Ipswich Witches 48 Edinburgh Monarchs 45

Ipswich Witches skipper Danny King roared to a last-heat win as the Suffolk side picked up their first Premier League victory of the season.

However, it was a close call, as the home side frittered away a 10-point lead with just four races to go as visitors, Edinburgh Monarchs, finished strongly.

Indeed had the Scottish team’s top two, Sam Masters and Ryan Fisher come up with a 5-1 maximum in that final race, the victory was theirs. However, King had other ideas and his heat 15 chequered flag was greeted with joy around Foxhall Stadium.

Ipswich deserved this win but it was more workmanlike than impressive.

Edinburgh were practically a three-man team, with Max Clegg chipping in with two vital wins, while Ipswich clearly had the better all-round one-to-seven, but didn’t ever look like finishing the job off – until that last heat.

It was however pleasing for the Witches management to pick up their first win in the League as they move off the bottom of the table, but no-one at Foxhall is under any illusions the work is done.

“We showed great heart and determination and we didn’t buckle tonight, which is very positive, but I still think we were a little inconsistent really with some of our performances,” Hawkins said.”

“It’s by no means cured, but we just need to keep building. It’s a hard fight but a good challenge,”

The Witches are next in action at Peterborough on Sunday in a League Cup clash.

The meeting is a dead rubber with both sides unable to progress in the competition. However both teams will want to get one over the other as the pair meet at the same venue just eight days later – and then in a Premier League fixture.

1 Masters, King, Kerr, Clegg 57.2 3-3

2 Clegg, Greenwood, Castagna, Bewley (ex) 59.2 6-6

3 Risager, Wolbert, Sarjeant, Etheridge 58.6 10-8

4 Covatti, Fisher, Greenwood, Bewley 58.7 14-10

5 Masters, Risager, Sarjeant, Clegg 57.8 17-13

6 King, Fisher, Kerr, Bewley 57.0 21-15

7 Covatti, Wolbert, Castagna, Etheridge 58.9 25-17

8 Kerr, Bewley, Clegg, Greenwood 58.5 28-20

9 Fisher, Risager, Sarjeant, Clegg 58.7 31-23

10 King, Wolbert, Etheridge, Kerr (f/x) 57.1 34-26

11 Covatti, Masters, Castagna, Bewley 58.9 38-28

12 Wolbert*, Risager, Castagna, Clegg 58.6 41-34

13 Masters, Fisher, King, Covatti 58.8 42-39

14 Clegg, Sarjeant, Castanga, Etheridge 59.2 45-42

15 King, Fisher, Masters, Risager 58.5 48-45

*tac ride points count double

Ipswich 3 pts. Edinburgh 1 pt.

Ipswich: D King 12, L Kerr 5+1, M Risager 9, J Sarjeant 5+2, N Covatti 9, P Castagna 5+3, O Greenwood 3

Edinburgh: S Masters 12+1, R/R, K Wolbert 12, J Etheridge 1+1, R Fisher 11+1, M Clegg 7+1, D Bewley 2.