Eastbourne Eagles saw their dwindling Elite League play off hopes all but snuffed out on a night of extreme disappointment for the Sussex club as their chief rivals for that coveted fourth and final spot, the Ipswich Witches turned in a commanding display, claiming their second victory at the venue in 2008, this one coming by a wholly comfortable 49-41 margin.
Little more could have been asked of Lakeside’s Adam Shields who proved a more than capable guest in the absence of Scott Nicholls (plying his trade in Malilla in the Swedish Grand Prix) while skipper Lee Richardson opened and closed the show with a win and numbered one other along the way, his tenth race 5-1 with Cameron Woodward that levelled the scores at 30-points apiece providing Eagles supporters with a genuine moment to celebrate.
Edward Kennett also started his night with a win but clearly suffering with an injury sustained in Eagles Knockout Cup clash at Lakeside during the week, his scoring fell away as the match progressed.
Elsewhere however, the Eagles couldn’t seem to match t he fight and out and out desire demonstrated by the Witches who had clearly arrived in Sussex knowing that a win would prove key to their play off hopes and they achieved those aims in determined fashion.
Piotr Swiderski, whose inclusion had been the subject of some doubt, the Pole feeling the effects of a hand injury in the days leading up to the match, however, just as he had in the ‘A’ fixture between the sides he led the Witches charge, tallying 10-points (paid 12), making light of his ailments and his heat 13 pass of Richardson, one right of the top drawer, all but guaranteed the visitors victory on the night.
New signing Rory Schlein also hit double figures (10 paid 11) as did Ipswich Captain Steve Johnston, three vital wins numbered in his paid 11-point return but the accolades didn’t end there as throughout the order the Witches provided resolute opposition, a 7-point (paid 8) showing from Tobias Kroner in particular outlining the difference between the two sides.
The Eagles held fast for the first third of the meeting, a brace of 4-2’s from Shields and Lewis Bridger helping overturn an early Witches advantage, seeing them lead 16-14 at the end of heat five however a sixth race maximum for Johnston and Schlein ahead of Richardson proved the pivotal moment and forged a lead that the visitors weren’t destined to relinquish.
Richardson got the Eagles off to a winning start, leading heat one throughout though the points remained shared as Swiderski tracked him all the way while Kroner produced a fine effort to fend off the challenge of Woodward for the full four laps.
The deadlock was indeed b roken in the next race but unfortunately for the Sussex side it was the visitors who seized the initiative, the evergreen Johnston (in green no less) romping to victory ahead of Simon Gustafsson to inspire the 4-2 that set the scores at 7-5, Chris Schramm holding off James Brundle for third place.
It was all square following the next however, guest Shields storming from the traps to outpace Polish hotshot Jarek Hampel while Bridger claimed the all important third place to level proceedings at 9-points apiece, similarly outwitting Robert Miskowiak.
Heat four was shared, Kennett producing a supreme effort to take the win though Schlein and Schramm blocked the minor places for a second share of the spoils in the space of the four races so far run, however the Eagles edged ahead courtesy of a further Shields / Bridger 4-2 in the next.
Once again the Australian was fastest from the start and it proved just=2 0as well as Swiderski remained hot on his heels for the full four laps. Nevertheless, Shields had the beating of the Pole and with Bridger following on in third place the resultant 4-2 saw the Eagles move 2-points to the good, 16-14 the progressive scoreline.
It was at that point however that events embarked on a downward spiral for the Sussex side, an Ipswich 5-1 from Johnston and Schlein in heat six mirrored the home advantage from the previous race, the Witches taking a 19-17 lead, one that they were never destined to lose. The Eagles did suffer their misfortunes in this one however, Richardson leading the initial running of the race, a fall from Woodward on the third turn as he attempted to round Schlein earning the young Aussie an exclusion and necessitating a rerun.
At the second time of asking it proved a far different story, Johnston and Schlein hitting clean air ahead of Richardson at the first turn and that was how the order remained, the visitor’s maximum propelling them into=2 0a deserved lead.
That lead was enhanced as Hampel got the better of Kennett in the seventh and with Miskowiak overcoming Brundle in the mid part of the race; the 4-2 doubled the Witches lead, one that now stood at 23-19 as the match headed towards the midway stage.
Eastbourne might have hoped to make amends in the next, Gustafsson coming in as a reserve replacement to ride alongside Woodward. However Kroner was about to prove the man of the moment, delighting the large travelling contingent of Ipswich fans, gating and leading for the full course to protect the visitors lead, one that now stood at 26-22.
A further 3-3 as Schlein became the first rider to lower Shields colours moved the scores to 29-25 in favour of the Witches and ever closer to the win that would see them leap frog Eastbourne in the Elite League table20and into the fourth and final play off slot.
Johnston also lost his unbeaten tag, trailing Bridger and Shields but with Schlein winning with a degree of comfort, it was seemingly of minimal importance with the visitors still holding that 4-point lead.
The Eagles did hit back in the next however, Richardson and Woodward combining for a big 5-1 at the expense of Hampel, levelling the scores – in encouraging fashion – to 30-points apiece, however the Witches immediately countered the move, a swift reply maximum from Kroner and Swiderski over Kennett in a wholly eventful eleventh race, restoring that 4-point cushion.
