Wow! Brilliant Ipswich Witches go top of the league after Peterborough thrashing..Hawkins delighted

Jake Allen ahead of Bradley Wilson-Dean in heat four at Peterborough. Picture: Steve Waller www.stephenwaller.com (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Ipswich Witches produced a stunning performance at Peterborough tonight to pick up their first away win of the season in the Premiership.

The Suffolk side hit the home side early - just as they have in all their away meetings so far this season - but this time they nailed the victory.

In doing so, they picked up four points and at this early stage of the season shot to the top of the Premiership table.

There is a long way to go of course, but it was a hugely encouraging result for Ritchie Hawkins' side, on top of some fine performances already so far this season.

Skipper Danny King smashed the home track record in heat three, while the Witches reserves Jake Allen and Cameron Heeps again dominated their opposite numbers.

It left Hawkins a happy man.

"All seven riders have done their bit tonight and we've been threatening this," he said.

"It's early days, but we are top of the league. No-one's getting carried away. We have a great team spirit, no bad eggs and that's huge.

"We couldn't have hoped for much better a start to the new season in this new league. But we now have Poole on Thursday and then a big meeting at home to Wolves next Monday.

"We want to keep this going. We were very good tonight, all the boys, 1-7."

Lasse Bjerre went through the tapes for the home side in heat one as Richard Lawson sped to a very fast time in winning it, with Chris Harris third.

One race later the Witches, as they have so often this season, did the business in the reserves race, Allen winning and Heeps passing Aaron Summers as the Witches picked up a 5-1.

King smashed the track record as the Witches hammered home another maximum in the next, David Bellego going from last to second on lap one.

Allen passed Rohan Tungate in the next, with Krystian Pieszczek suffering engine failure on the start line. Harris brought down Charles Wright on the entrance to turn three in heat five and was excluded.

Lawson split the Panthers in the re-run as the home side gained their first heat advantage of the night.

But the Witches were straight back on it in the next, Pieszczek moving Hans Andersen aside and Heeps followed him through as the Witches lead stretched to 12.

Tungate won the next but the Witches gained their fourth 5-1 in the first eight heats as Allen led heat eight and Lawson passed Bjerre.

The Witches were 31-17 up and King was in inspired form, lowering the colours of Andersen and Bjerre in heat 10.

Harris produced a fine ride to keep Ipswich heading towards victory as he became the next to lower Tungate's colours. Wright was by far the best Panther on show and he won a tactical ride in heat 12.

But when Harris and Pieszczek shared heat 13, the game was up for the home side as the visiting fans in the crowd celebrated.

Scorers

Peterborough: Charles Wright 14, Rohan Tungate 7, Aaron Summers 6+1, Hans Andersen 6, Ben Barker 3, Lasse Bjerre 2+1, Bradley Wilson-Dean 1+1

Ipswich: Richard Lawson 9+2, Chris Harris 9, Jake Allen 9, Cameron Heeps 8+2, Danny King 8, David Bellego 4+1, Krystian Pieszczek 4+1

Heat details

1 Lawson, Summers, Harris, Andersen, Bjerre (t/x) 2-4

2 Allen, Heeps, Summers, Wilson-Dean (r) 3-9

3 King, Bellego, Wright, Barker 57.4 4-14 TRACK RECORD

4 Allen, Tungate, Wilson-Dean, Pieszczek (ret) 7-17

5 Wright, Lawson, Barker, Harris (ex) 11-19

6 Pieszczek, Heeps, Andersen, Bjerre 12-24

7 Tungate, King, Summers, Bellego 16-26

8 Allen, Lawson, Bjerre, Wilson-Dean (f) 17-31

9 Wright, Heeps, Barker, Pieszczek (ret) 21-33

10 King, Andersen, Bjerre, Bellego 24-36

11 Harris, Tungate, Summers, Lawson 27-39

12 Wright*, Heeps, Barker, King 31-41

13 Andersen, Harris, Pieszczek, Tungate 34-44

14 Wright, Bellego, Summers, Allen 38-46

15 Harris, Lawson, Wright, Andersen (ret) 39-51

*tac ride

Peterborough 0 pts. Ipswich 4 pts.