King's Lynn Stars 45-45 Ipswich Witches: Speedway report

It looked like it was going to be an East Anglian derby to forget for the Witches, who lost stand-in skipper Jason Doyle when he was forced to withdraw following a very heavy crash in his first heat of the evening and they found themselves 14 points behind after heat eight.

However, they produced an incredible fightback to earn and win a super heat and walked away from Norfolk with two points for the win and the aggregate bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with a faultless 17+1 paid maximum.

Sayfutdinov took the win in heat one with Dan Thompson in third earning the visitors an early heat advantage, but the hosts responded with a maximum in heat two.

Adam Ellis was victorious in heat three with guest Tom Brennan in third earning a Witches 2-4.

The Witches lost stand-in skipper Jason Doyle to a heavy crash (Image: Steve Waller)
Doyle was involved in a hefty crash in heat four which resulted in him needing to go to hospital. After a lengthy delay, the re-run resulted in a maximum for the Stars to put them 14-10 ahead.

Sayfutdinov won a shared heat five before King’s Lynn earned another maximum in heat six.

Nicolai Klindt and Patryk Wojdylo earned the hosts a heat advantage in heat seven with the Stars skipper taking the chequered flag. The Stars struck another maximum in heat eight to extend their lead to 31-17.

Brennan won heat nine with tactical substitute Sayfutdinov in second to earn the Suffolk side a much-needed maximum.

The Witches guest took the win in another maximum in heat 10, this time with Ellis behind him. Sayfutdinov won heat 11 with Thompson in third to earn an Ipswich 2-4 before Ellis won a shared heat 12 to make it 38-34 to the hosts.

Sayfutdinov took the chequered flag again in heat 13 with Thompson in third for a heat advantage that secured the aggregate bonus point for the Witches.

Brennan won a shared heat 14 which set up a dramatic final heat. Sayfutdinov took the victory in heat 15 with Brennan earning a heat advantage that levelled the meeting at 45-45.

The Witches won the toss for the super heat with Ellis and Sayfutdinov choosing gates one and three.

Ellis took the chequered flag with Sayfutdinov in third to complete an incredible Witches comeback as they made it five consecutive wins at the Adrian Flux Arena.

Emil Sayfutdinov was superb in the latest Witches' win (Image: Steve Waller)
Team boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It wasn’t the night we wanted tonight but we got the result in the end.

"I am super proud of the lads, even if we ended up not getting the points in heat 15 or the super heat, I would have come away proud of how they turned it around and fought back. Obviously, it is a little bit sour because of our concern for Jason.

“Jason has gone to hospital, and we await further news. We have no news yet; it is very early days. He got up off the track and it was amazing to see him conscious, but he was in a lot of pain, and we will await news from the doctors.

“No one wants to see crashes and it was a sickening one, the influence Jason has in the pits and on our team, he is an amazing leader for us, and I think it hit everyone hard and it certainly showed in the next five heats after his crash where we really struggled, and our heads were down.

"It really shows the strength we have got in this team to turn it around and pull ourselves out of it. The 5-1 in heat nine was vital and it got everyone’s backs up.

"Heat 10 was the same again and we were back on a roll and focused. The mental strength we have shown tonight to turn that around after losing Jason is on a different level compared to many sides I have been involved in. That is the most pleasing thing for me.

“It was great to see Emil back to his sublime best and he was simply superb. I know he has been working hard on different equipment and stuff and he was absolutely immense tonight. It was brilliant to see, and we certainly needed it, it was sheer class.

“A massive thanks to Tom, what an outstanding job he did coming into the team. His rides in heats nine and 10 really turned things back in our favour and he was superb to work with as always.

"It was a great performance, and it is great to see such a talented British rider coming through and we thank him for his efforts. I am very much enjoying watching the great progress he is making in his career.

“I am delighted to beat King’s Lynn but for me I should have been absolutely buzzing coming away from that meeting, but our thoughts were with Jason really.

"We eagerly await news on him, and I am very proud of the boys managing to turn it around and get that win for him. Everything else is irrelevant but we are showing great character and what a great side to be involved in.”

KING’S LYNN 45: Tobiasz Musielak R/R, Benjamin Basso 8, Niels Kristian Iversen 6+1, Michael Palm Toft 2, Nicolai Klindt (c) 14+1, Patryk Wojdylo 7, Anders Rowe (RS) 8+5.

IPSWICH 45: Emil Sayfutdinov 17+1 (Paid Maximum), Dan Thompson (RS) 4, Adam Ellis 9+1, Tom Brennan (G) 13, Jason Doyle (c) 0 (withdrawn), Keynan Rew 0, Jordan Jenkins 2.