Ipswich Witches 57 Scunthorpe Scorpions 35

Ipswich Witches got off to a winning start in their play-off group with victory over Scunthorpe Scorpions at Foxhall Stadium.

But it wasn’t the super-smooth performance the Foxhall faithful have become accustomed to in recent weeks, more a slow burner, as the home side took time in cranking up the heat.

Both Gino Manzares and Rohan Tungate had frustrating nights for the home side and although Tungate came good, Manzares was sadly off form.

However, it mattered not in the end with Richie Worrall and teenage reserves Cameron Heeps and Adam Ellis all doing especially well. The two youngsters in particular showed great maturity, scoring 20 points between them and featuring in the race of the night, heat 14, as they gained an exciting 5-1 to put daylight between the two sides.

Worrall too was solid, as was Morten Risager, as the Witches settled down nicely to finish the meeting strongly.

ON Friday night the Witches travel to Plymouth defending a 40-point lead in the KO Cup semi-final, second leg, hoping to reach the final.

It will be a major surprise if they don’t make it through the tie on aggregate but the Devils are strong at home, having won their last nine Premier League fixtures at the St Boniface Arena. However, Devils No.1 Ben Barker is still out injured, Redcar’s Richard Lawson replaces him, while Rasmus Jensen is also out for the Devils, who will use rider replacement in his absence.

1 Klindt, Hawkins, Howe, Tungate 57.8 2-4

2 Heeps, Lemon, Ellis, Perry 56.9 6-6

3 Howe, Risager, Auty, Manzares (e/f) 58.1 8-10

4 Ellis, Worrall, Lemon, Perry, Jorgensen (ex/t) 57.6 13-11

5 Risager, Howe, Klindt, Manzares (f) 57.8 16-14

6 Tungate, Jorgensen, Hawkins, Perry 58.3 20-16

7 Worrall, Auty, Heeps, Klindt (f/ex) 58.5 24-18

8 Hawkins, Howe, Ellis, Lemon 58.5 28-20

9 Jorgensen, Risager, Manzares, Perry 59.0 31-23

10 Auty, Heeps, Hawkins, Jorgensen 58.6 34-26

11 Heeps, Worrall, Howe, Lemon 58.5 39-27

12 Risager, Auty*, Ellis, Perry 58.6 43-31

13 Worrall, Tungate, Lemon, Jorgensen 58.6 48-32

14 Ellis, Heeps, Auty, Lemon 59.5 53-33

15 Tungate, Howe, Worrall, Auty (f/x) 58.8 57-35

*tac ride points count double

Ipswich 3 pts Scunthorpe 0 pts.

Ipswich: R Tungate 8+1, R Hawkins 7+1, M Risager 10, G Manzares 1+1, R Worrrall 11+2, C Heeps 11+1, A Ellis 9

Scunthorpe: N Klindt 4+1, D Howe 11, R/R, J Auty 11, T Jorgensen 5, T Perry 0, M Lemon 4.

Richie Worrall

Quietly went about his business while others around him were a little off the boil early on. Unlucky not to get a maximum.