WITCHES ARE KINGS OVER ACES

IPSWICH are four points clear at the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership after an impressive 56-34 home win over third placed Belle Vue.

The Witches collected maximum points from the meeting, overturning a 14-point reverse at the National Speedway Stadium recently to also secure the aggregate point.

Skipper Danny King took top billing with a superb 13+2 paid maximum, whilst Jason Doyle added 12+1 and Dan Thompson racked up 11+3 at reserve.

Aces skipper Brady Kurtz top scored with 10+1 but he and Dan Bewley unusually found themselves on the end of 5-1 reversals in Heats 13 and 15.

Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It was a great all-round team performance! Awesome to see Danny get a max and Doyley and Emil (Sayfutdinov) looking back to their best, their performance was great.

“Everyone contributed, I thought it was probably the best Tom (Brennan) has ridden the dirt, and Dan Thompson was back to his best as well, so I think there is so much progress tonight with the boys, so we’re obviously really delighted.

“To get the aggregate point as well against the reigning champions is a superb effort!”

Belle Vue manager Mark Lemon said: “We weren’t performing well enough at getting out the gate. They have got a very strong reserve in Dan Thompson, and he was probably the difference.

“We won the toss and chose one and three. In the end the gate conditions swung in favour of Ipswich. They’re a dominant force on their home track.

“We are not in the play-offs yet and there’s a lot of work to be done. But if we do, what we do away from home will be the key element.”

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Photo credit: JEFF HIGGOTT