IPSWICH Witches slipped to another home defeat as once again they proved to be an inconsistent bunch.

IPSWICH Witches slipped to another home defeat as once again they proved to be an inconsistent bunch.

In a dramatic last-heat decider, the Witches seemed set to nick a point from a meeting that had slipped away from them as the night wore on.

But while Robert Miskowiak forced his way to the front in the last race of the night, Scott Nicholls appeared to be suffering bike problems, and although he finished third, a second place for Freddie Lindgren, the Wolves No. 1, was enough to give the Midlanders’ a two-point win.

Nicholls apart, the Witches were all over the place, on the track and on the score chart, with no-one able to assist him against a solid Wolves side.

Olly Allen returned from injury and fell off twice, before retiring from the meeting, while no other Witches rider rode with any consistency.

It all leaves the Witches rooted to the foot of the table and more average efforts like this from the majority of the Witches team, and the foot of the table is where they will stay.

It was a nip and tuck start to the meeting.

Allen couldn’t make the most of his inside gate in heat one and duly fell off on turn three when behind partner Nicholls.

Rather strangely Wolves’ Ty Proctor, seeing Allen fall, also laid his bike down, but both got straight back up – Proctor quickest – as he got third.

Miskowiak held off a ferocious challenge from Tai Woffinden in heat four, and as the teams traded 4-2 heat wins, Freddie Lindgren passed Danny King in heat five.

Heat seven was a corker and you could throw a blanket over all four riders going down the back straight on the first lap. Dawid Stachyra had shot to the front and when partner Miskowiak joined him, it looked good for Witches fans.

But Miskowiak never looked at ease and on the final turn Proctor passed the Ipswich man.

It was looking ominous for the Witches as Wolves took the lead in heat eight, with Allen again falling off. The Witches were riding too conservatively, as the visitors used every space of the excellent newly-shaped track to gain advantage.

That was evident in heat 11, as Freddie Lindgren passed Miskowiak and Proctor passed Stachyra.

The Witches were four down and with heats 12, 13 and 14 all shared, it appeared Miskowiak and Nicholls would save the day for Ipswich – but it wasn’t to be.

Heat Time Score

1 Nicholls, F Lindgren, Proctor (f/r), Allen (f/r) 58.2 3-3

2 Wethers, Stachyra, Wilkinson, L Lindgren 60.0 6-6

3 Dryml, Klindt, King, Wethers 59.1 10-8

4 Miskowiak, Woffinden, Wilkinson, L Lindgren 59.9 14-10

5 F Lindgren, King, Proctor, Dryml 59.5 16-14

6 Nicholls, Woffinden, Allen, Wethers 59.5 20-16

7 Stachyra, Klindt, Proctor, Miskowiak 60.2 23-19

8 L Lindgren, Proctor, Wilkinson, Allen (f) 60.1 24-24

9 Woffinden, King, Wethers, Dryml 60.1 26-28

10 Nicholls, Klindt, L Lindgren, Stachyra 59.5 29-31

11 F Lindgren, Miskowiak, Proctor, Stachyra 59.8 31-35

12 King, Klindt, Wethers, Wilkinson 59.9 34-38

13 F Lindgren, Nicholls, Miskowiak, Woffinden 60.4 37-41

14 Klindt, Dryml, Stachyra, L Lindgren 60.4 40-44

15 Miskowiak, F Lindgren, Nicholls, Woffinden 60.1 44-46

Scorers

Ipswich: S Nicholls 12, O Allen 1, D King 8, A Dryml 5, R Miskowiak 9+1, D Stachyra 6+1, C Wilkinson 3+1

Wolves: F Lindgren 13, T Proctor 6+3, N Klindt 11, R/R, T Woffinden 7, M Wethers 5+1, L Lindgren 4+1.