PREMIER TROPHY CHALLENGE Rye House 53 Ipswich Witches 40

IPSWICH ‘Sackers’ Witches’ hopes of a Premier Trophy Challenge final place received a dent at Rye House on Saturday.

The Suffolk side would have been hoping for at least a point, by restricting the home team to victory by six or less points, but instead came away with nothing.

And yet after a disappointing start, things looked good for the Suffolk side after Dakota North and Taylor Poole scored an 8-1 in heat seven to bring Ipswich back into a meeting that had started poorly.

Two heats later the score was 29-28 in the home side’s favour, but the visitors couldn’t find the killer touch.

“We got back in it, but then rolled over at the end,” Witches team manager Pete Simmons said.

“We now have to get a draw at Sheffield on Thursday and thrash Rye House back here at Foxhall next week.

“We can do it but it is going to be tough. It’s a tough week ahead, with Edinburgh on Friday and Workington on Saturday – all without Dakota.

“Our season could be as good as over come Saturday night if things don’t work out.”

The Witches were on the back-foot from the off at Hoddesdon, Leigh Lanham and Morten Risager on the wrong end of an opening heat 5-1 to the home side.

Another maximum to the home side in heat six saw North out on a tactical, as Poole let his team-mate by for a full score.

Wins for Mat Tresarrieu and Stefan Nielsen should have given Ipswich the confidence to push on. But it wasn’t to be despite Poole and North winning races.

That same pairing needed a 5-1 in the final race to grab Ipswich a point, but Jason Doyle and Jason Garrity were too quick from the start as the large contingent of Witches fans headed for the exits.

Rye House: J Doyle 11+2, R/R, A Mellgren 4, J Garrity 13+1, J Bunyan 10, K Lykke 5+2, S Lambert 7.

Ipswich: L Lanham 5, M Risager 3+1, T Poole 7+1, D North 13+1, R Tungate 4, M Tresarrieu 5, S Nielsen 3.

1 Garrity, Doyle, Risager, Lanham (f) awarded 5-1

2 Lambert, Tresarrieu, Lukke, Nielsen (ret) 59.4 4-2

3 Garrity, Poole, North, Mellgren (e/f) 58.6 12-6

4 Bunyan, Tungate, Lambert, Nielsen 58.3 12-6

5 Garrity, Lanham, Risager, Mellgren (ret) 58.7 19-11

6 Lambert, Doyle, Tungate, Tresarrieu 58.8 24-12

7 North*, Poole, Lykke, Bunyan 58.4 25-20

8 Nielsen, Mellgren, Risager, Lambert 59.0 27-24

9 Tresarrieu, Mellgren, Tungate, Garrity (15m) 58.6 29-28

10 Doyle, North, Bunyan, Poole 58.5 33-30

11 Bunyan, Lykke, Lanham, Risager 58.9 38-31

12 Poole, Mellgren, Lambert, Tresarrieu 58.6 41-34

13 Bunyan, Lanham, Doyle, Tungate 58.5 45-36

14 North, Garrity, Lykke, Nielsen 58.7 48-39

15 Doyle, Garrity, North, Poole 58.8 53-40

*tac ride points count double Rye 3pts. Ipswich 0pts.