HAVING found their mojo after last week’s fine victory over Wolverhampton, Ipswich Witches captain Danny King feels better times are ahead for the Suffolk side.

HAVING found their mojo after last week’s fine victory over Wolverhampton, Ipswich Witches captain Danny King thinks better times are ahead for the Suffolk side.

The Witches still prop up the Elite League table but have a chance over the next two nights to pull themselves off that basement place. This evening they travel to Manchester to race Belle Vue Aces and tomorrow night Swindon Robins are at Foxhall.

King is adamant they can pull themselves off the bottom and move up the table, as the season moves on.

“I can only see better times ahead for us, especially now we have added Ales (Dryml),” 23-year-old King said.

“You could tell in the pits the difference he made, he has professional equipment and experience. And bearing in mind he had never ridden our new track, to get the points he did says everything.

“The management have made that change and there maybe more to come. It’s frustrating for all of us in the team that we don’t win more and I’m just staggered as to why we don’t.

“When I look at our side on paper, I can’t understand why we have won so few meetings.”

King finished fourth in Monday night’s British final at Wolverhampton, with team-mate Scott Nicholls finishing second, and King reflected on a good night for him, even if he had hoped for more once he reached the final.

“I’m pleased with my performance but I had the worse gate in the final, gate four. I had three gate fours and two gate threes all night.

“But I’m getting better each year and that’s what counts.”

The Witches travel to Belle Vue tonight, hoping to put on a better show than they did in a Sky-televised meeting earlier in the season in Manchester.

However they will have to do it without Dryml, who is riding in a Czech Championship meeting, the Witches will use rider replacement for him, with Ritchie Hawkins getting the nod over Carl Wilkinson for the No.7 spot.

Nicholls’ second place in the British final was enough to book the Wild Card slot for next month’s British Grand Prix - but the five-time champion admitted that was some way from the forefront of his mind at this stage.

He said: “I’m really disappointed, I was focused on getting the win and I felt I could have done it, but it wasn’t to be.

“I was on the pace with Chris (Harris) but you can’t give him a head-start to the first corner. Once I settle down I’m sure I will look forward to Cardiff, but right now it’s not a concern to me. Credit where credit’s due.”

Tonight Belle Vue welcome back William Lawson to reserve after a month out with an Achilles tendon injury. They continue to use rider replacement for Witches asset Tobi Kroner, who has been a major disappointment for the Aces.

Tonight’s teams

Belle Vue: 1 H Andersen, 2 J Wright, 3 P Hougaard, 4 R/R, 5 P Karlsson, W 6 Lawson, 7 L Lanham.

Ipswich: 1 S Nicholls, 2 O Allen, 3 D King, 4 R/R, 5 R Miskowiak, 6 D Stachyra, 7 R Hawkins

Elite League table

P Pts.

Poole 17 46

Lakeside 16 32

Wolves 15 28

Peterborough 16 25

Belle Vue 16 20

Swindon 13 16

Coventry 15 16

Eastbourne 15 15

Ipswich 15 14