TWO 5-1 maximums in the last two races saw battling Ipswich Witches picked up a vital Premier League point at Leicester last night.

Seventeen points down after just six races, the Suffolk side regrouped and, led by Risager and Cameron Heeps got themselves back into the meeting.

The opening heats were full of falls on a track that required heavy track grading as early as heat three.

By then however Ipswich had already gifted the home side a 5-0 in heat two and Risager had lost control of his bike while leading heat three.

The Witches were unhappy with the track and although things improved, the visitors were looking set for a hammering. However Risager had other ideas and he helped inspire his side.

Heat two saw both Witches on the deck at separate times, Heeps spinning round at the first attempt to run the race and Ellis falling in the second.

It set the tone for what was to come in the early stages.

A long track grade held proceedings up and when it was over Risager led heat three, only for Lasse Bjerre to pass and then Risager slide wide as Kevin Doolan nipped through.

Ben Barker was adjudged the cause of a heat five stoppage that saw him with little room on the outside of Bjerre and Hawkins.

It was all going the home side’s way, and when Bjerre passed Ritchie Hawkins in the re-run, the Witches were all over the place.

Leigh Lanham came in as a tactical ride in the next, but the visitors’ confidence was shot to bits and he and Ellis trailed a long way behind.

Risager however was showing up well and he gated to the front in heat seven. It was just the inspiration the visitors needed as teenage stars Heeps and Ellis won well.

Risager was at his best gating to victory over Bjerre in heat 10.

But Barker fell when trying his socks off to pass Magnus Karlsson and that appeared to be that.

But the Foxhall side were not to be denied and again Risager was to the fore, gating with Heeps to a maximum in heat 14, before the brilliant Risager and Barker repeated the feat in heat 15 to leave Ipswich joyous and Leicester knowing it was a point lost.

Scorers

Leicester: K Nieminen 6+1, J Graversen 8+1, L Bjerre 10+1, K Doolan 7+2, M Karlsson 10+1, S Nielsen 5+1, J Sargeant 2+1.

Ipswich: B Barker 9, R Hawkins 2, R Tungate 4, MRisager 11+2, L Lanham 2+1, A Ellis 4+1, C Heeps 12

Heat details

1 Barker, Nieminen, Graversen, Hawkins 65.2 3-32

2 Nielsen, Sarjeant, Ellis (f/x), Heeps (f/x) 69.8 8-3

3 Bjerre, Doolan, Risager, Tungate 64.9 13-4

4 Karlsson, Heeps, Lanham, Sargeant 65.7 16-7

5 Doolan, Bjerre, Hawkins, Barker (f/x) 65.2 21-8

6 Nieminen, Graversen, Lanham*, Ellis, 65.8 26-9

7 Risager, Karlsson, Tungate, Nieslen 65.8 28-13

8 Heeps*, Graversen, Hawkins, Sarjeant 65.8 30-20

9 Ellis, Bjerre, Doolan, Lanham 65.3 33-23

10 Risager, Gr;aversen, Tungate, Nieminen 65.4 35-27

11 Karlsson, Nielsen, Heeps, Barker (f) 65.1 40-28

12 Bjerre, Tungate, Ellis, Sarjeant 65.2 43-31

13 Barker, Nieminen, Karlsson, Lanham 64.2 46-34

14 Heeps, Risager, Doolan, Nielsen 64.8 47-39

15 Barker, Risager, Karlsson, Bjerre 66.8 48-44

*tac ride points count double

Leicester 2 pts Ipswich 1 pt.