Championship Ipswich Witches 41 Glasgow Tigers 49 Ipswich Witches’ slim play-off hopes evaporated at the hands of the Glasgow Tigers at Foxhall tonight, writes Steve Waller.
It was a close run affair for much of the match with never more than a few points between the two sides, until the final stages when the Tigers took control.
At a crucial stage of the meeting Witches fans were furious with referee Dave Robinson when Tigers number one Craig Cook appeared to get a roller, to win the thirteenth, ahead of Witches guest Richard Lawson and Cook’s teammate Chris Harris, as the visitors went four points up on the night.
They then sealed the win with a maximum in the penultimate heat, when Paul Starke and reserve Jack Thomas got the better of Mark Riss and Coty Garcia.
Lawson won the opening heat before Coty Garcia and Drew Kemp put the home side ahead with a 5-1 over Broc Nicol in heat two.
It was soon all square following a Tigers 5-1 in the third, with Paul Starke and Claus Vissing defeating Nico Covatti, who chased hard to no avail.
Drew Kemp and the other Witches guest Mason Campton couldn’t trouble Glasgow’s Chris Harris in the fourth and the Tigers went back into a narrow lead in the fifth, with Craig Cook winning from Covatti and James Sarjeant.
After Harris won the next the home side looked to be on for a terrific 5-1 in the seventh, before Starke split the Witches pair on the run-in to the line, to level things up.
Following a shared heat eight, won by Sarjeant, the visitors then got their noses in front again, with Harris overhauling Garcia at the front following a huge battle and Tigers reserve Jack Thomas being gifted a point after Covatti packed up on the first lap whilst well placed.
Lawson and Cameron Heeps then brought the house down with victory over Starke, which put the Witches two up in the race before the interval, but Cook and Sarjeant again turned the tables in the first race after, with their own 5-1 to retake the lead, before a disappointing end to the meeting for the Witches.
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