taylor Poole 6+1, Nico Covatti 5+1, Leigh Lanham 5, Ben Wilson 5, Josh Bates 4, Andre Compton r/r
