Ipswich Witches 44 King's Lynn Stars 46: Stars stun Witches with late rally
Danny King chasing Richard Lawson in heat 4. - Credit: Steve Waller -www.stephenwaller.com
TWO 5-1 maximums in the final two heats saw King's Lynn Stars take a deserved and dramatic win at Foxhall Stadium.
Former Witches Richard Lawson and Lewis Kerr were the men responsible as the visitors from Norfolk got revenge on the Witches for the earlier defeat they suffered at their hands at the Norfolk Arena earlier in the season.
It was no more than the Stars deserved. Despite being behind throughout they hung on in there and got their late rewards, while the Witches were left to rue mistakes made in scoring positions.
The result was a huge blow for Ritchie Hawkins' injury-hit side, who have suffered the loss of Jason Crump and Jordan Stewart this week, while for the Stars, it was pure joy as they celebrated with their fans at the end of the meeting.
There was a big crowd in attendance, basking in the summer sunshine and the meeting was put back 10 minutes to get everyone in.
Witches guest Scott Nicholls battles with Ty Proctor going into turn one of the opening heat. - Credit: Steve Waller -www.stephenwaller.com
When the action did get underway heat one saw a ferocious battle between Anders Rowe, Erik Riss and Witches guest Scott Nicholls, who went three abreast into the third turn, Rowe coming out on top as the Witches tooka heat one lead.
Rowe and Drew Kemp hit the front in the next as the Witches stretched their lead to six. Thomas Jorgensen and Cameron Heeps swapped places twice in a draw heat three, as Richard Lawson, a former Witch, won heat four - the first race win of the night for the Stars, who also close the gap to four at 14-10.
Jake Allen on the inside of Lewis Kerr and Cameron Heeps in heat three. - Credit: Steve Waller -www.stephenwaller.com
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Riss was on the deck in the first staging of heat five, before passing Heeps in the re-run, as Lawson made it two out of two in heat six as the Stars had settled down and were giving a good account of themselves with the meeting finely balanced.
King fell while challenging Jorgensen for the lead in the next as the Stars pulled to within just two points of the home side.
Anders Rowe takes a look over his shoulder at a closing Lewis Kerr. - Credit: Steve Waller -www.stephenwaller.com
Allen became the first Witch in five heats to win a race but the scores were still close at 25-23 to the Witches and he was at it again in the next, linking up with Heeps to hit home an important heat nine 5-1 maximum.
But the Stars weren't down and Kerr won the next as Nicholls went to the back in another Stars heat win. And at the interval, another Riss heat victory saw the scores at 34-32.
Anders Rowe (blue helmet) congratulates Lewis Kerr on his victory in heat 10. - Credit: Steve Waller -www.stephenwaller.com
Heeps and Jorgensen came together at the start of heat 12, leaving the Stars man badly winded on the track. Jorgensen was withdrawn from the meeting as the Witches stretched their lead.
King came good with a superb gate and win as the Witches stretched their lead to six, but the Stars then brought in Lawson for a tactical ride. He and Kerr won that, before the same pair repeated the dose in the final dramatic heat, as Heeps fell at the back and was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury.
