RUTHLESS Ipswich Evening Star Witches put fellow playoff hopefuls Swindon to the sword tonight at Foxhall Stadium.

Mike Bacon

Sky Sports Elite League: Ipswich Witches 54 Swindon Robins 39

RUTHLESS Ipswich Evening Star Witches put fellow playoff hopefuls Swindon to the sword tonight at Foxhall Stadium.

In front of a Sky Television audience the home side were rampant from the start and never let up as they cruised to a very satisfying two points.

Relationships between the two sides are at a very low ebb after the controversy involving Joel Parsons recently where the Witches lost a tribunal decision against the legality of Parsons riding the last time these two sides met.

Then Swindon won but last night there was no repeat performance and this was all about the Witches and their credentials for the Elite League title.

A host of maximum heat victories coupled with some excellent starts may have seen this meeting not one full of racing excitement but that mattered not to the home fans who lapped it up as their side sped to victory.

Every rider in the Witches line up contributed in at least one 5-1 maximum with Priotr Swiderski, Jarek Hampel, Robert Miskowiak and Tobi Kroner winning 11 of the 15 heats between them.

It was great stuff and just what the Witches management had demanded from their riders before the start, all of whom were made very aware of the importance of not letting Swindon grab victory once more.

Swiderski got the ball rolling as he gated round Leigh Adams in Heat One and Kroner and Chris Schramm got the Witches first of six 5-1 maximums in the next.

The Witches had started like a train and Hampel and Johnston and then Miskowiak and Schramm put the home side ahead before Adam's tactical ride in Heat Five reduced the arrears.

If there was any worry in the Witches camp the Robins were on a come back that was blown away in the next two races with Miskowiak and Swiderski executing a perfect first and second turn in Heat Six and then Kroner riding a brilliant and brave first lap in Heat Seven.

The racing was fairly processional but no-one, apart from any Swindon fan among the Foxhall crowd, cared less and although the Robins got a surprise 5-1 maximum in Heat Eight order was soon restored and when Swiderski and Kroner won Heat 10 the Witches were as good as home and dry.

It was a night of maximum heat wins with Adams and Travis McGowan delaying the inevitable in Heat 11 but Hampel's cut back on Krzystof Stojanowski in Heat 12 clinched the victory.

Swiderski took advantage of a slip by Adams in Heat 13 to roar away to another victory over the Grand Prix star and Kroner capped a good night for him and his team mates with a third victory in Heat 14.

Those watching at home may not have been riveted by the on-track excitement but among Ipswich fans, riders and management this was the sweetest victory of the season so far with Swindon's use of Parsons this time gaining them just one point.

Scorers

Ipswich: P Swiderski 12+2, R/R J Hampel 11, S Johnston 3+1, R Miskowiak 12+1, T Kroner 11+1, C Schramm 5+2

Swindon: L Adams 15+1, T McGowan 8+1, M Korneilussen 4+1, J Wright 2, T Batchelor 3, K Stojanowski 6+2, J Parsons 1

Referee: Daniel Holt

Attendance: 1,000

Track Conditions: perfect

Witches Man of the Meeting: Priotr Swiderski - beat Adams twice and set the tone for a big Witches win right from heat one.