Joy on the road for Peterborough Panthers who cast a spell on the Ipswich Witches

Once again it was a solid all-round display from Rob Lyon’s experienced side with several team members cashing in on their knowledge of the Foxhall Stadium track to bag all four league points on offer.

Hans Andersen, Chris Harris and skipper Scott Nicholls are all former Witches riders and returned to Suffolk to haunt their ex-employers.

It was a close meeting with a tense atmosphere throughout as Panthers held a six-point lead with four races to go despite the best efforts of new Witches signing Craig Cook.

And when Michael Palm Toft and Ulrich Ostergaard slotted into second and third respectively in Heat 12 behind Danny King, Panthers were still six-up with three to go.

Chris Harris then pulled off a brilliant win in Heat 13 over home stalwarts Danny King and Cook to leave Panthers only needing a shared heat for victory.

But it was ironic that Nicholls, born and bred in Ipswich, was the man to secure the win with a Heat 14 victory with Ostergaard finishing third to put Panthers beyond reach.

King won the last race, but again Hans Andersen and Nicholls packed the minor places to grab all four league points for winning away by more than six points.

Boss Rob Lyon said: “The all-round performance of the boys was the key and I’m delighted. The buzz around our team at the end was brilliant and I think we benefitted from our experience tonight. It’s a fantastic result.

“At the same time, I’m a realist and it’s still early days. A lot can happen in a short space of time, just look at Ipswich.

“We’re looking forward to Monday against Wolves and we need all our fans to get their tickets and come and back the boys.”

Panthers are back at home on Monday (June 14) when they face a powerhouse Wolverhampton side with tickets on sale now at peterbouroughpantherstickets.seatedly.com – the action starts at 7.30.

SCORES

IPSWICH 41: Craig Cook 14+1, Danny King 13+1, Jake Allen 8, Anders Rowe 4, Drew Kemp 1+1, Paul Starke 1, Jason Crump r/r

PETERBOROUGH 49: Ulrich Ostergaard 13+1, Hans Andersen 11+2, Scott Nicholls 10+2, Chris Harris 7+1, Bjarne Pedersen 6+2, Michael Palm Toft 2, Jordan Palin 0.