Swiderski led from the start, Kroner also getting the better of Kennett in the early exchanges but just as the 5-1 looked set in stone, the Pole lost control on the second lap allo wing the Eagle a route through as the pair headed into lap three, however while Kroner continued for the win, Swiderski recovered suitably working his way back past Kennett in the closing stages to secure the 5-1 that set the scores at 35-31 in their favour.
Shields was an all the way winner of heat 12 but Hampel and Johnston experienced little difficulty in containing Brundle for the 3-3 and suddenly with three heats remaining on the card and 4-points (now 38-34) still the difference, time was surely running out for the Eagles.
Heat 13 was sure to prove their make or break, but with Kennett trailing the field throughout the four laps and Swiderski launching a supreme effort to pass Richardson, in brilliant fashion, the resultant 4-2 to the Witches, contrary to what Eagles might have hoped, surely proved the killer punch to Eagles lingering hopes of victory.
Heat 14 was set to endorse such thoughts and compound the Eastbourne misery, Johnston duly wrapping up the win for the visitors with his third victory of the evening. Gustafsson followed in second place ahead of Schramm but with Bridger having suffered a tumble on the second turn of lap three, with him went any chance of Eagles taking any reward from the night.
Shields could have been considered unfortunate to be excluded for falling as he attempted to round Swiderski in the final race of the match up, nevertheless referee Phil Griffin remained in no doubt that was the decision to make. In the rerun, Richardson took the chequered flag by the proverbial mile ahead of both Schlein and Swiderski but with the three Elite League points already in the bag, the Witches pair could well afford to sit back and watch their opponent disappear into the distance, their hard work had already been done much earlier.
The closing 3-3 saw the final scores move to 49-41 and a telling victory for the Witches, this moving them above the Eagles into fourth place in the Elite League table. The standings now show the Suffolk side holding 31-points from 24 matches so far run, while their Sussex contemporaries reside in fifth spot with 29-points from 28 matches. Though mathematically, they still remain in the hunt, there is little doubt in anybody’s mind that this was the match the Eagles had to win if they were to make fourth place their own. Their destiny is now out of their hands with Ipswich needing only to stay unbeaten in their remaining four home matches for them to out-run Eastbourne for that final play off slot
Scorers :
Eagles : Lee Richardson 12(5), Adam Shields (Guest for Scott Nicholls) 11(5), Edward Kennett 6(4), Simon Gustafsson 6(5), Cameron Woodward 3+2(4), Lewis Bridger 3+1(4), James Brundle 0(3). – 41
Witches : Piotr Swiderski 10+2(5), Rory Schlein 10+1(5), Steve Johnston 10+1(5), Jarek Hampel 8(4), Tobias Kroner 7+1(4), Chris Schramm 3+1(4), Robert Miskowiak 1(3). - 49
EASTBOURNE 41
L.Richard son 3 1 3 2 3 - 12
C.Woodward 0 X/F 1* 2* - 3+2
A.Shields 3 3 2 3 X/F - 11
L.Bridger 1 1 1* 0 - 3+1
E. Kennett 3 2 1 0 - 6
S. Gustafsson 2 0 N 2 0 2 - 6
J.Brundle ; R N 0 N 0 - 0
Team manager : Trevor Geer
IPSWICH 49
P.Swiderski 2 2 2* 3 1* - 10+2
T.Kroner &n bsp; 1* 0 3 3 - 7+1
J.Hampel 2 3 1 2 - 8
R.Miskowiak 0 1 R N - 1
R.Schlein 2 2* 3 1 2 - 10+1
S.Johnston 3 3 0 1* 3 - 10+1
C.Schramm 1 1* 0 1 - 3+1
Team manager : Pete Simmons
Referee : Phil Griffin
HEAT DETAILS
1 Richardson, Swiderski, Kroner, Woodward, 55.7 (3-3)
2 Johnston, Gustafsson, Schramm, Brundle (ret.), 56.4 (5-7)
3 Shields, Hampel, Bridger, Miskowiak, 56.2 &nbs p; (9-9)
4 Kennett, Schlein, Schramm, Gustafsson (res. repl.), 55.7 (12-12)
5 Shields, Swiderski, Bridger, Kroner, 55.9 (16-14)
6 (Rerun) Schlein, Johnston, Richardson, Woodward (exc.fell), 56.8 (17-19)
7 Hampel, Kennett, Miskowiak, Brundle (res.repl.), 56.2 (19-23)
8 Kroner, Gustafsson (res.repl.), Woodward, Schramm, 56.9 (22-26)
9 Schlein, Shields, Bridger, Johnston, 56.0 (25-29)
10 Richardson, Woodward, Hampel, Miskowiak (retired), 56.3 (30-30)
11 Kroner, Swiderski, Kennett, Gustafsson, 56.9 (31-35)
12 Shields, Hampel, Johnston, Brundle, 56.5 (34-38)
13 Swiderski, Richardson, Schlein, Kennett, 56.6 & nbsp; (36-42)
14 Johnston (res. repl.), Gustafsson, Schramm, Bridger (fell rem.), 57.6 (38-46)
15 (Rerun) Richardson, Schlein, Swiderski, Shields (exc. fell), 56.5 (41-49)
