Ipswich Witches produced their poorest performance of the season at Foxhall, as they were thrashed by table-toppers Wolves.

It was a sorry effort from the home side who never led and, mid-meeting were ripped to shreds by the visitors who banged in three 5-1 maximums in four races.

Faster from the starts and more determined into the first turn, you could see why one team was gunning for Premiership glory and why one team will end their season early.

The home fans deserved better. A season that promised so much at Foxhall, has simply fallen away.

Stowmarket Mercury: Danny King looks to have the inside run in heat seven but lost out to both Wolves riders.Danny King looks to have the inside run in heat seven but lost out to both Wolves riders. (Image: Steve Waller)

The Witches did battle back in the latter stages, Danny King and Paul Starke banging in a couple of maximums, but it was all way too late.

Wolves were heading the Premiership table going into the meeting and had already beaten the Witches three times this season, including at Foxhall earlier in the season.

Stowmarket Mercury: Ready for the off: The Witches riders prepare for parade.Ready for the off: The Witches riders prepare for parade. (Image: Steve Waller)

Wolves got off to a superb start, Sam Masters and Broc Nicol squeezing Jason Crump out on the first turn and flying off to victory.

Drew Kemp slid off on the opening bend of the next with a re-run with all four the outcome. But in the re-run the youngster flew round the outside of everyone to win impressively, with Paul Starke caught out trying to keep an inside line, as Leon Flint got into second.

Stowmarket Mercury: Riders race for the first bend in the opening heat.Riders race for the first bend in the opening heat. (Image: Steve Waller)

Craig Cook won the next as Luke Becker did an extraordinary pirouette on turns three and four and carried on racing! It was an unbelievable bit of bike control from the American. Danny King won the next as Wolves remained two up.

Masters and Nicol put the visitors four up, Masters flying from the start, before Crump won heat six.

However, Wolves took a huge grip on the meeting taking 5-1 maximums in heats seven, eight and 10, as they made the Witches poor gating pay.

King and Paul Starke restored some pride with a 5-1 maximum over the previously unbeaten Masters.

Stowmarket Mercury: Drew Kemp falls on the first bend of heat two.Drew Kemp falls on the first bend of heat two. (Image: Steve Waller)

And the same pair did it again in heat 12, much to the delight of their fans, who had been getting rather restless.

But Schlein and Masters put any thoughts of a dramatic Witches comeback to bed in the next, gating to another visiting 5-1. And that was curtains for the home side.

Stowmarket Mercury: Drew Kemp takes a tumble in heat two.Drew Kemp takes a tumble in heat two. (Image: Steve Waller)

Ipswich: 1. J Crump (0,3,0,0) = 3; 2. A Rowe (1,0,1,1) = 3; 3. J Allen (1,0,0,) = 1+1; 4. C Cook (3,2,2,0, 0) = 7; 5. D King (3,1,3,3,1, 3) = 14; 6. P Starke (0,0,2*,2*,1) = 5+2; 7. D Kemp (3,0,0) = 3.

Wolves: 1. S Masters (3,3,1,2*) = 9+1; 2. B Nicol (2*,1,2*,0) = 5+2; 3. N Morris (2,2*,3,1) = 8+1; 4. L Becker (0,3,2*,2*,1) = 8+3 5. R Schlein (1*,2,3,3, 2) = 11+1; 6. R Douglas (1*,1*,1,0) = 3+2; 7. L Flint (2,2,3,3) = 10.