JOHN Louis, the Ipswich Evening Star Witches promoter who suffered as his side finished rock bottom of the league last season, hailed a fresh dawn for the club last night.

By Elvin King

JOHN Louis, the Ipswich Evening Star Witches promoter who suffered as his side finished rock bottom of the league last season, hailed a fresh dawn for the club last night.

And the long-serving official praised his son Chris for making the transformation happen.

Louis senior said: “Chris has worked so hard off the track and now he is showing his worth with his leathers on it.

“We did ever so well with a good all-round show and had to work hard to gain what we thought would be a winning lead.

“But full marks to Coventry they fought back well and with their 5-1 result in heat 13 they put us under pressure.

“But Chris came up with the goods when it really mattered and his victory was so important to us. He is a key member of the side and plays his part to the full.

“Scott Nicholls rounded off the evening for us in great style by winning the last race and a good workmanlike show was enough to give us a crucial win.”

And Louis thanked the effort of the mechanics who worked hard all night in the pits of a

stadium that is in the middle of a £3million revamp, with greyhound racing starting up at Brandon next Wednesday,

Louis said: “Track conditions change and most of our riders were complaining of wheel spin. But their mechanics got to work and between them made a host of changes and kept the boys

competitive so that we could win enough races to gain this result.”

Visiting team manager Mike Smillie confirmed that he was in a quandary about who to partner with Nicholls in the final heat decider.

He said: “I went for Jesper B Jensen as I thought he had made four good starts in his previous races. But it easily could have been Hans Andersen.

“Thankfully Scott Nicholls won the race although we could not relax until he had crossed the finishing line as an engine failure would have seen us have to accept a drawn match, and we were better than that.”

Kim Jansson did well again in a reserved berth for the Witches being paid for seven points and he said: “I think I could have done better in a couple of races but overall we are happy enough to have gained the result.”

Louis senior confirmed that the traditional wooden fence would be in operation at Foxhall Stadium again for the Bees' visit this afternoon.

He said: “We will not be taking the return match lightly but if we ride with the same determination we should collect another victory.”