THE SCORES…
IPSWICH 48: Richard Lawson 11+1, Edward Kennett 11, Cameron Heeps 9, Danny King © 8+1, Jake Allen 5+2, Krystian Pieszczek 3, Chris Harris 1+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
BELLE VUE 42: Nick Morris (g) 10, Kenneth Bjerre 9+1, Steve Worrall 8+2, Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen 7+1, Max Fricke © 6+1, Jaimon Lidsey 2, Dimitri Berge 0. Team Manager: Mark Lemon
REFEREE: M. Bates
VENUE: Foxhall Stadium
MEETING SPONSORS…
DJ Evans – The DJ Evans Group is a family run business with a history dating back more than a century. They are East Anglia’s premier independent builder’s/engineer’s merchant and architectural ironmonger, offering products and materials from quality assured manufacturers across the industry.
ITFC The Venue – Ipswich Town FC is the No.1 venue for matchday hospitality, events and conferences. They are Suffolk’s premier venue for all types of events, including meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, parties…..the list is endless.
PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Poole | 16 | 36 |
| Ipswich | 17 | 36 |
| Belle Vue | 18 | 32 |
| Swindon | 14 | 24 |
| Wolverhampton | 15 | 22 |
| King’s Lynn | 15 | 19 |
| Peterborough | 17 | 17 |
WHAT HAPPENED?
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches beat the Belle Vue Aces 48-42 on Thursday night at Foxhall in the Premiership after a tight encounter.
The away side started the night with a 5-1 but by heat four things were level. For the seven heats that followed the two sides could not be separated as neither side could gain a heat advantage. That left things finely poised going into the final four races, but it was Ipswich who managed to race to victory with three heat advantages in the final four races securing the win, as the Aces took a consolation point for their efforts. Richard Lawson top scored for the Witches with 11+1.
After some heavy rain showers in the afternoon, there was a delay to the start of the meeting as work was done on the track ahead of heat one. When the action did get going it was the Aces who were quickest from the gate recording a 5-1 thanks to Steve Worrall and Max Fricke. Edward Kennett won heat two for the home side beating Jaimon Lidsey as Krystian Pieszczek held onto third for a Witches 4-2. Belle Vue guest Nick Morris won heat three with Danny King chasing hard in second as the points were shared, leaving the away side with an early 10-8 lead.
Kennett replaced Pieszczek in heat four, but he suffered bike problems before the heat even got started and had to jump on a bike that Cameron Heeps loaned him. That didn’t upset him though as he won his second heat of the night ahead of Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen and Lawson picked up a point to level the scores. Worrall then made it two wins from two himself with a win in heat five as the points were shared. Kenneth Bjerre got a heat win in heat six for the away side as the two sides couldn’t be separated again with the score locked at 18-18.
Pieszczek replaced Kennett in heat seven but it was Belle Vue who once again provided the race winner as Morris was proving to be a handy guest, but it was another shared heat with Pieszczek and Lawson both in the points for the hosts. Kennett came in for Pieszczek in heat eight and it looked like finally being a heat advantage to the home side as Kennett led but he suffered more machinery issues and packed up at the end of the first lap as Heeps went on and won the race meaning the run of 3-3’s continued. Remarkably the shared heats went on as Bjerre won heat nine, meaning it stayed level at 27-27.
Jakobsen replaced Dimitri Berge in heat 10 but it was no surprise to see the race end in a 3-3 as Heeps won but with Chris Harris at the back the home team couldn’t edge ahead. The reserve changes continued in heat 11 as Pieszczek replaced Kennett but it was Lawson who provided a race win for the Witches ahead of Fricke and Worrall, resulting in the seventh consecutive shared heat. Kennett replaced Pieszczek in the following heat as had become the norm on the night. The run of shared heats finally ended as King won heat 12 ahead of Morris and Kennett took third after passing Lidsey for a 4-2 that put the home team 37-35 up.
Pieszczek replaced Harris in heat 13 as Lawson produced a great ride to beat Fricke but with his teammate at the back the 3-3’s returned. Heat 14 was called back with Berge warned for moving at the start. Kennett won the re-run ahead of Jakobsen but there was a crucial pass on the final lap as Allen took third from Berge to give the home side a 4-2 that put them four points up going into the final heat. Heeps was excluded for not making the two-minute time allowance in heat 15 and Kennett replaced him. It was a great heat to end the night as Lawson won the battle at the front against Bjerre and Kennett gave it his all to get past Morris to take third. That meant a 4-2 to the Witches that secured a 48-42 win at Foxhall.
DJ EVANS & ITFC THE VENUE RIDERS OF THE NIGHT…
Kennett picked up the DJ Evans rider of the night after scoring 11 points from reserve whilst Lawson was chosen by ITFC The Venue after he scored 11+1 that included three race wins.
KEY MOMENT…
Allen’s pass for third to give the Witches a 4-2 in heat 14 was crucial but at the end of the night it went down to the last-heat decider. The home side needed just a second place to win the meeting whilst the away side were looking for a 5-1 for the draw. Lawson proved to be the man for the occasion once again as he got the better of Bjerre whilst Kennett battled his way past Morris to take third for a Witches heat advantage that sent everyone home happy.
WHAT IT MEANS…
Ipswich take three points that keeps them second in the Premiership, level on points with leaders Poole. Belle Vue claim a consolation point after their narrow defeat and they stay third in the table.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches travel to Norfolk to face the King’s Lynn Stars at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday 5th August in a Premiership fixture at 7.30pm.
AROUND THE TRACKS…
Poole beat Peterborough 50-40 at Wimborne Road to stay top of the Premiership.
Click here for reaction from team manager Ritchie Hawkins.