Ipswich Witches came out on top after a dramatic Super Heat victory over Peterborough Panthers at Foxhall Stadium.

The two teams were all level at 45-45 after 15 races and, to determine where the points went, a Super Heat took place, the first-ever at Foxhall.

Jason Doyle and Danny King, who had just secured the 45-all scoreline in heat 15 with a 5-1 maximum, did enough to settle in second and third in the Super Heat where a scoring system of 4-3-2-0 gave the Witches the heat advantage and three points.

It was an exciting end to the night for the home fans who had in the main seen their team struggle for most of the evening against a game Panthers side. Not that they cared as they celebrated wildly around the stadium.

Indeed, the Panthers went into the last heat four ahead and had been good value for it, despite being understrength, before Doyle and King levelled it up, followed by the Super Heat.

It meant the Witches went back to the top of the table, but this wasn't a convincing performance. However, they grabbed the points in the end and will happily move on.

It was a hot and steamy night and the visitors had been hit by injuries, with both No.1 Michael Palm-Toft and Scott Nicholls out injured.

Justin Sedgmen and rider replacement were being used by the Panthers. Ipswich were missing Ben Barker, with Broc Nicol guesting..

Sedgmen made a great start in the opening heat and Jason Doyle had to pass him on lap two in a shared first heat.

The Witches took an early lead in heat two as Danyon Hume rounded Benjamin Basso on turns one and two, with Nicol third. And they doubled their lead with Danny King getting the better of Hans Andersen down the back straight.

The Panthers levelled it up with an easy 5-1 maximum in heat 4 as the scores reached 12-12. But the Witches hit straight back with a maximum of their own and you felt it was needed.

Doyle was excluded with both Witches on the floor on turn two of heat six. Home fans were unhappy with the decision and it proved costly with Starke unable to catch Chris Harris and Basso. It was all level again

Sedgmen won the next but the Witches went back in front as Doyle gated and Starke held off the attentions of Andersen for four exciting laps.

But the Panthers levelled it all up once more as Batchelor was left at the start by the fast-starting Panthers pair. It was 33-33 at the interval.

Basso and Andersen gated to the front to put the visitors ahead in heat 12, with King falling when in third and now it was the Panthers who led with just three heats to go. Doyle won heat 13, but with Batchelor at the back the Panthers were 37-41 ahead with two to go.

Riss won heat 14, but Basso's pass on Hume meant the Panthers were still four up with one to go.

And it was Super Heat time when King and Doyle grabbed a dramatic heat 15 maximum to make it 45-45 after 15 races.

Top Witch: Danny King: Gave Jason Doyle super support in those final two races to help Witches to victory.

Ipswich: Jason Doyle (3,Ex,3,3,2*) =11+1; Paul Starke (0,1,1*,2*) =4+2; Danny King (3,3,2,f,3) =11; Erik Riss (1,2*,1*,3) 7+2; Troy Batchelor (1,3,1,0) =5; Broc Nicol (1,0,0,) =1; Danyon Hume (3,0,2,1) =6.

Peterborough: R/R; Justin Sedgmen (2,1,3,2*,1*,0) =9+1; Hans Andersen (2,0,2,1,2*) =7+1; Ulrich Ostergaard (1*,ex/t,1*,0,2) =4+2; Chris Harris (3,2*,3,3,2,1) =14+1; Benjamin Basso (2,2*,3,0,3,1*) =11+2; Jordan Jenkins (0,0,0) =0

*bonus point

Heat details

1. Doyle, Sedgmen, Ostergaard, Starke 56.5 3-3

2. Hume, Basso, Nicol, Jenkins 56.9 7-5

3. King, Andersen, Riss, Jenkins 56.7 11-7

4. Harris, Basso, Batchelor, Hume 56.4 12-12

5. King, Riss, Sedgmen, Andersen (ret) 57.0 17-13

6. Basso, Harris, Starke, Doyle (f/x) 56.9 18-18

7. Batchelor, Andersen, Ostergaard, Nicol 57.5 21-21

8. Sedgmen, Hume, Starke, Jenkins 57.0 24-24

9. Harris, King, Riss, Basso 57.1 27-27

10. Doyle, Starke, Andersen, Ostergaard 57.4 32-28

11. Harris, Sedgmen, Batchelor, Nicol 57.6 33-33

12. Basso, Andersen, Hume, King (f) 57.6 34-38

13. Doyle, Harris, Sedgmen, Batchelor 57.2 37-41

14. Riss, Ostergaard, Basso, Hume 58.4 40-44

15. King, Doyle, Harris, Sedgmen 58.0 45-45


SUPER HEAT; Harris, Doyle, King, Sedgment 58.2

Witches 3pts. Panthers 1pt.


Premiership table

P Pts.

Ipswich 9 19

Belle Vue 9 17

Sheffield 7 16

Wolves 8 15

King's Lynn 7 8

Peterborough 8 7