IPSWICH Witches secured the Coastal Windows Trophy after defeating Poole 37-35 in a rock-solid performance at Wimborne Road last night. The Foxhall outfit took to the track after the Pirates had completed part one of a double-header of challenge meetings - the first match saw them defeat Eastbourne 50-43.

IPSWICH Witches secured the Coastal Windows Trophy after defeating Poole 37-35 in a rock-solid performance at Wimborne Road last night.

The Foxhall outfit took to the track after the Pirates had completed part one of a double-header of challenge meetings - the first match saw them defeat Eastbourne 50-43.

And Witches' freshness certainly made the difference as a tired Poole team struggled to find a breakthrough.

Incredibly, the visitors' best performance came from Australian star Troy Batchelor, who bagged a 12-point maximum.

The former Pirate guested for his old club in the first half of the night's entertainment and notched 11 points from four rides.

He certainly showed no signs of weariness, though, when he opened his second match of the evening with a comfortable win over Pirates pair Davey Watt and Matej Kus in race three.

The ex-Swindon rider followed this up by holding off the hard-charging Ricky Kling to triumph in heat seven.

Batchelor then profited from a major stroke of misfortune for Danish racer Hans Andersen, whose bike packed up while he was leading race 10 by a country mile.

The Aussie international led Dawid Stachyra home for a 5-1 to put the Witches into a 32-28 lead.

He then sealed victory for Ipswich with victory in heat 12, after which the meeting was curtailed due to the 10pm racing curfew at the Poole track.

Grand Prix racer Scott Nicholls also appears to be finishing his campaign on a high and bagged seven points.

He began his night by just missing out in a ferocious scrap with old foe Andersen in race one.

The Pirate just kept the five-time British champion at bay for four laps, but Nicholls was not to be denied in race five.

Watt was leading the charge but the Coventry asset thundered under the Aussie on lap three, turn three to pick up the victory.

Nicholls failed to finish his night with a win as tired Swedish veteran Magnus Zetterstrom found a second wind and beat him in heat 11.

Meanwhile, Poland's Robert Miskowiak was also in fine form, bagging seven points, while French guest Mathieu Tressarieu pushed his case for a 2010 team place by scoring four paid five.

It was not all good news for the Witches, though, as skipper Danny King was forced to pull out of the contest after his first outing on medical grounds.

But vice-captain Nicholls lifted the Coastal Windows Trophy as Ipswich ended an up-and-down season on a champagne-spraying high.

Scorers

Poole: Hans Andersen 6, Steve Boxall 2, Davey Watt 4, Matej Kus 3+1, Magnus Zetterstrom 5+1, Ricky Kling 8, Artur Mrozcka 7+1.

Ipswich: Scott Nicholls 7, Mathieu Tressarieu 4+1, Troy Batchelor 12, Danny King 0, Robert Miskowiak 7, Dawid Stachyra 5+3, Carl Wilkinson 2.