SHEFFIELD were unable to add to their Premier League points tally as they suffered a 54-36 defeat against play-off chasing Ipswich at Foxhall.
The Tigers put in another brave display on a night of exciting action but were unable to come away with a consolation point.
It was another tough night for Joe Screen's men against a strong Witches side as they provided only five race winners - and Screen admitted he was frustrated by his sides' performance.
He said: "We got off to a great start and I thought we might get something, but they just had a few 5-1s which knocked us back and we tailed off towards the end.
"We always knew it was going to be difficult, and in the end I don't think the result quite reflected the effort the lads put and how well they rode at times.
"It was a frustrating night, but we've just got to put it behind us and move onto the next one."
Skipper Simon Stead again led the Tigers' superbly, storming to three race wins and being involved in some breathtaking racing.
He joined forces with Taylor Poole for a 5-1 in the opening race of the night as they made a lightning start - but they were unable to carry such success through the remainder of the meeting.
Aussie ace Poole continued his fine form at reserve, adding paid double figures to bolster the lower order against his former club.
However, the Owlerton outfit otherwise struggled on a difficult night.
Nico Covatti proved largely ineffective with the exception of a composed heat nine win whilst Ben Wilson could not make any major impact despite a solid display.
With Leigh Lanham enduring a tough night as he returns from his back injury plus Josh Bates earning little reward for a typically battling performance, the visitors were comfortably beaten.
