Ipswich Witches 59 Peterborough Panthers 36

Rohan Tungate raced to a brilliant 15-point maximum as Ipswich Witches made it one defeat in 13 with an easy 59-36 victory over Peterborough Panthers at Foxhall Stadium.

Tungate, the new Witches No.1, rode just like a No.1 should, gating well and passing at will.

It was an impressive performance from the young Aussie and bodes well for the play-off fixtures just around the corner.

However, the evening was tinged with concern for Witches fans after Ipswich’s American ace Gino Manzares crashed out of the meeting in heat five.

The popular rider had already taken one tumble in his first race, heat three, and then got totally out of shape two races later, crashing awkwardly coming out of the fourth turn.

He was taken to Ipswich Hospital with shoulder and back injuries leaving the stadium in a great deal of discomfort.

It slightly took the shine off another competent Witches performance and Peterborough had little answer to the Suffolk side’s aggressive racing.

Reserves Adam Ellis and Cameron Heeps were again hugely impressive and at no point did you ever think the points were leaving Foxhall.

1 Tungate, Bjerre, Hawkins, Roynon 57.5 4-2

2 Ellis, Heeps, Barrett, Dilger 58.0 9-3

3 Risager, Ostergaard, Hall, Manzares (f/x) 58.2 12-6

4 Dryml, Worrall, Ellis, Barrett 58.7 15-9

5 Bjerre, Risager, Manzares (f/x), Roynon (ex) no time 17-12

6 Tungate, Hawkins, Dryml, Dilger 59.0 22-13

7 Worrall, Ostergaard, Hall, Heeps 59.1 25-16

8 Ellis, Hawkins, Roynon, Barrett 59.2 30-17

9 Dryml*, Heeps, Risager, Barrett 58.9 33-23

10 Tungate, Hawkins, Ostergaard, Hall 59.2 38-24

11 Bjerre*, Heeps, Worrall, Roynon 59.6 41-30

12 Ellis, Risager, Barrett, Hall 60.0 46-31

13 Tungate, Worrall, Dryml, Bjerre (f/x) no time 51-32

14 Ellis, Heeps, Dilger, Ostergaard (e/f) 59.4 56-33

15 Tungate, Dryml, Bjerre, Risager 58.8 59-36

* tac ride points count double

Ipswich 3 pts. Peterborough 0 pts.

Ipswich: R Tungate 15, R Hawkins 7+3, M Risager 8+2, G Manzares 0, R Worrall 8+2, C Heeps 8+2, A Ellis 13+1

Peterborough: L Bjerre 12+1, A Roynon 1, R Hall, 2+2, U Ostergaard 5, A Dryml 13, M Dilger 1, N Barrett 2.