DISQUALIFICATION from the penultimate race in 2007's opening Eastern Junior League fixture denied Team Ipswich victory in a dramatic head-off with local rivals Norwich.

DISQUALIFICATION from the penultimate race in 2007's opening Eastern Junior League fixture denied Team Ipswich victory in a dramatic head-off with local rivals Norwich.

Travelling to Lowestoft as defending champions, and having finished fourth nationally in 2006, Team Ipswich had a lot to live up to this year but, with a depleted team, a win at the start of the day looked like an uphill task.

Ipswich started the event in good form with a clear win in the 10yrs 50m freestyle from Jake Tyson. Further wins came in from both the boys and girls 11yrs freestyle and medley relay teams and Christian Frost in the 10ys 50m Breaststroke. The boys 10yrs medley team followed suit with another impressive win. Chloe Price and Killian Korth both romped to victory in their 50m backstroke, while Ryan Tomkins touched out his rivals in a close 50m breaststroke to win in a time of 40.30.

At the halfway stage, Norwich were up by just four points but Ipswich produced an amazing performance in the second half. The first five events all went to Team Ipswich, with the boys and girls freestyle relays starting the run with impressive victories. Ellen Oxbrow and Killian Korth both triumphed in their 50m butterfly events, as did Fiona Manthorpe in a tightly contested 50m freestyle.

At this point Team Ipswich were a single point ahead. Further wins came from Stephan Osman-Wiggan and Phillip Dowding-Young, as well as the girls 12yrs freestyle relay team.

The final run-in was tense, with the top spot changing nearly every race. Bethany Catchpole finished first in her 50m breaststroke, with Jake Tyson destroying the field in his 25m butterfly. Phillip Dowding-Young again took a first place for the team in his 25m back, which was followed up by Chloe Price and Mitchell Lewis winning their 50m freestyle events in style.

With just two events to go, Norwich were one point ahead. A first place finish for Ipswich in the 12yrs medley relay gave hope and an emphatic win in the final cannon relay seemed to have given Team Ipswich the win.

However, the story was not over. When the final race results were read out Team Ipswich received a disqualification for the 12yrs medley relay team as one swimmer was adjudged to have lifted their elbows out of the water illegally on too many occasions during the breaststroke. This decision handed victory to Norwich by four points.

The final will be swum in Thetford on June 30 where Team Ipswich will look to overturn the four-point disadvantage and move once again into the national Junior Speedo competition.