IPSWICH Witches number one Jarek Hampel today asked unsettled fans to be patient.The Elite League club lost heavily at home to Swindon Robins at Foxhall Stadium last night to add more woe after last Thursday's Knock-Out Cup exit against to struggling Belle Vue.

IPSWICH Witches number one Jarek Hampel today asked unsettled fans to be patient.

The Elite League club lost heavily at home to Swindon Robins at Foxhall Stadium last night to add more woe after last Thursday's Knock-Out Cup exit against to struggling Belle Vue.

Before flying out of Stansted after driving to a hotel near the airport last night, the Pole said: “Everything appears to be going wrong at the moment.

“And it was summed up when Tobi Kroner, who was beginning to show some consistency, suffered a heavy fall in the final race.

“At the moment no team mate is able to score regularly. It is up to the individual riders to get themselves back on track.

“We must keep going, and I am confident things will improve. And we want our fans to stay with us.

“Sport can kick you in the teeth - the contrasts are what makes it so appealing, and we are going through a rough time at the moment.”

Ipswich appear to have hit a brick wall in their attempts to bring in fresh riders although it is understood that they showed a big interest in bringing home town rider Scott Nicholls back to Foxhall before his parent club Coventry stepped in.

“There will be no new names in the side for the return fixture at Swindon on Thursday,“ said team manager Pete Simmons.

“Coventry had first pick of Scott and we are not alone in looking for fresh blood.

“We are talking to riders but it is case of sorting out all the details and doing the deal. But I can assure fans that if an appropriate rider becomes available we will act.

“After Thursday we do not have a meeting for a couple of weeks and that would be a good time to make any changes.”

Simmons was not over critical of his riders last night adding: “Leigh Lanham scored in every race, which is what you ask for from a number two, but with Jarek Hampel winning just one race we did not have riders who could step up to the plate.

“If someone had said Leigh Adams would score nine points I would have been delighted, but Swindon had riders who could cover for his slight off night. And we didn't.”

TOBI Kroner was unconscious for over a minute after crashing heavily into the Foxhall Stadium fence last night.

The Ipswich Witches was taken to hospital to check out any possible problems in his neck area. But he was by then fully conscious and able to move his limbs. He appeared to not broken any bones but will miss the Witches trip to Swindon on Thursday.