Ipswich Witches lost in the SGB Championship at Workington Comets on Saturday evening, Chris Louis’ team going down to a 54-38 defeat.

Captain Danny King top-scored for the Witches with paid 13, while Rory Schlein amassed 10, but the visitors were always up against it and never led against the Comets.

Ipswich won just two heats all night, Craig Cook, Matt Williamson and Ty Proctor all in good form for the home side on what was a challenging track.

The Comets got off to a flying start, scoring two maximums in the first three heats, before the hosts’ Robert Shuttleworth was withdrawn through injury after a heavy fall, the rider appearing to leave the track holding his shoulder.

The Witches took a tactical ride in heat five, securing a 4-4 through King’s second place, Cameron Heeps falling on lap four to finish empty-handed.

Trailing by 10 after five heats, the Witches held the Comets to three successive tied heats but couldn’t make any ground on their hosts until Schlein and Connor Mountain secured Ipswich’s first heat win of the night in the ninth race, with a 4-2.

However, the visitors’ joy was short-lived as the Comets picked up a maximum in their next race to move into a 12-point lead.

King and Heeps finished first and third respectively for the Witches’ second success of the night in heat 11, but two tied heats, plus a maximum and a 4-2 kept Ipswich at arms length, the Suffolk side returning home without a point.