WITCHES EXTEND THEIR ADVANTAGE

IPSWICH moved four points clear at the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a 50-40 win over second-placed Sheffield at Foxhall.

The Witches also took the aggregate point following their victory at Owlerton earlier in the season as they recovered from conceding a 5-1 in the first race to take control of the meeting.

It was a solid team effort from the hosts with reserve Keynan Rew top-scoring on ten points whilst guest Scott Nicholls scored 9+1 and Adam Ellis (8+3) dropped only one point from four rides.

Jack Holder scored 11 for the Tigers and Tai Woffinden hit back from a crash in his first ride to pick up 10+1, but it wasn’t enough overall for the defending league champions.

Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It was a brilliant night, and I am delighted with the result.

“Massive credit to the track staff again, the track was under water this morning and we have had showers throughout the day, but they managed to get the meeting on with no bother on the track at all. The team were solid throughout and every one of them contributed with a paid win.

“The results are brilliant, and everything is going great on the track. You would think there will come a point where it might catch up with us with all the injury problems we have had, but we have got people coming back in and it feels a bit like we are through the worst of it.”

Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “It was another disappointing result really.

“We’ve got to get more from elsewhere apart from Jack and Woffy and we need some more consistency, we need to fill the gaps.

“Ipswich deserved their win, we’re back to licking our wounds a little bit and hopefully we can get a response in our next meeting which is an important one against Belle Vue a week on Thursday.”

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Photo credit: JEFF HIGGOTT