Witches were really up for it - Loram

WELL let's be honest, from a racing point of view it could have been more exciting, but the Evening Star Witches won't worry about that after the win over Swindon on Monday night.

You could see the boys were really up for it from the off and I think team boss Pete Simmons must really have fired them up because Swindon had no answers to the Witches onslaught.

I think Pete's influence is there for all to see. He's passionate about the sport and doesn't hold back when he wants to say something.

Certainly whatever he said it paid dividends on Monday night and the Robins never looked like repeating their win from earlier in the season.

I noticed both Lakeside and Eastbourne won away from home on Monday night and it is proving a really tough league this season with so many away wins.

I think so many away victories is just coincidence and not down to anything in particular.

The teams overall look fairly level and even Wolverhampton, who are bottom don't look that weak a side.

I think the Witches will need at least one more away win to be sure of finishing in the play-off positions, but with it all tightening up they are as capable of finishing in the top two as they are the top four.

Tonight they race the first of three tough fixtures on the road, at Swindon. Then it's off to Lakeside tomorrow and Wolves on Monday.

A win at any of those tracks would be just what the doctor ordered.

WELL in the end Team GB did better in the Race-Off than they did in Event Two in the World Cup.

Not that they could do much worse I suppose.

It was great to see Tai Woffinden race so well in Vojens and what a talent he looks. But overall there isn't a great batch of young riders coming through for England.

The country is stagnant for sure on that front and you can't force the issue.

The final was a superb meeting, with Poland doing really well to push Denmark all the way. Again Jarek (Hampel) looked really good after a disappointing race-off meeting.

Jarek is a regular face in the Polish line-up now and deservedly so. I suspect Piotr Swiderski may be wondering if he is likely to get his chance sometime soon.

I don't know the answer to that; it will be down to whether his face fits I would think.

Denmark were deserving champions and just had the edge and it was a great advert for the sport.

AS TOLD TO MIKE BACON