Redcar Bears 41 Ipswich Witches 49

Ipswich Witches got their play-off hopes back on track with a thumping win at Redcar tonight.

The Foxhall outfit came back from four points down to win by eight – and pick up four Championship points.

It’s lifts Ritchie Hawkins’ side upto fifth in the table – two weeks ago they were second bottom.

“I’m really happy with that performance,” Hawkins said.

“We needed that. The team were superb and to get the four points was even sweeter.

“We had few last places and fought for every point. Yes, we are going to have to win on our travels again, but this is a great boost.”

The Witches scorechart had a very solid look to it, with new-boy Mark Riss dropping just one point.

And yet it didn’t start so well for the Witches, who now just off the play-off picture.

Rory Schlein suffered engine failure while in second place in the opening heat as the home side, buoyed by picking up their first away point of the season at Foxhall Heath last week, took an early lead.

Redcar reserve Mikkel Andersen spun round and out of the reserves race, as David Wallinger picked up his first-ever point for the Witches.

But Ipswich got themselves level in style in heat three.

Riss, who so impressed on his debut for the Witches against Redcar last week won, with Nico Covatti pipping Jonas Andersen on an exciting run-in to the line.

Thomas Jorgensen got the better of both Witches guest for Danny King, Ty Proctor, and Coty Garcia as the Witches looked to be heading for another heat advantage.

Schlein produced a fine ride to pass both Bears and join partner Cameron Heeps at the front as the Witches had turned their four-point first-heat deficit and were now leading by four themselves.

The Bears pulled two points back in the next and heat seven was a corker, with Jorgensen and Covatti passing and re-passing – the home man taking the chequered flag.

The Witches were still two up but the Bears pulled that level with Tobias Busch, returning from injury for the home side, cutting back on turn two to pass the field.

It had started raining and Dimitri Berge, who had endured two last places, sprung into life, passing Proctor in heat nine. The visitors had only produced two race winners up to this point.

They made it three in the next and a third 5-1 as well, which put the Witches two ahead in what was turning out to be a ding-dong affair.

Jorgensen, who had so far been unbeaten, was back in third place as Schlein and Heeps took the Witches six ahead, Heeps passing Jorgensen on lap two.

Ben Barker was out on a tactical ride in heat 12, but it was his partner Jordan Stewart who won, with Barker third and the Witches lead down to four.

Heat 13 was a corker.

Jorgensen passed Schlein, as did Proctor, who then just failed to pass Jorgensen on the run to the line.

Riss passed Stewart in a crucial penultimate heat and the Witches just needed a second place in the final heat to take the victory.

But they did better than that to take all four points, as Proctor and Schlein sped away to victory.

Next week the Witches race high-flying Lakeside home and away.

Redcar: B Barker 7+1, T Busch 7, D Berge 3, J Andersen 4+1, T Jorgensen 11, M Andersen 0, J Stewart 9.

Ipswich: R Schlein 9+2, C Heeps 8+1, N Covatti 9+1, M Riss 9+2, T Proctor 10+1, D Wallinger 1+1, C Garcia 3+1

1 Busch, Barker, Heeps, Schlein 53.8 5-1

2 Stewart, Garcia, Wallinger, M Andersen 55.3 8-4

3 Riss, Covatti, J Andersen, Berge 53,7 9-9

4 Jorgensen, Proctor, Garcia, Stewart 54.3 12-12

5 Heeps, Schlein, JB Andersen, Berge 54.9 13-17

6 Barker, Proctor, Busch, Wallinger 54.6 17-19

7 Jorgensen, Covatti, Riss, MB Andersen 54.9 20-22

8 Busch, Heeps, Stewart, Garcia 55.2 24-24

9 Berge, Proctor, JB Andersen, Wallinger 55.0 28-26

10 Covatti, Riss, Barker, Busch 55.1 29-31

11 Schlein, Heeps, Jorgensen, M Andersen 55.7 30-36

12 Stewart, Covatti, Barker*, Garcia 56.2 34-38

13 Jorgensen, Proctor, Schlein, Barker 55.0 37-41

14 Riss, Stewart, JB Andersen, Garcia 56.7 40-44

15 Schlein, Proctor, Jorgensen, Barker 55.5 41-49

*tac ride points count double

Redcar 0 pts. Ipswich 4 pts.