Eastbourne 54 Ipswich 39YET another big away Elite League defeat leaves Ipswich Witches in danger of finishing the season third from bottom.Eastbourne are now just two points behind them - with the return meeting at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday.

By Elvin King

Eastbourne 54 Ipswich 39

YET another big away Elite League defeat leaves Ipswich Witches in danger of finishing the season third from bottom.

Eastbourne are now just two points behind them - with the return meeting at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday.

Ipswich's reserves again let them down badly with Tobi Kroner gaining just one point and Redcar's Daniel Giffard none.

Giffard, who lives near Eastbourne, came in because Daniel King and Carl Wilkinson were riding elsewhere and Steve Boxall unavailable.

Ipswich did well to grab an 8-1 in heat seven and a 5-1 in race 11, but otherwise it was mainly one-way traffic.

Todd Wiltshire proved a more than useful guest for the injured Chris Louis and Mark Loram continued his good form, while Kim Jansson did his job at number two.

Robert Miskowiak had one good ride, but the Eagles were never in danger of losing this fixture that took place at Arlington on Saturday night.

Loram declined to take a tactical substitute ride in heat 14 as he felt the track did not lead itself to passing and it would have been a waste of time with him starting 15 metres back.

After pulling back to be within three points, the Witches struggled in the last four heats losing them by a 18-4 margin.David Norris won the final three heats to complete another disappointing night on the road for the Witches.

Heat nine was the race of the night with Loram charging from the start.

Norris stormed through on the inside down the back straight, but Loram blasted around Norris's outside on the run up to lap two and kept the home rider at bay for the remainder of the race.

But the end of the Elite League season can't come quick enough for the Witches.

Ipswich ride at Wolverhampton in their penultimate away league meeting tonight.

The Wolves still have a chance of a play-off top-four place.

Likely line-ups: Wolverhampton: P Karlsson, C Hefenbrock, F Lindgren, R Correy, B Hamill, W Lawson, C Schramm.

Ipswich: P Protasiewicz, K Jansson, R Miskowiak, Rider replacement, M Loram, D King, T Kroner.