Witches prove the diamond geezers as Newcastle are sent packing from Foxhall

Danny King received a warning after catching the tapes and breaking them at the start of heat six. (Image: � Copyright Steve Waller)

Ipswich Witches continued their fine home form with another solid Championship victory at Foxhall Stadium tonight.

The Witches starting like a train, before dropping their momentum somewhat and picking it up again as the match drew to a close.

While at times the home side weren’t convincing, overall they again showed they really should fear no-one at Foxhall, with reserves Nathan Greaves and Connor Mountain both impressing.

Six Witches won heats, while the only one who didn’t, Mountain, was involved in two 5-1 maximum.

Newcastle's Ben Hopwood crashes into the fence in heat four last night. Photos: STEVE WALLER (Image: � Copyright Steve Waller)

It moved the Witches upto second place in the Championship table and with leaders Edinburgh to come to Foxhall next week, things are really boiling up for Ritchie Hawkins’ side.

Cameron Heeps was on the gas throughout, while Rory Schlein won three heats on the bounce despite a knee injury, before being crowded out of his final race and resting from the nominated heat.

There was a delayed start after referee Barbara Horley was taken ill.

Thankfully incident recorder Mark Styles stepped in to take over his first-ever meeting – he did a fine job.

Kyle Newman inside Ludvig Lindgren during heat three of the Ipswich v Newcastle meeting. (Image: � Copyright Steve Waller)

Newcastle’s Ashley Morris slid off on turn one, lap two of the opener, with his partner Robert Lambert just missing him. In the re-run Danny King and Cameron Heeps shot from the start as the Witches got off to the perfect start with a maximum 5-1. It was three abreast down the back straight of heat two as Connor Coles of Newcastle became the filling in an Ipswich sandwich which saw Greaves and Mountain come out in front. Coles slipped off before getting back up, before slipping off at the back again.

The Witches had made a great start to the meeting in glorious conditions on the Heath.

However, the bubble burst in the next as the Diamonds shot to the front, holding off Kyle Newman and Justin Sedgmen. Ben Hopwood fell on bend two in heat four and was excluded. In the re-run Rory Schlein was away quickly as the Witches extended their lead to six. Newman flipped off his bike when in third in heat five as the Witches gifted Newcastle two points, in what was proving a truncated start to the meeting.

Steve Worrall won the next and Schlein heat seven as the meeting settled down after a burst of 5-1s at the start.

Greaves did well to pass Morris on the third bend of lap one to join Heeps at the front as the Witches stretched their lead and Worrall won his second race of the night in heat nine. Heeps was away in heat 10 but surprisingly King could make no impression on Ludvig Lindgren in second.

It put the Witches 10 up and Lambert was out on a tactical ride going for double points in race 11. In an extraordinary start Greaves and Schlein gated but Greaves almost spun backwards to face the Diamonds riders. He got himself turned the other way, as Schlein won, with Greaves third! It was the last throw of the Diamonds’ dice gone.

King still showed his bravery by rounding Worrall in heat 15 even though the meeting was won, sending the Foxhall faithful home more than happy.

Ipswich: D King 11, C Heeps 9+2, J Sedgmen 7, K Newman 5+1, R Schlein 9, C Mountain 5+2, N Greaves 7+1

Newcastle: R Lambert 12+1, A Morris 2, L Rose 4+1, L Lindgren 9, S Worrall 11, C Coles 0, B Hopwood 1

Heat details

1 King, Heeps, Lambert, Morris (f/x) 57,2 5-1

2 Greaves, Mountain, Hopwood, Coles (f/x) no time 10-2

3 Lindgren, Rose, Newman, Sedgmen 57.0 11-7

4 Schlein, Worrall, Greaves, Hopwood (f/x) 56.1 15-9

5 Lambert, Sedgmen, Morris, Newman (f/x) no time 17-13

6 Worrall, King, Heeps, Coles (f) 56.9 20-16

7 Schlein, Lindgren, Rose, Mountain 57.8 23-19

8 Heeps, Greaves, Morris, Hopwood 57.2 28-20

9 Worrall, Sedgmen, Newman, Coles 57.4 31-23

10 Heeps, Lindgren, King, Rose (f/x) 56.2 35-25

11 Schlein, Lambert*, Greaves, Morris 57.8 39-29

12 Sedgmen, Mountain, Rose, Hopwood 58.2 44-30

13 King, Worrall, Lambert, Schlein (r) 55.9 47-33

14 Newman, Lingren, Mountain, Hopwood 58.0 51-35

15 Lambert, King, Worrall, Heeps 57.3 53-39

*tac ride points count double

Ipswich 3 pts. Newcastle 0 pts.

Championship

P Pts

Edinburgh 13 29

Ipswich 13 26

Glasgow 10 23

Redcar 12 21

Workington 9 20

Sheffield 8 19

Newcastle 10 16

Peterborough 10 12

Scunthorpe 15 11

Berwick 12 4